Amy Phuong Tran Mrs.

Meyer English 9B April 5, 2012 A Study in Fate The fearful passage of their death-marked love, /And the continuance of their parents rage, / Which, but their childrens end, naught could remove, (I. Prologue. 9-11) From the beginning of William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet, fate is a key component to the tragedy. Romeo and Juliets eternal love for one another was destined to end in their death in order to end the feud between their families, the Capulets and the Montagues. Romeo is a clear example of fate and destiny in action. Life is predetermined by fate or destiny because everything happens for a reason and even if the person veers off course, fate guides them back; in some cases, fate can be brutal but necessary for the greater good. Everything in life is intended to happen and even if it does not help the initial person,it is for the good of someone else. As if by fate, Romeo and Juliet meet one another, forgetting whether or not they know who the other is. What ladys that, which doth enrich the hand/ Of yonder knight? (I. 5. 39-40). It is after their meeting when they meet reality and learn that they are sworn enemies. They refuse to let that bother their relationship and hasten to get married three days after their meeting. Mercutio, a kinsman of the Prince, is killed byTybalt of the House of Capulet. Or I shall faint. A plague on both your houses!/ They have made worms meat of me. (III. 1. 101-102) He foreshadows the fate of the two prestigious houses and a reason that the feud is ended. At the end of the play, the Prince condemns the houses to punishment. He says that because he brushed off the violence of the family, he lost a brave man, that man being Mercutio. Mercutio was meant to die for the sake of the Capulets and Montagues.

In Mantua, the Black Plague is running amok and a letter that was sent to Romeo from Friar Lawrence was sent back for fear of disease. "I could not send it- here it is again-/ Nor get a messenger to bring it thee,/ so fearful they were of infection" (V. 2. 14-16). The message being sent back is proof that Romeo and Juliet had to die. If the letter had been on its original route and reached its destination, Romeo would not have jumped to conclusions and die and Juliet would be rescued from her arranged marriage. Even if things that happen are meant to happen, they can veer off course. Outside forces, such as people, can make some people wander off course in life but it is fate's job to guide them back to their original plan. In Romeo and Juliet, Capulet orders Juliet to marry Paris or else he will disown her. Juliet has no choice but to comply with his orders but she and the Friar make a plan for her escape. "I tell thee what- get thee to church a Thursday/ Or never look me in the face. / Speak not, reply not, do not answer me!" (III. 5. 66-68). The arranged marriage is merely a bump in the road because Juliet runs to Friar for consolation then he has a plan for her to see Romeo. Fate has acted in a fast matter because outside forces caused Juliet to take a wrong turn but another outside force leads her back. Juliet hesitates to take the potion that will send her to sleep. "Come, vial. / What if this mixture do not work at all? / Shall I be married in then tomorrow morning?" (IV. 3. 21-23). She lists off reasons why she should not take the potion because she knows that the plan has a possibility of failing. Despite all of this, she risks her life and takes the drink. Although self motivation is a strong opposition to fate, fate overpowered and Juliet succumbs to destiny's will. In the same case, Romeo senses that Juliet is not dead when he sees her lying in the tomb. "Thou art not conquered. Beauty's ensign yet/ Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks, / And death's pale flag has not advanced there" (V. 3. 94-96). Romeo notices that Juliet does not look dead but he just thinks that she's so beautiful that even death has not power over her beauty. He takes the poison regardless of his realization. In situations like these, fate can play a terrible role as death.

Fate does not always have a happy ending; it can be tragic but beneficial. Tybalt is killed by Romeo after he slays Mercutio, resulting in Romeo's banishment. "And for that offense/ Immediately we do exile him hence" (III. 1. 85-86) Tybalt had to die in order for Romeo to be banished to Mantua and although Capulets lost a family member, Tybalt was not a good man for he enjoys fighting with his enemy. The overall death of Romeo and Juliet was a fierce blow to the heart of the Montagues and Capulets. "O brother Montague, give me thy hand. / This is my daughter's jointure, for no more/ Can I demand" (V. 3. 302-304) Without the death of the "star-crossed lovers" the Montagues and Capulets would not have ended their meaningless feud. With their lessons learned, the two families make amends and never forget this story. Depending on the person, fate can be an underlying force in life to a force of change that happens every day. All events occur for a specific reason but sometimes it takes awhile to get to a destination. The ending can be devastating but in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, it is necessary for making the lives of people better.