Although Shakespeare wrote his plays over 350 years ago, the relevance of their themes and subjects still exists. The morals and values presented in his works speak to the audience, often offering a new perspective on the world in which they live. Students are affected by the powerful characters and are rewarded with profound insights into human nature and behaviour.
Shakespeare wrote his plays to appeal to Elizabethan audiences.
A definition of fate is ‘a power that is supposed to settle ahead of time how things will happen.’ Romeo and Juliet, the two young lovers ended up becoming a 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 also the end of their parent's mutual hatred. Fate becomes the ultimate control power in this play, and is a large part in modern everyday life, even if we don't recognise it. Maybe we don't recognise it because we choose not to, or do not have faith like we used to, but the fact remains that fate controls what we do throughout our lives. Therefore, it does not differ from our contemporary view of fate.
Throughout the play, Romeo and Juliet unwittingly realise they cannot exist in such reality and that a tragic fate awaits them. The two families, the Montagues and the Capulets continue being rivals all the way to the end of the play until the star-crossed lovers sacrifice their lives.
In the play, Romeo said, “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 in essence 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 and 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.
In the play, Juliet said, “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 way she talks about Romeo being dead, and she has foreseen it, before it has even happened. How could she have seen the future if it was not already decided for her? The answer is, she probably could not have.
Nonetheless, fate still managed to weave Romeo into a twisted web of its power and plans. 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 ball that the Capulet's were having. 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 ball, Romeo mesmerised by her beauty, and her simply mesmerised by him. They realise later their identity, but they are in love and will not let their names get in the way of that strong emotional bond. Fate set up their love, their love already predestined, as well as their suicides, which they both foresaw.
Many characters can be held responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. But personally I think that Friar Laurence holds most of the responsibility for their deaths. The most important reasons were that he married the two lovers, offered Juliet the potion, failed to send the letter to Romeo (in time), and selfishly ran away from the vault for fear of trouble.
Friar Laurence married Romeo and Juliet even though he foreboded that this hasty marriage might lead to a catastrophic outcome. When Romeo informed him about marrying Juliet, he hesitated because their love had emerged too suddenly and unadvisedly and that it might end just as quick. He said, “These violent delights have violent ends. And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which, as they kiss, consume.”
Being a religious and holy man, the Friar should have considered the good side of things. However, he should have had a second thought, for the rivalry between the two families had been ancient and brutal. Could the alliance of Romeo and Juliet really help to end the feud? If it could not, then he was only aggravating the situation by allowing Romeo and Juliet to be together.
Even Romeo was responsible for his own death. The love of Romeo to Rosaline shows that Romeo was fickle, superficial and immature towards love. As soon as he met Juliet, he lost all his love for Rosaline. This shows that if he met someone better than Juliet, he would lose his love for her as well. What feelings Romeo had for Juliet could be described as ‘puppy love’. Hence, his sacrifice for Juliet could probably be a stupid mistake. Friar Laurence once said, “Is Rosaline, that thou didst love so dear, So soon forsaken? Young men’s love then lies. Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.”
Tybalt was a bitter enemy of Romeo, and had he not been slain, Romeo would not have been banished. In Act 3, Scene 1, Tybalt kills Mercutio when Romeo attempts to come between the combatants and stops the fight. Out of blind rage, Romeo kills Tybalt. “And in my temper soften'd valours see!” Had Romeo not decided to exact revenge on Tybalt, perhaps the Capulets might have accepted him as a son. This would mean that Romeo and Juliet would not have had to hide their love for each other. Tybalt, indeed, had a large effect on the lives of Romeo and Juliet, by killing Mercutio.
Another character thought to have shaped the destinies of Romeo and Juliet is Paris. In Act 3, Scene 5, Lady Capulet announces that Juliet is to marry Paris. “The County Paris, at Saint Peter's church, Shall happily make thee there a joyful bride.” Juliet refuses and goes to Friar Laurence for help. Friar Laurence devises a plan, which will prevent the marriage and reunite Romeo with Juliet. However, this plan goes horribly wrong, perhaps causing the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. If Paris had not wished to be with Juliet, none of the following would have occurred.
Balthasar brought Romeo the news of Juliet's ‘death’. Romeo then went to Juliet's tomb and sat with her that night. He looked for an apothecary to sell him some poison, and succeeded in buying some. Had the apothecary refused to sell him the poison, Romeo might have been delayed, giving Friar Laurence time to find him and tell him the truth.
Foreshadowing is when an author hints at something that might occur at a later time. This attracts the reader’s attention and absorbs them in the book. In other words, foreshadowing ‘forces’ a person to read a book. Instead of thinking too hard about some confusing chapter, it guides the reader through the book; hence making it much easier.
Basically, it is the laying of clues about what may happen in the future of the play's story. Early in the play, these lines or events suggest a wide range of possibilities to the audience.
“The ultimate goal with Foreshadowing is to have the audience be both
surprised by the play's climax and to find it perfectly logical. The logic of it
comes from your Foreshadowing.”
— John Osborne
Act 1, scene 4 Romeo is not very confident of going to the Capulet party.
I fear, too early: for my mind misgives
Some consequence yet hanging in the stars
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this night's revels and expire the term
Of a despised life closed in my breast
By some vile forfeit of untimely death.
He has a feeling that something bad is going to happen, but he doesn’t know what. He doesn’t know that by going to the party he will meet the love of his life, who will eventually be the cause of his death. Even though he knew this, he still went to the party and ‘dug his own grave’.
Act 2, scene 3 The Friar warns the impatient Romeo about making hurried decisions.
Wisely and slow, they stumble that run fast.
He does not want Romeo to make haste decisions and repent later. He has known Romeo ever since Romeo was a child, and knows what sort of boy he was. He knew how much the Montagues and Capulets hated each other and that there would never be peace between them. By getting married Romeo and Juliet increased the tension between the two families.
Act 3, scene 1 Even though Mercutio is stabbed by Tybalt, he says that he is okay.
No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a
Church-door, but 'tis enough, 'twill serve: ask for
Me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man.
When Mercutio got stabbed he says that the pain is not very ‘big’ or painful, but it will still kill him. To kill a person, his bruise does not have to be big, but it has to be enough to kill him.
Act 4, scene 3 Juliet has several doubts before taking the potion. She does not know whether she should trust the priest.
What if it be a poison, which the friar
Subtly hath minister'd to have me dead,
Lest in this marriage he should be dishonour'd,
Because he married me before to Romeo?
I fear it is: and yet, methinks, it should not,
For he hath still been tried a holy man…
There was a vast difference between Shakespeare’s Elizabethan audience and our modern readers. Shakespeare's audience already knew the story and wanted to enjoy how well it was told and not to be surprised by plot turns. Much of this seems monotonous to us (modern readers), but we should imagine it as a game in which actors are tossing out their lines rapidly while the audience scramble to follow and untangle the play.
“It is like a contest between the author and the audience.”
Personally, I think that fate and the characters are both responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. If Romeo hadn’t gone to the party, he would never have met Juliet who would have been married off to Paris. In this case, the story would not have taken place. While going to the party, Romeo feels that he would die at an early age. His negative thinking could also have been an ‘incentive’ to his own death. Romeo and Juliet decide to get married. This is a wrong decision in the play but is decided by fate. Friar Laurence made the biggest blunder of all by agreeing to get them married. If Romeo had controlled himself and not killed Tybalt, he would not have been banished from Verona. This would prevent another worry to his tragic love life; crime.
By killing Tybalt, Romeo Montague became a criminal and a fugitive.
“From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life.”
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