The role of fate in the deaths of Romeo and Juliet
This MLA-formatted, college-level literature essay explores how William Shakespeare uses fate as a central force driving the tragic events in Romeo and Juliet. Titled “The Role of Fate in the Deaths of Romeo and Juliet,” the paper argues that fate—not just human error—is the ultimate cause of the lovers’ demise. The essay supports this claim through close textual analysis, including the use of omens, missed messages, and the characters’ own admissions of helplessness.
May 17, 2025
* The sample essays are for browsing purposes only and are not to be submitted as original work to avoid issues with plagiarism.
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The Role of Fate in the Deaths of Romeo and Juliet
Abstract
In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, fate is portrayed as the primary cause of the lovers' terrible
end. Notably, the play implies that their deaths are inevitable from the Prologue's statement of
their "star-cross'd" destiny to recurrent omens and unfortunate coincidences. Readers observe
that the undelivered letter (including other instances of miscommunication), together with
metaphorical allusions to luck, functions to solidify fate's hold further. Romeo and Juliet
acknowledge their impotence in the face of outside circumstances. That noted, Shakespeare
paints a picture of fate as the deciding element, and thus guarantees that the prophecy of doom is
realized--even when human error plays a part in the tragedy. The audience is left to consider
destiny's harsh inevitability as the play stresses how unavoidable it is.
Keywords: Fate, Tragedy, Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Star-crossed lovers,
Miscommunication, Destiny, Omens, Elizabethan drama, Inevitable death
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Introduction
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare ( written around 1595 during the Elizabethan era) is a
sad love tale in which the two young lovers' deaths are largely due to fate. The audience is
informed from the beginning that Romeo and Juliet are "star-crossed lovers" doomed to disaster
(Sun 11). Such a line establishes the mood for a story where fate functions as a driving force, and
thus goes on to influence each turn and twist. That noted, throughout the play, fate is presented
through omens, coincidences, and the characters’ own sense of helplessness against forces
beyond their control. Although rivalries and human mistakes play a part in the tragedy, fate
ultimately brings about their demise.
Fate as a Foretold Destiny
Shakespeare makes fate the primary cause of the lovers' tragic demise right from the start of
Romeo and Juliet. As "a pair of star-cross'd lovers" whose romance is destined by fate, we
observe that the Chorus introduces them openly (Shakespeare Prologue 6). That noted, through
implying astrological influence, the term "star-cross'd" frames their love as predestined and,
more so, beyond their control. Romeo's dark premonition that "my mind misgives / Some
consequence yet hanging in the stars / Shall bitterly begin his fearful date / With this night’s
revels" (Shakespeare 1.4.106-109) prior to the Capulet ball helps to stress this idea.
This moment is crucial—Romeo senses that fate has already started a sad path, linking
his future suffering to the stars. Likewise, in a chilling premonition of their last moments, Juliet
subsequently imagines Romeo as "one dead in the bottom of a tomb” (Shakespeare 3.5.56).
Readers observe that such omens give the protagonists a sense of inevitable fate--as if each
choice they make will only lead them closer to their doom. Even the external battle that the
Montagues and Capulets did not initiate (the feud) functions as a mechanism of fate, and thus
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goes on to ensure that their love would always be prohibited and doomed. Overall, through such
approaches, Shakespeare highlights how Romeo and Juliet's lives are controlled by forces they
cannot overcome.
Coincidences & Miscommunication
The cruelest manifestation of fate can be seen in this work when a string of unlikely events and
disastrous misunderstandings leads the lovers to their terrible demise. "Nor could I send it—here
it is again— / Nor get a messenger to bring it thee, / So fearful were they of infection" is the
most crucial instance, which takes place when Friar John--who is assigned to deliver Friar
Laurence's letter explaining Juliet's assumed death--is placed under quarantine because of a
plague outbreak (Shakespeare 5.2.14-16). This single disruption, which is entirely beyond the
protagonists' control, initiates the eventual tragedy. That noted, Romeo would have been aware
of the truth if the letter had arrived, but instead, he commits suicide on impulse after hearing
Balthasar's false story of Juliet's passing. In addition, Shakespeare stresses the harsh precision of
fate by having Juliet awaken just seconds after Romeo's death, which is even more sorrowful
(Shakespeare 5.3.161-170). Such intentional illustrations of how fate works against the lovers
can be further seen when Romeo and Juliet are forced into secrecy plus haste by the
Capulet-Montague rivalry, which they did not start but which they inherit; such a development
leaves their intentions open to disaster. Overall, Shakespeare presents these incidents as an
unavoidable series of events.
Characters' Awareness
Shakespeare deepens the theme of fate by having his characters constantly admit that it controls
their lives. Overall, this leads to a tragic irony in which they understand their powerlessness yet
still fight against it. When Romeo kills Tybalt and exclaims in agony, "O, I am fortune's fool!"
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this self-awareness achieves its peak (Shakespeare 3.1.136). As the audience, we observe that
Romeo's abrupt understanding that he has become a puppet of fate (his impetuous behavior has
unintentionally fulfilled the Prologue's prophecy) is revealed at this crucial juncture (Sun 8). The
word "fool" has two meanings: it implies that he has been duped by fate and that he has become
its jester, and more unfortunately, compelled to play its cruel game.
In addition, when he finds the bodies, Friar Laurence, the play's voice of reason, finally
gives up to fate's dominance, noting "A greater power than we can contradict / Hath thwarted our
intents" (Shakespeare 5.3.153-154). As a man of God and science, his failed efforts symbolize
humanity's fruitless attempts to outmaneuver divine will, and thus make his admission all the
more meaningful. Shakespeare provides several characters with these confessions to highlight
the idea that fate is not merely a theoretical idea but a very powerful unseen force.
Conclusion
Fate is the unseen power in Romeo and Juliet that, as readers observe, guarantees the lovers'
terrible demise. Shakespeare portrays fate as a force that cannot be stopped/avoided through
various approaches--say foreboding, unfortunate events, and the characters' own realization of
their helplessness. That noted, fate ultimately plans the events that result in Romeo and Juliet's
deaths, even as human actions (such as the feud and rash decisions) contribute to the tragedy.
Overall, by implying that certain things are out of human control, the play invites viewers to
consider how harsh and, more so, unavoidable fate is.
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Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. "Romeo and Juliet." One-Hour Shakespeare. Routledge, 2019.
Sun, Jiayu. "A Community Built by Love and Death in Romeo and Juliet." Journal of Theory
and Practice of Management Science 3.3 (2023): 7-11.
May 17, 2025
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Academic level:
Undergraduate 1-2
Type of paper:
Essay
Discipline:
Literature
Citation:
MLA
Pages:
4 (1009 words)
Spacing:
Double
* The sample essays are for browsing purposes only and are not to be submitted as original work to avoid issues with plagiarism.
