24th May 2017

Essay

ESSAY

Romeo and Juliet is a tragic play written by William shakespeare back in 1594 and Its one of the most popular play’s he has produced. The story is based in the city of Verona and is mainly about love, tragedy and fate. In this essay i will explain certain subjects that has related to fate in the story, e.g. coincidence, metaphors, dialogue, premonition and the prologue.

In the beginning of the play, Romeo and Benvolio are walking down a street in Verona when a servant bumps into them. The servant’s job was to deliver the rest of the invitations for a party later that day, but he can’t read, so Romeo reads it for him. While he was reading it he realizes that this is a Capulet party. And the two boys decide to head there later on. This is fate because the servant could have stopped and asked anyone to read the list out for him, but he asked Romeo, and because of this coincidence, Romeo and Juliet met, and fell in love.

Shakespeare uses many metaphors throughout the play, some show how people’s lives are controlled by a higher power and that everything has already been laid out for them. This power is God, we know this because the word He has a capital H. People really only use this when they refer to God. We see this in the text in act 1 scene 4 when Romeo says “… He that hath steerage of my course, direct my sail “. Here, Romeo is saying how he is a ship and that God is the captain and that He is controlling where the ship goes, ( this means his life / Romeo’s journey through it ).

The prologue represents fate because it predicts everything that’s going to happen in the play, and because of this, we are kind of sitting in a God like position, because we know what’s going to happen and the characters do not. An example of this is in the sixth line of the prologue where it says “… a pair of star crossed lovers take their life”. From that point on we know the two lovers commit suicide, when they dont. The prologue is also an example of dramatic irony because the audience hears it but can’t do anything to stop it.

” 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 ” is another quote from Romeo in act 1 scene 4, this quote is a direct link to the future and fate. Just before the Capulet party Romeo mentions to Benvolio he has a bad feeling, and that he fears something hanging in the stars ( something bound to happen ) will occur later that night, ( meeting Juliet ). The next line, ” shall bitterly begin his fearful date…” which probably means his death date will come about soon if he carries on and goes to the party ( this relates to Romeo’s death later in the play because he did end up attending the party ).

The definition of premonition is likeĀ a strong feeling that something is about to happen, especially something unpleasant. In Romeo and Juliet this relates to future and fate. An example of this is where Romeo is just about to leave for Mantua and Juliet has a premonition that she sees Romeo ” as one dead in the bottom of a tomb. “. This statement that Juliet makes is what happens in the final scene in the play where Romeo kills himself in the Capulet tomb. Juliet also has premonitions of what she will come across in the tomb when she fakes her death.

To conclude, after explaining the five most important subjects that relate to fate in the play ( premonition, dialogue, metaphors, coincidence and the prologue ). I hope i have improved your understanding of the meaning of fate in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Join the conversation! 5 Comments

  1. This is a good explanation of how that co-incidence is an example of the action of fate that Shakespeare has woven into his play. The area for development is in the balance. Everything you relay about the plot events (the things that happen in the scene) are correct, but it’s actually too much information for the needs of the essay. You’re most welcome simply to summarise and say something like “Romeo and his friends encounter a servant on the street who, by co-incidence, is carrying the guest list to a party at the Capulet household. The servant cannot read, so he asks Romeo to read it for him. It is as a result of this co-incidence that Romeo and Juliet meet.

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