Romeo and Juliet
Theme: Fate
Shakespeare’s eponymous tragedy play, “Romeo and Juliet”, is riddled with the byzantine themes of fate, fortune
and destiny, perhaps forcing audiences to contemplate the significance of their own actions in life, whilst hinting at
futility of the transgression and even love, that Shakespeare highlights in the play. Shakespeare, who believed in a
form of “predestination by free will”, aimed to expose how humanity’s seemingly quixotic ambitions and perhaps
bizarre attempts to restore order are undermined by mankind’s lack of power and control over their own lives.
In the extract, Shakespeare uses Juliet as a symbol for humankind’s inefficacious endeavours to avert the outcomes
of fate. Juliet begins by speaking in blank verse, mentioning how “God knows” when she will meet with the Nurse
again. The controlled blank verse, used by Juliet, is juxtaposed by her apprehension regarding whether the Friar’s
“mixture” will succeed or not. Shakespeare highlights Juliet’s internal conflict to reveal the manipulative nature of
fate, perhaps foreshadowing the complex chain of events which do lead to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
Contemporary audiences would have been very religious and most believed in predestination. Many believed that
only God could change the destinies of their lives, and would therefore empathise with Juliet’s evident uncertainty
and scepticism about the Friar’s precarious plan. However, Juliet is attempting to fake her own suicide.
Contemporary audiences would have considered suicide a mortal sin, and some would therefore feel outraged that
one of the protagonists is even considering such absurd measures, to thwart the “death-marked love” previously
mentioned to the audience, in the Prologue. The juxtaposition between the negative imagery of the compound
adjective “death-marked” and the perhaps optimistic connotations of the abstract noun “love”, immediately
entwines Romeo and Juliet’s audacious relationship with the tragic consequences “yet hanging in the stars”. This
highlights the contradictory themes of suicide – a mortal sin – and fate. Shakespeare was writing after the
Reformation – a time in which England, after being a Catholic country for centuries, became a Protestant country.
Perhaps Shakespeare was attempting to reveal the changing attitudes towards religion and sin, by reflecting
elements of evolving religious ideas in the Catholic city of Verona. Modern readers, however, may engage with
Juliet’s desperation, and feel a sense of hope that “fortune” is, in fact, “fickle” and that Juliet will “defy” the “stars”,
which seem to chant the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare gambles with the emotions of the audience, to
perhaps intensify the suspenseful atmosphere radiated by the lack of control the protagonists have over their lives.
Similarly, Shakespeare uses a series of parallels, throughout the play, to emphasises the inevitability of fate. In the
extract, Juliet asks a series of questions, before drinking the contents of the “vial”. Juliet asks “What if this mixture
do not work at all?”. Shakespeare uses rhetorical questions to highlight Juliet’s ambivalence, and perhaps warn the
audience of the naïve and inexperienced decisions of the youth, who disregard the power of fate. Comparably, when
Juliet first awakes from her sleep, she asks “O comfortable friar where is my lord? … Where is my Romeo?”. This
reflects similar themes of confusion, that we see in Act 4 Scene 3, before Juliet comforts herself. In the extract, we
see Juliet almost reassuring herself, using the declarative statement “No, no: this shall forbid it:”. Shakespeare’s use
of colons advocates a sense of authority, which almost challenges patriarchal views about society, that a woman was
fragile and vulnerable. Perhaps Shakespeare, who could be regarded as an early feminist, aimed to challenge
misogynistic beliefs about women, by interweaving Juliet’s authoritative role with fate. Contemporary readers would
have been critical of Juliet’s assertive behaviour, although younger members of the audience may have been
influenced by Shakespeare’s portrayal of Juliet, invoking them to be more confident and independent, in society.
Modern audiences, however, would feel sympathy towards Juliet, who is having to undergo immense psychological
conflict, as a result of the patriarchal society, which “forbids” her from making her own decisions in life. This
commanding, and almost imperturbable persona, is mirrored when Juliet does commit suicide uttering “O happy
dagger … let me die”. The imperative verb “let”, leaves the audience with the perception that Juliet is actually a
strong-willed, self-reliant character, whose only downfall was fate. Shakespeare also uses Juliet’s dialogue with
Romeo to depict this. When the protagonists meets at Juliet’s balcony, they speak in sonnet form, referencing to the
“envious moon” and “stars”, which foreshadow the “fateful” impact of fate on Romeo and Juliet’s relationship. The
predictability of Shakespeare’s use of sonnet form further emphasises the rigid nature of fate, but also criticises the
naivety of youth.
Theme: Fate
Shakespeare’s eponymous tragedy play, “Romeo and Juliet”, is riddled with the byzantine themes of fate, fortune
and destiny, perhaps forcing audiences to contemplate the significance of their own actions in life, whilst hinting at
futility of the transgression and even love, that Shakespeare highlights in the play. Shakespeare, who believed in a
form of “predestination by free will”, aimed to expose how humanity’s seemingly quixotic ambitions and perhaps
bizarre attempts to restore order are undermined by mankind’s lack of power and control over their own lives.
In the extract, Shakespeare uses Juliet as a symbol for humankind’s inefficacious endeavours to avert the outcomes
of fate. Juliet begins by speaking in blank verse, mentioning how “God knows” when she will meet with the Nurse
again. The controlled blank verse, used by Juliet, is juxtaposed by her apprehension regarding whether the Friar’s
“mixture” will succeed or not. Shakespeare highlights Juliet’s internal conflict to reveal the manipulative nature of
fate, perhaps foreshadowing the complex chain of events which do lead to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
Contemporary audiences would have been very religious and most believed in predestination. Many believed that
only God could change the destinies of their lives, and would therefore empathise with Juliet’s evident uncertainty
and scepticism about the Friar’s precarious plan. However, Juliet is attempting to fake her own suicide.
Contemporary audiences would have considered suicide a mortal sin, and some would therefore feel outraged that
one of the protagonists is even considering such absurd measures, to thwart the “death-marked love” previously
mentioned to the audience, in the Prologue. The juxtaposition between the negative imagery of the compound
adjective “death-marked” and the perhaps optimistic connotations of the abstract noun “love”, immediately
entwines Romeo and Juliet’s audacious relationship with the tragic consequences “yet hanging in the stars”. This
highlights the contradictory themes of suicide – a mortal sin – and fate. Shakespeare was writing after the
Reformation – a time in which England, after being a Catholic country for centuries, became a Protestant country.
Perhaps Shakespeare was attempting to reveal the changing attitudes towards religion and sin, by reflecting
elements of evolving religious ideas in the Catholic city of Verona. Modern readers, however, may engage with
Juliet’s desperation, and feel a sense of hope that “fortune” is, in fact, “fickle” and that Juliet will “defy” the “stars”,
which seem to chant the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare gambles with the emotions of the audience, to
perhaps intensify the suspenseful atmosphere radiated by the lack of control the protagonists have over their lives.
Similarly, Shakespeare uses a series of parallels, throughout the play, to emphasises the inevitability of fate. In the
extract, Juliet asks a series of questions, before drinking the contents of the “vial”. Juliet asks “What if this mixture
do not work at all?”. Shakespeare uses rhetorical questions to highlight Juliet’s ambivalence, and perhaps warn the
audience of the naïve and inexperienced decisions of the youth, who disregard the power of fate. Comparably, when
Juliet first awakes from her sleep, she asks “O comfortable friar where is my lord? … Where is my Romeo?”. This
reflects similar themes of confusion, that we see in Act 4 Scene 3, before Juliet comforts herself. In the extract, we
see Juliet almost reassuring herself, using the declarative statement “No, no: this shall forbid it:”. Shakespeare’s use
of colons advocates a sense of authority, which almost challenges patriarchal views about society, that a woman was
fragile and vulnerable. Perhaps Shakespeare, who could be regarded as an early feminist, aimed to challenge
misogynistic beliefs about women, by interweaving Juliet’s authoritative role with fate. Contemporary readers would
have been critical of Juliet’s assertive behaviour, although younger members of the audience may have been
influenced by Shakespeare’s portrayal of Juliet, invoking them to be more confident and independent, in society.
Modern audiences, however, would feel sympathy towards Juliet, who is having to undergo immense psychological
conflict, as a result of the patriarchal society, which “forbids” her from making her own decisions in life. This
commanding, and almost imperturbable persona, is mirrored when Juliet does commit suicide uttering “O happy
dagger … let me die”. The imperative verb “let”, leaves the audience with the perception that Juliet is actually a
strong-willed, self-reliant character, whose only downfall was fate. Shakespeare also uses Juliet’s dialogue with
Romeo to depict this. When the protagonists meets at Juliet’s balcony, they speak in sonnet form, referencing to the
“envious moon” and “stars”, which foreshadow the “fateful” impact of fate on Romeo and Juliet’s relationship. The
predictability of Shakespeare’s use of sonnet form further emphasises the rigid nature of fate, but also criticises the
naivety of youth.
