In the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, chance, fate and choice play an important role. Chance is events that happen purely by luck, either good or bad. Fate is predestined events that had already been decided for the characters. Chance and fate are intertwined in Romeo and Juliet, and many of the events in the play can be seen as the work of both fate and chance. Choice is free will, what the characters decide to do regardless of what may or may not be the right thing to do. These three ideas play a significant role in the actions of the play.
Chance is unpredictable events that happen purely by accident. Many incidents of chance occur in this play. One example is when the servant of Capulet asks Romeo to read the invitation list for him. It was coincidence that Romeo and Benvolio happened to be walking on the same street as the servant, and it just happened that that servant could not read. Another example is when Romeo met with Juliet. Out of the numerous girls at the party hosted by Capulet, Romeo saw Juliet, and was struck by her beauty. Also, it was bad luck when Romeo wasn't able to receive Friar Lawrence's letter. Romeo had terrible timing when he arrived at Juliet's grave, for if he had only gotten there a little later, or waited a little longer, he would have seen Juliet wake up. This is how chance plays an influential role in this play.
Fate is the supposed force or power that predetermines events. Those who believe in fate, such as Romeo, believes that their life was already planned out by a higher power, and they cannot do anything to change it. While he was in Mantua, Romeo had a dream, where he was dead, and Juliet woke him with a kiss. This foreshadows his death, and it is also ironic because Juliet is the one that is dead at that time. Not only is fate applied to the deaths or Romeo and Juliet, but it can also be applied to the play as a whole.
