Examining the Theme of Fate in the Play Romeo and Juliet.

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Examining the Theme of Fate in the Play Romeo and Juliet.

        Fate means the ultimate power and the out come of an event. The Elizabethans believed fate meant destiny.

        In the play Romeo and Juliet’s fate plays a major role in both their lives. We know this because the prologue says “A pair of star cross’d  lovers …….their death mark’d  love” This means Romeo and Juliet’s love was written in the stars and everything that happened to them was pre-determined and would end in their deaths.

        There are many “what ifs” in this play and again this draws you right back to fate. For example:

  • What if Juliet had woken up sooner she might have stopped Romeo from taking the poison and dying.

  • What if the nurse and Friar Lawrence did not agree to help Romeo and Juliet then maybe they would not have got married?
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  • What if Romeo never went to the Capulet’s ball he might not have seen Juliet and fallen in love with her?

Here are some more “what ifs”

  • The Montague’s and Capulet’s had spoken

  • Romeo and Benvolio never met Peter the servant and found out that there was a ball

  • Romeo had stayed loyal to Rosaline

  • Tybalt had not over heard Romeo at the ball

  • Romeo and Juliet had never seen each other

  • Mercutio and Tybalt did not fight

  • Tybalt had not killed Mercutio and Romeo had not killed Tybalt

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