The following reference to fate is made when Romeo and Juliet are preparing to marry in Friar’s cell. This should be a joyful time for the couple but many lines refer to the lovers’ tragic destiny. The Friar expresses his misgivings about the suddenness of Romeo’s decision to marry Juliet. The Friar expresses his concern of their love as, ‘violent delights’, which have ‘violent ends.’ The Friar hopes that sorrow will not follow Romeo and Juliet’s wedding, ‘and in their triumph die, like fire and powder which as they kiss consume.’ Although the Friar is unaware, he was predicting the fate of the couple, just as Mercutio did.
In act 3, scene 1 fate is blamed by Romeo. In this scene Mercutio is killed as a result of fighting Tybalt on Romeos behalf. When he is dying he twice curses, ‘a plague a ’both your houses!’ when saying this he is blaming his death/injury on their families feud. Romeo is upset and then blames himself and Juliet for what happens to Mercutio, he acts impulsively and kills Tybalt. Romeo felt that he must fight Tybalt to avenge his friend and prove, that his love for Juliet has not softened him, making him cowardly and not able to fight his own battles. ‘O sweet Juliet, thy beauty hath made me effeminate, and in my temper soften’d valour’s steel!’ Once Romeo realises what a terrible thing he has done by killing his cousin he blames fate for he is ‘fortune’s fool.’
The last references to fate are around the time of Juliet’s ‘death.’ Romeo is alone in Mantua when he receives the news that his love is dead. He responds to this news by yet again blaming fate, ‘I defy you, stars,’ here he is saying ‘fate, do your worst.’
Next, fate is used when Friar John, the carrier of the message that Juliet is not really dead, is unable to deliver it to Romeo. Friar Lawrence is panicked by this and is worried of the consequences ‘of dear import; and the neglecting it may do much danger.’ The Friar then refers to fate for this was an ‘unhappy fortune!’ the whole tragedy then hinges on the failure to deliver a letter, this is a trivial enough occurrence but one which reinforces the idea of fate playing a hand in the lovers’ untimely end.
Although fate is used throughout the play I could be suggested that it is wrong to blame something we have no control over. It could therefore be suggested that the lover’s tragic end was not only caused by fate but by Romeo and Juliet’s own personalities and actions and the personalities and actions of the other people that surround them.
For example the nurse could be said to have caused the death of the pair because she lacks in courage to face consequences of her actions. This is recognised when the nurse betrays Juliet act 3, scene 5. In this scene Juliet’s Father wants her to marry the count Paris, but Juliet knows she is already married and therefore can’t go ahead. Juliet turns to her friend, the nurse for comfort and advice but to her surprise the nurse sides with her Father and Mother and agrees that she should marry Paris and forget Romeo, ‘I think it best you married with the county.. Romeos a dishclout to him,’ she then compares Romeo to a dish clothe! Juliet is appalled and upset by her response, for the nurse was, before the death of Tybalt, happy to assist her in her secret marriage to Romeo.
After this betrayal Juliet turns to the only person she has left, the Friar, if he couldn’t help she would have resorted to suicide. If the nurse was to have sided with Juliet then there may have been a different outcome. Juliet may not have had to ask the Friar for help and therefore he may not have given her the potion that consequenced the lover’s deaths. The nurse’s reaction to the situation may have been due to many reasons; her simplicity as a person, the death of Tybalt by Romeo or the threat of Lord Capulet. When the nurse came to Juliet’s defence the lord Capulet said ‘peace, you mumbling fool!’ This may have been influenced the nurses opinion therefore making her cowardly because she changed sides. The nurse is referred to as an ‘honest nurse’ with a ‘good heart’, in whom piety and strong sexuality are combined with commonsense and her desire to please both Mr and Mrs Capulet and Juliet.
Friar Lawrence could also be said to have cause the deaths of the couple though good intentions. His role in the play parallels that of the nurse. He is a kind character and tries his up most to do the best thing for all concerned. The Friar advises careful and considered actions. He warns that ‘violent delights’ have ‘violent ends,’ and when asked to marry Romeo and Juliet agrees because he believes it will help end the feud between the rival families. By going ahead with the couple’s secret marriage, he places himself in a difficult situation for when he is asked to later marry Juliet to Paris, he cannot do it! He tries to help Romeo, Juliet and himself by giving Juliet a potion but his plan back fires, when it goes wrong he hurries to the vault to be with Juliet when she awakes. He tries in vain to persuade her to leave Romeo but when she refuses the Friar leaves and as a result of his plan Juliet kills herself to be with Romeo. This is a consequence of the Friars own actions.
The next character which may have also caused the death of Romeo and Juliet is Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin. Tybalt is a vindictive and hot-tempered swords man who feels obliged to fight Montague’s. He could be said to of caused the death of Romeo and Juliet through his hatred and intimidation of Romeo. Tybalt is always ready to fight, and at the Capulets ball his aggression is noticed when he hears a Montague ‘this, by his voice, should be a Montague.’
We next notice this hatred on the streets of Verona. As soon as Romeo arrives Tybalt insults him ‘Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford no better term than this – thou art a villain,’ and then he challenges Romeo to a fight. Romeo is reluctant for he is now married to Juliet; therefore they are cousins by marriage. Despite Romeos attempted kindness towards Tybalt, Tybalt is still desperate to fight. Mercutio sees this refusal to fight from Romeo and feels the need to fight on his behalf and draws his sword on Tybalt. When Tybalt kills Mercutio Romeo acts on impulse and seeks revenge ‘and fire-ey’d fury be my conduct now,’ Romeo then kills Tybalt his own cousin by marriage and as a result is banished from Verona. Tybalt had succeeded in intimidating Romeo and Mercutio resulting in his own death. If it wasn’t for Tybalts hatred and intimidation of the Montague’s then Romeo wouldn’t have been banished form Verona and the chain of awful events wouldn’t have followed.
Another main character is Juliet’s father, Lord Capulet. At first he comes across as a kind, and generous man but it is noticed that, like the nurse, the death of Tybalt changed this for after his death his attitude towards Juliet changed. When Juliet is asked to marry Paris and she refuses, the Lord Capulet rages at her, and then threatens to throw her out of the house! ‘He shall not make me there a joyful bride,’ she recalls. Capulet then tells her ‘graze where you will, you shall to house with me!’ This shows Capulets quick change in nature for at the beginning of the play he is so kind. It could be suggested if it wasn’t for his quick, violent temper and his dominating attitude towards Juliet, she may not have felt obliged to go to such lengths to conceal her marriage and therefore the series of tragic events may not have followed.
Not only could fate, the nurse, the Friar, Tybalt and Lord Capulet have influenced the death of Romeo and Juliet it could also be suggested that aspects of Romeo and Juliet’s own personalities and there own actions may of lead to their tragic end.
From the moment they meet it seems that the couple may never be together and that everything is wrong for them. At the beginning of the play Romeo believes he is in love with Rosaline, but once he meets Juliet quickly forgets all about her. When he meets Juliet he realises that not only has he fallen for the wrong girl but due to his Romanic, impulsive nature he can’t let go ‘can I go forward when my heart is here,’ here he is stating that he can’t move on and that he wants Juliet. Romeo seems to believe in fate and refers to himself as ‘fortunes fool,’ Romeo is willing to do anything to be with his Juliet, their words together are intimate and passionate but there are many reminders of their tragic destiny ‘give me my Romeo and when I shall die take him and cut him out in little stars and he shall make the face of heaven so fine’. When Romeo meets Juliet his love for her becomes the most important thing in the world and he is determined to do anything in order for them to be together, Romeo risks his live when entering the Capulet garden to visit his love. Juliet fears for his safety for ‘if they do see thee they will murder thee,’ Romeo tries to calm his lover, in a romantic way by telling her that he would rather be killed than live with out her, for his love for her is so great.
Throughout the play Romeo continually tries to impress Juliet. He compares her to light and uses beautiful language to express his love; ‘it is the east, and Juliet is the sun! Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon.’ Romeo again proves his love to Juliet when he finds her dead in the tomb. Whilst there he tells her that death has not taken away her beauty, ‘Juliet, and her beauty makes this vault a feasting presence full of light,’ again he is Romanic and passionate even when she is dead. Romeos last words are also romantic and passionate, he drinks to his love and ‘thus with a kiss,’ dies for her, to be with her forever and protect her from death.
If Romeo was not like this then the play may not have taken the course it did……
Not just Romeos but Juliet’s own personality may have consequenced their deaths for ’it takes two to tango.’ Juliet is very spontaneous and is also very impulsive and Romanic towards her lover, she states that her ‘love as deep; the more I give to thee,’ at the start of the play Juliet plays the role of a very dutiful daughter, doing what she is told. ‘Madam I am here. What is your will?’ Once she meets Romeo her personality seems to change as she becomes noticeably more independent. This is noticed when she states to her lover ‘deny thy father, and refuse thy name.’
Juliet is brave and willing to do anything and everything to be with Romeo, she deceives her parents not only by marrying Romeo but spending a night with him in her own house and by refusing to marry Paris ‘thou shall not marry,’ she lies to the nurse and her mother for ‘she needs must act alone’, follows a plan from the Friar to take a dangerous drug, and eventually kills herself all because of one thing, Romeo. Her actions showing her courage as a person and her true commitment and love for Romeo.
Juliet is always very honest with Romeo about her feelings, she is daring and knows her own mind, this is noticed when without warning she suggests marriage to Romeo on the same night they meet! ‘Thy purpose marriage,’ Unlike girls at this time Juliet is not playing ‘hard to get,’ not only does she allow Romeo to kiss her but she encourages him to do so again by complementing him ‘you kiss by the book,’ again proving that she knows exactly what she wants.
If Juliet was not like this then the play may not have taken the same course it did….
Within this essay I have explained and discussed the many references to fate and talked about to what extent Romeo, Juliet and other characters in the play may be held responsible for the couple’s tragic end. I believe that I wasn’t one or the other that cause death of the pair but the lethal combination of everybody’s personalities, actions and fate itself. In the play each character made individual choices and actions, resulting in the awful love tragedy which is Romeo and Juliet.