Fate vs. Free Will

737 Words3 Pages
It is often believed that tragedy is predetermined by fate or fortune. However, people often have a choice, and the path they choose may not be the best or the wisest. Then when events go wrong, they tend to blame such poor results on fate rather than attribute this to their own wrong choices. In William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, most of the tragedy that occurs has much to do with the characters’ free will to make decisions. Unless the belief of fate refers to Shakespeare’s inevitability to end the play in tragedy, the characters in the story had control of their own destinies without a predetermined conclusion to the play. Romeo freely decides to go to the Capulet party with his cousin Benvolio, which sets up his meeting with Juliet. As Romeo and his friends stand outside of the Capulet house, he hesitates and is reluctant to enter the party, he has had a bad dream and reservations to going to the party but he disregards them and says, “... But he hath the steerage of my course, Direct my sail. On, lusty gentlemen” (Act 1, scene 4, line 113, page 56). After Romeo enters the party, he meets Juliet and they fall in love. After the party, Romeo realizes he must see Juliet again, without hesitation he jumps over the capulet wall to Juliet’s balcony, where he waits. Juliet assumes that she is alone so she shares her private thoughts, to her surprise that Romeo has been listening the whole time. Romeo starts conversing with her and later she says “If that thy bent of love be honorable, thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow” (Act 2, scene 2, line 143, page 82) While Romeo talks to Juliet, they decide to get married and Juliet tells Romeo to make arrangements for the wedding. Romeo chooses to make arrangements for the marriage, which was a choice made of free will. After Romeo leaves Juliet’s balcony, he goes to Friar Lawrence to arrange the
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