in Romeo and Juliet a lot of fate is introduced due to the fact that they thought that god controlled their lives. today im here to show you how Shakespeare interprets fate into Romeo and Juliet.The first thing i will talk about is when Romeo says I fear too early, for my mind misgives Some consequence yet hanging in the stars Shall bitterly begin his fearful date With this night’s revels, and expire the term Of a despisèd life closed in my breast By some vile forfeit of untimely death.But he that hath the steerage of my course Direct my sail. On, lusty gentlemen.
this here is a big sign of fate. Romeo is saying that if he goes to this party bad thing will happen. he also says a metaphor “but he that hath steerage of my course direct my sail. this is saying that he is a boat and God is controlling him to fate yet hanging in the stars.
that is also a fate related phrase because he is saying that god has written his fate in the stars. this links back to the point where we have fate.
in this play the biggest sign of fate is in the prologue .Two households, both alike in dignity(In fair Verona, where we lay our scene),From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life,Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.The fearful passage of their death-marked love And the continuance of their parents’ rage,
Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove,
Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage—
The which, if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
here it literally tells you how the story will unfold which is a big sign of fate in this story. it tells you that two star crossed lovers will die and that it will end their parents strife. this also links to how Shakespeare uses fate in the story
in one scene balthasar arrives to mantua to tell the news that Juliet has died. in this moment Romeo shouts
” I defy thee stars”
again he is referring to the stars as god . he is also saying that he doesn’t want to follow the fate that god has given him.
there is also one scene where Juliet foresees her own death.
JULIET (gesturing towards Romeo)
What’s he that follows here, that would not dance?
NURSE
I know not.
JULIET
Go ask his name. The Nurse goes. If he be married.
My grave is like to be my wedding bed.
she is saying to the nurse that if Romeo gets banished she will die a virgin because she is married to romeo and that if he doesn’t die she will have to die a virgin.
another example in this is when Romeo kills Tybalt . Romeo calls himself a fortunes fool. this is kind of saying that fate or fortune lead him to killing tybalt. this is fate because a fortune is like gods blessing. it kind of like a fortune cookie.this links to the fact that fate is commonly used in his play.
in this scene extract
JULIET
O, think’st thou we shall ever meet again?
ROMEO
I doubt it not; and all these woes shall serve
For sweet discourses in our time to come.
JULIET
O God, I have an ill-divining soul!
Methinks I see thee, now thou art below,
As one dead in the bottom of a tomb.
Either my eyesight fails or thou look’st pale.Juliet is saying that she is a suspicion of Romeos death this also foreshadows how in this end she will be in a her tomb leading Romeo t t to his death.this scene actually happens which shows fate. she leads Romeo to his death because he thinks she is dead. hence she says days before
JULIET
O God, I have an ill-divining soul!
Methinks I see thee, now thou art below,
As one dead in the bottom of a tomb.
Either my eyesight fails or thou look’st pale.
this also links to fate .
The idea that Fate says that god derives everyone’s lives I Romeo and Juliet. Those writers of the medieval like Shakespeare believed highly in god and believed that he controlled everything world incorporated the goddess Fortune into Christianity and made her God’s servant, responsible for adding challenges to our lives so that we would see the importance of giving up our tumultuous earthly lives to God. he put those challenges into his writing especially in Romeo and Juliet where he shows that god can make love a difficult thing for everyone.
In conclusion Shakespeare does put a lot of fate into Romeo and Juliet because of how he believes things are in the real world .
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