Swords are very symbolic; they suggest great power, nobility, duelling yet death. This foretells more deaths that will result of this life long feud between the two families, and symbolises how Juliet will die at the end of the play.
It is also ironic that both the families are “both alike in dignity,” which means that the families are both similar in many ways but they hate each other because of the ongoing feud in the play. The feud is never explained in any detail and hardly mentioned in the play, which helps the audience sympathise with Romeo and Juliet. If Romeo and Juliet don’t understand what’s happening in the play; then what hope does the audience have to understand it?
It is this feud that causes Romeo and Juliet to keep their love secret thus causing complications in the play. Shakespeare uses these complications in favour of fate causing dramatic irony in the play such as the death of Juliet at the end of Act two and lines that characters say in the play that suggest the fate of Romeo and Juliet. Such as Benvolios’ line in the end of Act one scene one, “I’ll pay that doctrine, or else die in debt.” Benvolio introduced Romeo to his fate this links the idea of fate and inevitability in the play. The tragedy, dramatic irony, and hints of impending disaster all hint towards the ending.
Benvolios line “I’ll pay that doctrine or else die in debt” is slightly unnerving as it is the ending to scene 1 Act 1 and leaves an image of death into the audiences’ minds. This abrupt ending creates tension for the audience and symbolises the ending for Romeo and Juliet.
Although fate seems to control what happens to Romeo and Juliet their choices and personality contributes more to their fate than fate itself. Although some reasons that Romeo and Juliet die are out of their control, fate is not the largest reason that the lovers end up dying. Some people may think that there is no way to control fate or change what is in the stars. It could be that the love of Romeo and Juliet was destined for death so that their parent's feud would be over.
But Shakespeare writes Romeo and Juliet characters with flaws. Romeos character in the play is seen as fickle and melodramatic and may have contributed to his demise. In act one he was seen to be completely in love with Rosaline as the quote “I do love a woman” implies. The language that Romeo uses suggests that he is very histrionic as he uses many oxymorons such as “I have a soul of lead” and “being but heavy, I will bear the light.” This cautions the reader of the love and bitterness that will eventually take over Romeo and it shows the extremes of Love and Hate that Romeo feels in his soliloquys. The character that Shakespeare portrays Romeo as may have contributed to his rash decision at the end of the play and hinted towards his actions to the end. We see examples of his characters actions through his language in the play. When Romeo first meets Juliet at the Capulet’s ball he immediately forgets about Rosaline and says “O she doth teach the torches to burn bright! I seems… till this night” Here he communicates his love for Juliet by comparing her to all things light. His language also changes from prose to iambic pentameter. His speeches have also become more eloquent and extravagant as he uses copious imagery metaphors and similes in his sentences. An example of his rash actions would be after Capulet’s ball he sneaks into Juliet’s balcony just so he can see her. But it did not occur to him once that if he had been caught in his enemies’ house Tybalt would have killed him. This suggests that his decisions are rash and he doesn’t think of the consequences.
Likewise, Juliet's fatal flaw is impetuousness, her character is frivolous childish and eager because her character was only meant to be about 14 in the play. We see this in the play during the balcony scene; Juliet hurries Romeo into marriage. She constantly questions his love for her and rushes him into marriage with the quote "If...thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow," Secondly, like Romeo, she kills herself over what could be just infatuation. Another example in Act I is when Juliet just meets Romeo; she speaks of her grave in the same context as her wedding. When Capulet's party is breaking up in Act I scene V, Juliet sends her Nurse to find out Romeo's name. Juliet has already decided, "If he be married. / My grave is like to be my wedding bed". She is saying that if Romeo is married, she will die unmarried. Without even knowing if her feelings are mutual she decides she will marry none other but Romeo. She is unknowingly foreshadowing her fate, in which her grave does become her wedding bed.
Even though fate has Romeo and Juliet trapped many unfortunate events happen which they have no control over. For example the letter sent by the Friar does not reach Romeo by a random incident. Secondly, fate puts Romeo and Juliet in opposite Houses and therefore puts their relationship under jeopardy. Lastly, out of all the people the Capulet Servant could have gotten help from for reading the invitation list, Romeo had to be the one; the chances are pretty dubious. Shakespeare uses all this dramatic irony to show the audience that fate has already plotted their divine intervention.
Other characters in the play also push Romeo and Juliet to their predestined fate. Such a Friar Lawrence’s role in the play; his big mistake was to offer to marry Romeo and Juliet. Although he means well by marrying them to end the feud but does he really think that Lord Capulet & Montague are really going to approve? This hasty action has left the couple in a quandary situation.
Lord and lady Capulet’s position in the play also obscured things for Romeo and Juliet. They have found a suitable suitor for Juliet; the honourable rich bachelor Paris. To a Shakespearean audience this shows his love and respect for Juliet because the greatest accomplishment for your daughter in Elizabethan times was to find marry a well accomplished wealthy man with a high social status. Lord Capulet seems like the doting father of Juliet at the beginning of the play when he turns down Paris’s offer to marry her by saying “Let two more summers wither in their pride, Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride” and “too soon marred are those early made” which is another ironic hint towards Juliet’s ending. But he soon changes his decision about Paris as Lady Capulet cajoles him into accepting the offer of marriage.
When Juliet refuses Lady Capulet disconnects herself from her daughter by saying “I would the fool were married to her grave” which suggested that Juliet has shamed her so much that she wouldn’t mind if Juliet was dead. Lord Capulet’s reaction was also similar, he threatens and nearly beats her saying “Get thee to church a Thursday, or never after look me in the face” which is another reference to Juliet’s fate. Together with both parents against Juliet, her fate is sealed.
Tybalt, who plays Juliet’s cousin in the play, is also another character that helped fate plot against the lovers. His character is fiery angry and violent. He loves to fight and start conflicts with other characters in the play such as Benvolio and Romeo. Tybalt also starts a fight with Romeo later in the play. Romeo however is unwilling to participate in swordfights with Tybalt as he is Juliet’s cousin but he is provoked into killing Tybalt in a swordfight thus causing him to flee to Mantua, which causes the destruction of Romeo and Juliet.
Because their deaths were foretold in the stars there is very little either Romeo or Juliet could have done to prevent their deaths. Shakespeare wanted his audience to whole-heartedly believe in the concept of fate sealing his characters’ destinies; which is why Shakespeare used dramatic irony and hints of ominous signs to warn the audience that fate has plotted against the lovers from the very start.
Although the personality of the characters Romeo and Juliet that Shakespeare created also helped fate plan their ending. Romeo’s character in the play is also very immature this could be what is responsible for his actions. It is shown in his language. He never gets to the point. This language is called hyperbolic. “Love is a smoke made with fume if sighs; being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes; Being vexed, a sea nourished with lovers tears”. Furthermore, Romeo chose to seek after Juliet and to continue to see her even after he realises she is enemy. By making this choice he sets up all the problems that occur later. Although this isn’t all the consequences of Romeos actions. Juliet's decision also plays a large part in deciding their end. Juliet character immature and inconsiderate; she doesn’t consider the consequences of her actions; Shakespeare uses colour symbolism and binary oppositions to show Juliet's change. When Juliet chooses to drink the potion and not leave Verona for Romeo she makes a leeway for chance and fate to come into the play. She didn’t think about the consequences of her plan and action through thoroughly which is why she suffered for it. Many elements of chance or fate and choice together decided the outcome of this story these star-crossed lovers.
Romeo and Juliet were responsible for their own physical deaths but it was fate that cornered and limited their decisions. I think that If Romeo and Juliet’s personalities were not so impulsive and spontaneous they might have lived. Shakespeare gives the audience a little hope that they will survive together but each time their hopes are squashed. Even though Romeo and Juliet didn’t have to kill themselves it was already “written in the stars” which is why I think that fate is the most dominant factor in the play contributing to their tragic but inevitable ending.
