Romeo And Juliet Essay, Research Paper

Do you believe in fate? To answer the question, you must first have a correct

idea of what fate is. A definition of fate would be the power that is supposed

to settle ahead of time how things will happen. Could there be such a power that

rules our lives, and if so, why? Romeo and Juliet, the two young lovers in

William Shakespeare’ s Romeo and Juliet, ended up becoming a large part of what

could be called "fate". Fate seemed to control their lives and force

them together, becoming a large part of their love, and the ending of their

parent’s hatred. Fate became the ultimate control power in this play, and plays

a large part in modern everyday life, even if we don’t recognize it. Maybe we

don’t recognize it because we choose not to, or don’t have faith like we used

to, but the fact remains that fate controls what we do throughout all of our

lives. A large part of the beliefs for both Romeo and Juliet involve fate. They

believed in the stars, and that their actions weren’t always their own. Romeo,

for example, 1.4.115-120, he says, "Some consequence yet hanging in the

stars…by some vile forfeit of untimely death. But he that hath the steerage

over my course Direct my sail." He’s basically saying to his friends that

he had a dream which leads him to believe that he will die young because of

something in the stars, something that will happen. He ends with "…he

that hath steerage over my course…" which implies that he does not have

control over his life if he looks to another power above himself to direct him.

He does not feel that he is the one who makes decisions, it is all a higher

purpose, a different power. We’re all sort of like the puppets below the

puppeteer. He’s asking for that puppeteer to direct his "sail," or his

life, in the right direction. Fate directs us all like the puppets on the end of

it’s string, and I believe strongly in it. It is, in many ways, the mystical

power that controls who and what we become, and it explains that which can not

be explained. Romeo was looking to this power, asking of this power to direct

him, not to an untimely death as he foresaw in his dream, but to just steer him,

because that is the control which he knows he does not have over himself.

Nonetheless, fate still managed to weave Romeo into a twisted web of it’s

power’s and plan’s. It did this by starting with a few simple emotions and

actions. Romeo had a crush on Rosaline, who did not return these feelings. Next,

an illiterate servant of the Capulet’s was sent to invite people on a list to a

party that the Capulet’s were throwing. While Romeo babbled on about his life

with Benvolio, his cousin and kinsmen, Romeo bumped into this servant who asked

him to read the list, with Rosaline’s name, which got Romeo to agree to go after

the servant invited them. This sets everything up for the two lovers. They meet

at the party, Romeo memorized by her beauty, and her simply memorized by him.

They realize later their identity, but they are in love and won’t let their

names get in the way of that strong emotional bind. If fate didn’t put all this

together, then what or who did? What were the chances of all of this happening

to two loathed enemies? It would probably be a million to one. Fate set up their

love, their love already predestined, as well as their suicides, which they both

foresaw. Romeo and Juliet throughout the play have dreams or visions of their

deaths. Juliet for example in 3.5.55, she says, "Methinks I see thee, now

thou art so low, as one dead in the bottom of a tomb." She sees Romeo dead

in a tomb, which is where he eventually ends up in the end of the play, beside

her. This why she talks about Romeo being so low in a tomb, he’s dead, and she

has foreseen it, before it has even happened. How could she have seen the future

if it wasn’t already decided for her? The answer is, she probably couldn’t have.

I’m very superstitious and believe in dreams and powers beyond us, that in the

end everything can amount to some good, and some bad. It’s a constant balance

that keeps working throughout life and nature which we can’t stop. Dreams or

experiences often hint to things or have a meaning. In the case of Romeo and

Juliet, it showed them what was going to happen, not exactly what would take

place on that night, but it did show them both that Romeo would die. Believing

in fate and trusting dreams such as these is believing in the idea that a

stronger power and force controls us, and in the case of such a strong love as

the love between Romeo and Juliet, that there is one person out there destined

for everyone. It’s romantic, and Romeo and Juliet were lucky enough to find each

other, even if their love eventually led them to their deaths. In this case,

however, fate may have been trying to do more than bring the two together. On

5.3.317, The Prince says, "A gloomy peace with it brings…" after

they two are discovered dead and their marriage revealed by the Friar. The

hatred and feud between the two houses was causing so many to loose their lives.

The Prince was fed up with them and their brawls, such as on 1.1.90-100,

"…By thee, old Capulet, and Montague, have thrice disturbed the quiet of

our streets…If ever you disturb our streets again, Your lives shall pay the

forfeit of the peace." He’s saying that the feud is causing many problems

on his streets, and the next time he needs to break them up or people get

involved in a rumble, he will kill them to end the chaos that is sweeping

through Verona. The peace may have been the final part in this grand scheme

which seems so perfectly plotted, bringing together two lovers and two families

full of hate. The Friar so predicted the marriage might do, 2.3.98, "For

this alliance may so happy prove To turn your households’ rancor to pure

love." He agreed to marry them, seeing such a noble event bringing the two

families together and ending the hatred, and then turning it to true love. In

the end, the hatred was ended, and their love was as true as it could have been.

Even if their lives were ended by it, like Romeo says 2.2.83, "And, But

thou love me, let them find me here. My life is better ended by their hate Than

death prorogued, wanted of thy love." He would have preferred to die then

to have lived without Juliet, or not to have Juliet’s love and be left only with

hate. He so proves the strength of such a conviction when he kills himself, and,

in turn, Juliet kills herself. During this part of the play, after Romeo has

killed Paris and himself but before Juliet has done the same, the Friar comes

rushing in, trying to persuade Juliet out of the tomb before more arrive. He

says to Juliet 5.3.159, "A greater power than we can contradict hath

thwarted our intents." It can be interpreted that he is talking of fate,

telling Juliet that a power beyond their control has spoiled their plans. This

power must be fate. They couldn’t contradict it, how would you? How do you beat

the power that spins out lives and creates our futures in the same manner that

it is has created our past and present. You can’t. Their story, as sad as it may

be, was meant to happen. The good and the bad are a balance that even fate must

recognize and accept. Some people say that the lord works in mysterious ways,

which I think is a way of saying that sometimes the bad things are blessings,

and they may just work to the greater good. The same could be said about fate,

and it’s role in this play. Yes, two people died. Is this a worthy cause and a

lesser number than those who may have died if their hatred had not been

resolved? I would have to say yes, their deaths may have been to the greater

good, as tragic as it was. It turned hate to love. This play, as well as fate

works in it, isn’t the only thing fate plays a role in. Fate affects everything

and decided much of the world and it’s destiny. What happens happens, why fight

it? We all end up were ever fate wants us, one way or another. Everybody we

meet, everything that affects us and makes us see things from different views

and other sides, they all affect who we become and develop into, which,

ultimately, is fate. As much as we would like to deny it. Some things just can’t

be explained unless you look to the higher reasoning and to the higher cause,

and sometimes the good out of the bad is visible. I heard a quote from a movie

that is coming out in awhile that struck me and stuck with me. It goes,

"…fate can only take you so far, the rest is up to you." Fate got

Romeo and Juliet together, and it set everything up, but in the end, I do

believe we have some say in how we turn out. Fate can make things happen, such

as the case in Romeo and Juliet, but it was also the love between them, the deep

emotions that ran through their hearts mixed with the scorn and hatred driven in

by their parents. Their actions may have been predestined, but they were their

own. They may not have realized the consequence of their love, but even if they

did, they didn’t care. Things happen because of fate, and actions happen because

of things. It’s a never ending circle of power and feeling, destiny and actions.

Each depends on the other, yet each has the power to affect everything on it’s

own. Fate needs the action of it’s "puppet" just like the puppet needs

the puppeteer. One can’t exist without the other. People’s hearts will run

freely, and fate simply will lead them, but the rest is up to them to achieve,

even if fate is guiding them, the power to stop fate lies simply in a strong

gesture where the "puppet" has the power to become the

"puppeteer."