Romeo and Juliet Research Paper

Essay by bballer457Junior High, 9th gradeA+, December 2012

download word file, 9 pages 0.0

Downloaded 14 times

Fate's Iron Grip

There are 86,400 seconds in one day; 86,400 chances one's life could change. It only takes a second for a bullet to enter a soldier's body, a game-winning shot to fall into the basket, a man to propose to his future wife. Even on a smaller scale, it only takes a second for two people to meet, which could change the course of their lives. They could become best friends who share every experience or worst enemies who share a mutual hatred. But who dictates and regulates what happens during these seconds? Who decides who will and will not have altercations? No one human being has full control over every single event that happens; so, there is only one viable answer, fate. When Shakespeare wrote one of his most famed plays, Romeo and Juliet, those in the audience believed that fate controlled them. Whether it is seemingly unimportant or pivotal to the plot of the play, viewers eventually realize that nothing happens by coincidence.

There is always that "something" governing the characters. Although some may argue that Romeo and Juliet may be responsible for their tragic demises, it is clear, through Shakespeare's use of foreshadowing, fate's planning, fate's agents, and fate's intervening that Romeo faces his end due to matters that escape his control. Throughout the play the demons of coincidence plague Romeo and Juliet, which consistently and negatively affect the plot and characters of the play. Fate hounds Romeo and Juliet and leads to their downfall.

Shakespeare introduces the foreshadowing motif throughout the play in order to signify fate's iron grip on Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare relies on star imagery to foreshadow their destiny. From the beginning, Romeo and Juliet are introduced as "star-crossed lovers" (Shakespeare prologue 6). Further on in the play, Romeo even...