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The first way in which Shakespeare explores fate in Romeo &Juliet is in the prologue when the chorus explains the deaths of two young people from the Montague family and the Capulet family. The chorus says “two households, both alike in dignity…A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life…which but their children’s end nought could remove”. This is saying that the love of two people in opposing households kill themselves because they cannot be together. Also, it is saying that the family’s have so much rivalry that they cannot accept the love of Romeo & Juliet. This explores fate because later in the play Romeo & Juliet try and break this path by making a plan to run away together, but their path can not be broken, as their plan does not work.
Another way in which Shakespeare explores fate is when Tybalt stabs and kills Mercutio, Mercutio says ” a plague a both your houses”. When he says this he is cursing both of their families. This enforces the idea of fate because it gives the audience another clue about the two deaths that will occur on each side of the family. This also makes the play more interesting because it adds tension to the story and it makes us want to know what will happen next. In the film by Baz Luhrmann a lightning bolt comes down right when Mercutio says “a plague a both your houses”. This gives the impression that God is sending the lightening bolt down to warn the families that something bad is going to happen. This also puts more edge onto the story.
“He hath the steerage of my course direct my sail” this is Romeo when he has heard that Juliet is dead, after which he goes and buys poison to kill himself.
React!