The play follows the fortunes of the ‘star crossed lovers’. The prologue at the start of the play indicates, they had fate against them. In those times, people were very cautious of what the stars said. If two people's stars were crossed in the sky, they would never remain together. In the modern world most people choose to believe that they have a sense of responsibility and can control their own lives but, during the Elizabethan England period people believed in fate and led their lives on the way the stars told their future. Their fate seems to be written in the stars and dictate destiny.
The events that occur throughout the play are not mere coincidences, but rather manifestations of fate that help bring about the unavoidable outcome of the young lovers’ deaths. Peter runs into Romeo and Benvolio on the street, after reading the list of the invited people, Romeo decides to go to the party even though his enemy Capulet was going to be there. It is this encounter of luck, that of all people, Romeo ended up reading the list of the names of the guests for the Capulet feast. It is fate that makes the encounter possible.
Romeo has a dream that Juliet finds him dead. . “I dreamt my lady came and found me dead” (Romeo, Act 5, scene1, line 6). This is foreshadowing to the already destined events that these two lovers will soon face death. The dream leads him to believe that he is going to die because of something in the stars. Juliet tells Romeo her vision of him being dead at the bottom of the tomb, “Me thinks I see thou now, thou art so low, as one dead in the bottom of the tomb, either my eyesight fails or thou look'st pale” (Juliet, Act 3, scene 5, line 55-57). Her dream highlights again to the audience that death is unavoidable. This was a warning for Romeo but he chose to ignore it. If two people see the same dream then it is not just coincidence but it is definite to happen and there is no stopping it.
In my opinion I think fate contributes very much to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet’s lives are spoiled by fate in so many ways in many forms. If their parent’s had not been feuding and if the Nurse had not betrayed Juliet, the outcome would have been different, although fate could not be changed. These two are very stubborn, selfish, and rush into things and do not think ahead. For example, many things happen, to their misfortune, “O, I am fortunes fool” (Romeo, Act3, scene1, line 133), Romeo calls himself a fool which emphasizes his sense of judgement is missing, hence putting fate all in control. Romeo and Juliet will be a timeless classic for years to come as entertainment, a symbol of love, and even a tragedy of fate.
