Does Fate Exist? Essay, Research Paper

In the late 15th century when Shakespeares play The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet was being performed, many of the people that were watching this play believed that their lives were controlled by fate. They believed that they had no control over what happened in their lives. I do not believe this. I believe that we control our lives by the decisions we make. Romeo and Juliet believed that their lives were predetermined by fate. If that is true, then when Romeo trys to change fate that would be impossible. We all have expieriences in our lives that people will try to blame on fate. Is it really fate or is it just the result of a concious decision we made. When Shakespeare wrote The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet he had the same point of view as many people of his time, i.e. fate controls our lives and we have no control over what happens. He and his audience both believed that our lives were mapped out in the stars . I do not. I believe that our lives are governed by the decisions we make. In act 5, scene 1, line 25 of Shakespeares The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet . Romeo says Is it e en so?- Then I defy you stars!- Romeo is saying here that up to this point in his life fate had been in control and now he was going to take over, but if fate already has our whole lives mappped out, wasn t this bound to happen anyway? I believe that Romeo had been making the decisions from square one. He chose to marry Juliet, he chose not to fight Tybalt and eventually cause Mercutios demise, and it was also Romeo that ultimately made the decision to kill Tybalt out of revenge for Mercutios murder. I believe that fate is just somebody s idea to try and shift the blame for all of their bad decisions. Do you ever hear anybody say that it was fate that made them make a good decision? No way. They take 100% of the credit. Some people believe that everything in our lives is controlled by fate, For example. If by driving in the left hand lane you avoid getting in a car accident was it fate that caused you to drive in the left hand lane? No, I believe that it was the decision to drive in the left hand lane that caused you to avoid getting in a car accident. Just like it is your decision to get up in the morning, decide to go to work, and even decide to use your car as your mode of transportation to work. Even if all these choices are obviously the right decision to make, you still have to make them.

Everything that happens in our lives is the direct result of a decision we make. One day last winter my father and I were driving along a slick icy road on a dark snowy night. Because of the driving conditions my father chose to drive along side the curb instead of in the middle of the lane where he normally drives. When we came to a bend in the road we were halfway through the bend, right alongside the curb when we both looked up just in time to see the headlights of a car scarce seconds before it bounced harmlessly off the rear fender of our car. If we had been driving in the middle of the lane like we normally do. The oncoming car would have hit us square in the side door, causing much more damage to the car and it s passengers. Some people would say that it was fate that caused my dad to drive alongside the curb but I believe that it was a educated decision based on the driving conditions outside. On the stage, in life and even from our own personal expieriences instances occur in our lives. Some are good and some not so good. Romeo and Juliet had these instances occur. We have them in everything in life, even driving, and we will expierience them in our own personal lives. People try to blame these occurances, both good and bad on fate. Something believed to be bigger and more powerful than any of us can comprehend. I do not believe that fate even exists. I believe that whatever happens in our lives is the direct or indirect result of a decision we have made. Our lives are like mounds of clay, we can mold them how we desire.