Topic: “A pair of star cross’d lovers take their live.” (Prologue) How important is the part fate, plays in ? To what extent do you see the two major characters responsible for the tragedy? We can make our own decisions and lead the life we want, not everything is out of our control. Unfortunately, there are always hard times and challenges that come up unexpectedly. As everyday passes, both good and bad things happen to you, causing great changes. In “Romeo and Juliet”, such events like the day when Romeo and Juliet met unexpectedly, or when Romeo was banished, Juliet having to marry Paris, the late arrival of the letter and the death of Paris and the “star cross’d lovers”, were all uncontrollable events and fate had a strong influence over Romeo and Juliet’s life. The two families, the Capulets and the Montagues were enemies due to their ancient grudge. Their intense hatred for each other and the problems this caused constantly made their disliking of the opposite family worsen.
It was impossible for a family member to socialize with one of the opposite family. Unluckily, Romeo and Juliet were in this difficult and troublesome situation as Juliet was a Capulet and Romeo, a Montague. It was very hard for them to be together and frequent quarrels had affected them both. It was bad luck for Romeo and Juliet to be born in these families as there was a life planned for them. Juliet’s father, Lord Capulet was a very cruel father and did not respect Juliet like a daughter.
He was too self-centred and cared about himself and she had a mother who was distant to her. Juliet’s parents did not protect or support her like their own daughter; her father was pushy, organizing Juliet’s sudden marriage to Paris and her mother didn’t care or even try and aid her. With such parents, she had to make her own choices and decisions which was a negative point because she was still young, had no personal experience and had not support from her closest related people- her parents. Juliet was destined to have a disrespectable father and mother as she had no control, which was her bad luck she kept forever. Romeo and Juliet did not ever imagine that they would be brought together and did not have the slightest notion that they were to meet. Particularly for Romeo, his main purpose attending the party was to see his beloved Rosa line but he came across Juliet instead when she appeared at the feast.
From that moment on, Romeo and Juliet fell in love and it was in the stars that they were to meet on that day. However, the stars may have seemed lucky but they were actually challenging them each time they were trying to be together. Romeo always had the feeling fate would come from the evil stars. In Act 1, Scene 4 (Line 106&107), Romeo states,” I fear, too early; for my mind misgives. Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars.” Romeo had attended the feast unwelcome and his appearance, aggravated Tybalt who wanted to fight him. Instantaneously, Capulet dealt with the situation and kicked Tybalt out of the house instead.
Obviously, Tybalt was an aggressive fellow who would always fight back. Later, he wanted to revenge Romeo and it came to one day that he was looking for Romeo in the streets of Verona. In the beginning, Mercurio was engaged in a fight with Tybalt and he got killed. Seeing the death of his friend, Romeo was outraged and it was his decision to take action and kill Tybalt. However, it was Romeo’s bad luck to have Tybalt to have spotted him out there in the streets. Also, unluckily, Romeo was banished and was forbidden to be in the town of Verona.
If it wasn’t for Tybalt who murdered Romeo’s friend, Romeo wouldn’t have lost control of himself and killed Tybalt. Tybalt had started the fighting scheme so he had brought the bad luck over to Romeo, leading him to an unfortunate life from that day on. Romeo, knowing that he was not allowed to be in Verona anymore, had secretly sneaked into the Capulet Mansion to say farewell to Juliet. Juliet, who was devastated with the news of Romeo’s banishment hoped and wished upon the stars saying she wants better luck to come from the stars and bring her good fortune.
Once again, Romeo’s banishment, which had prevented and separated Juliet from him, was pure misfortune and upsetting for the couple. As Paris had asked Lord Capulet’s consent to marry Juliet, Capulet had suggested to him to get to know her better so he organized a family feast. Not long after, Capulet declared that Paris would marry Juliet as soon as possible. Poor Juliet was told by her father that she was to marry a man she had only considered an ordinary friend. Juliet couldn’t control what was happening to her life or even make a choice for herself.
Her father only cared about himself and he didn’t care what Juliet thought so she was made to marry Paris while she was already married to Romeo, which nobody knew about except for the Nurse. Fate was challenging Juliet and wouldn’t let her live through a day without grief. After hearing she was to marry Paris, Juliet rejected the marriage and pleaded with her father to delay the wedding a few days more, but he refused. Juliet’s parents were cold-blooded and cruel; they did not try and help her in the slightest way. Being rejected, Juliet had to desperately get help from Friar Lawrence, who was her only hope. Friar Lawrence had written an important letter to Romeo, when he was still in Mantua.
The letter fully explained his plans but the letter never arrived on time as bad luck had stepped in, intervening with Friar Lawrence’s plan. This created a horrible misunderstanding to Romeo that his wife was dead. The cause of the late arrival was that fate had deliberately caused a plague in the town of Verona so that no one, including messengers was allowed to go out of town. This meant Friar Lawrence’s letter could not be sent and when it was sent later on, it was too late.
This caused a great dilemma to Friar Lawrence. Romeo took the news of Juliet, from Balthasar very seriously so he dashed to the tomb, where Juliet was laid. Instead of having a peaceful arrival, he bumped into Paris, which made everything complicated once again. Romeo and Paris fought as they both wanted Juliet all along, although she was dead.
Sadly, Paris, Romeo and Juliet died because of the many misunderstandings and bad luck stepping in their way, never giving them a chance. In Act 5, Scene 3, at the tome, Romeo blamed all the bad luck on the stars before he drank the poison and died. “And shake the yoke of in auspicious stars.” (Line 111) Romeo who was a bold young man had risked his life and fought against the stars to reach to his wife Juliet. He did not give up but fought against the challenges that came up against him to prevent him from his accomplishments. In Act 5, Scene 1, while Romeo was still at Mantua, he plans to take fate to his own hands to be with Juliet. “Is it even so? Then I defy you, stars!” (Line 24) However, fate had overpowered Romeo and no matter what Romeo attempted, he was always defeated as the power of fate was hard to overcome.
After exploring the unfortunate events in “Romeo and Juliet”, everything that occurred between them, we can see that Romeo and Juliet had very little control over their lives. They were born into feuding families of the Capulets and the Montagues and Juliet’s cruel father was forcing her to marry Paris. Romeo’s poor fate led him to banishment and the late arrival of the letter further stresses that nasty fate was in their lives. Fate stepped in various ways when Romeo was banished and Romeo and Juliet could no longer be together. Throughout the play, fate plays an important role and totally controls and changes Romeo and Juliet’s life. Regardless of their struggle, their efforts had little effect against the power of fate..