TRAGEDY AND FATE

Lakshimi and Sisi

In the beginning...fate...

Fate, shakespeare explores this central theme by prenotifying the audience of Romeo and Juliet's destiny.  - in many areas of the play, by either using the chorus or  previous event, Shakespeare intentioanlly sets up the fate of the lovers. -the theme of fate is viatal as without it the tragic end could not be reached and the effect of Romeo and Juliet's pure love can not be emphasized FURTHERMORE, fate is also closely linked with other themes in the play like love, hate and death. It is the connecting lead that ties the play together into a truley threatrical classic. ( TRAGIC END) 

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROLOGUE

from forth the fatal loins

Two households, both alike in dignity,     In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,     From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,     Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.     From forth the fatal loins of these two foes     A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;     Whole misadventured piteous overthrows     Doth with their death bury their parents' strife.     The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,     And the continuance of their parents' rage,     Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,     Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;     The which if you with patient ears attend,     What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

So from the prologue, it is preminitioned that only the death of the* 'star-crossed lovers' may 'bury their parents' strife' and thus breaking the 'ancient grudge' * a power often rested in the movements of the stars, their hinting that the love between R & J is so devine that only that only fate can play on part in this.  This point is also demonstrated through the omens seem by the protagonists.

The mechanism of fate worked in all events surrounding the lovers-The feud and hatred (ancient grudge, draw and talk of peace? I hate the word) bwteen the families. However the reason behind the hatred is nowhere explained, rather the audience must accept that it is an underivable aspect of the world of the play

-The LC giging the invitation list to a servant who cant read. Then sercant inviting Romeo to the feast by accident (becasue Rosaline happen to be a the list) Then Benovoli convincing Romeo to go the the ball (make thy swan a crow)-The fact the Romeo just so coincidentally fall in love with the only daughter fo the family foe with juliet responding to that love (I am my foe's debt)-Its fate that caused Friar Lawrance's merticulous plan to go to ruins -the tragic and frustrating timing of Romeo's death and Juliet's wakening

All these seroes of events are not just mere coincidences but manifestations of fate that bring out the  tragic love story                                                                                                                                                                                              

The trgedy of Mercucio's death

-It was Mercucio's death that irrevocably spring off Romeo and Juliet into a tragedy-His vague curse ' a plague a both your houses' came true. because Friar Lawrance's letter was miscarried due to a plague in the city. Therefore although the two lovers never saw the plague, it killed them both anyways 

Foreshadowing anticipates what will come the pas, reinforces the sense of fate

1) Prince's speech in scene 1 2) Scene IV, Romoe had premonition  of something happening 'I fear too early, for my mind misgives/ some consequence yet hanging ' here Romeo fears he can do nothing, fate had taken complete control of his destiny, corresponding the 'star-crossed lover' 

3) tybalt delivers the warning when leaving the feast "I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall now seemingly sweet, turn to bitt'erst gall'

Mercutio’s fatal death leads to him cursing both families for fueding“A plague on both your houses” (3,1)His “curse” reinforces that both families’ soon to be tragic events are unavoidable.  As Romeo leaves Juliet’s room, she has a vision of Romeo dead.“Methinks I see thee now, though art so low/ As one dead in the bottom of a tomb” (3,3)This is parallel to what is going to happen in the future – Juliet will look down on Romeo when he is really dead. This sentence foreshadows the tragic deaths of the two lovers. This also links back to Act 1, scene 5, where Romeo had a dream about “some consequence yet hanging in the stars”. This shows that fate never changes.

Fate pushes Paris to marry Juliet, just after she has married Romeo, meaning she has no time to prepare herself for telling her father, Lord Capulet. Juliet tries to defy the fate of having to marry Paris and drinks a remedy the Friar gave her. “Tell me not of fear” (4,1)Juliet is so eager to defy fate that she is willing to put her life at risk without any fear of the potential consequences. She doesn’t even have to think twice about taking the Friar’s remedy. The Friar sends a letter to Romeo, who is in Mantua, to explain his and Juliet’s plan. But fate leads to the messenger to not being able to deliver the message to Romeo in time. Romeo hears about Juliet’s death from Balthasar and hastily makes plans to join Juliet in death.“I defy you stars” (5,1)Romeo tries to defy his horrible fate by angrily yelling out to the stars. However, he soon knows that he can’t change Juliet’s fate, so he decides to change his own fate by committing suicide.

Fate will ultimately lead to Romeo and Juliet’s death. When Romeo enters Juliet’s tomb, he notices that “Death’s pale flag” has not yet affected Juliet and he cheeks are still “crimson”. This clearly informs the audience that Juliet is still alive because she still has the circulation of blood. Because of fate, Romeo has arrived a few minutes too early, leading to their suicide. Fate controls the progression of the play and can never be avoided. No matter how Romeo and Juliet try to change their destiny, their eventual fates are their early and tragic deaths.