Romeo and Juliet! Why was fate to blame? .
Romeo and Juliet is a well-known Shakespeare in which fate plays an important part. Tragedy is defined as something with a serious theme that usually ends in death or defeat. Fate is a power, which is thought to make things happen and is out of anyone's control. In Shakespeare's time this power was thought to have come from the stars and that people's lives were led by this power of fate. Nowadays people look at fate as if something it meant to happen this power would make it happen for your own good, no matter of the consequences. Both these words have serious meaning in this play. Fate is the main reason why Romeo and Juliet ended up as a tragedy and not with a happy ending. In the modern world most people chose to believe that they have a sense of responsibility and can control their own lives but, during the Elizabethan England period some people believed in fate and led their lives on the way the stars told their future. They lived the way the stars read their destiny. If the stars said something was to happen they would live their lives to try and either stop or make that something happen. These people were very fickle. .
Before the play even started you were told what would happen very briefly. .
"From forth the fatal loins of the two foes a pair of star crossed' lovers take their lives-.
As you can see this quote mentions the stars explaining that these lovers met because of fate. It also says how out of two feuding families, are born two lovers who are destined by the stars to disaster. Star crossed' refers to the astrological outlook on destiny that was much more widely accepted in the time period it was written. By including the line before the play even starts it creates anticipation within Shakespeare's audience but still leaves questions unanswered. .
Shakespeare uses the line "Fortune, Fortune, all men call thee fickle- after Romeo's banishment from Verona.