Fate and Free Will used in Romeo and Juliet

Fate and Free Will used in Romeo and Juliet

The impacts of fate and free will surround us everyday. A major symbol for fate is the stars. Similar to fate, the stars go untouched and cannot be altered. Shakespeare uses fate and free will in Romeo and Juliet to show fate is a predetermined force and free will is by choice. Fate is shown through Romeo and Juliet’s doomed love, the characters reaction to fate, and the ending can be seen to be a reply of fate.

The idea that the story of Romeo and Juliet was based around doomed love is given from before the story even starts, in the Prologue “A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;” This showing that destiny awaited them. Before Romeo met Juliet he claimed to be in love with Rosaline and didn’t think he could have anyone else compare to her.
“One fairer than my love? The all- seeing sun Ne’er saw her match since first the world began” (I ii lines 92) Romeo thought that he was truly in love with Rosalin...