George's English Journal

Fate is a recurring theme that presents itself in the work of Shakespeare, Shelley and Kipling. This is done by a number of different literary techniques. An example of these are Metaphors, the use of a meter and the way they structure their work. Fate is the development of events the happen that are out of a person’s control. For example you can throw a pebble into the river of time and create a ripple but the current will always correct itself. That’s the thing about fate it’s going to happen weather you plan it or not.

The first language technique that is used by both Shakespeare and Kipling is the use of metaphors. In Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare is forever using Metaphors. One that he uses a lot is the reference to a ship.
“He that hath the steerage of my course direct my sail”
Shakespeare is suggesting that Romeo is saying that he is the ship and God is the captain. This supports the theme of fate as it is implying that Romeo has no control over what is going to happen. God will decide all the events that the night will bring. It also means that no matter what Romeo does God has already planned out his path in life and he will willing to follow it. This is a very powerful metaphor to use as in the time that Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet the country was very religious and most of the audience would have the same beliefs and would also be putting their lives in the hands of God. Shakespeare also uses the reference of God at the end of the play as well.
“Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on the dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark”
This quote still supports the idea of fate however Romeo now seems angry at the way his fate has played out and is questioning God. He feels that he tried to control his fate and be with Juliet but this never worked out how he planned. You could say that this was God’s plan for Romeo the whole time and his fate was to die. As the death of both Romeo and Juliet served a bigger purpose as it stopped the feud of their two families.

Kipling also uses the power of metaphors in his poem ‘A Song in a Storm’
“The game is more than the player of the game, and the ship is more than the crew!”
This metaphor strengthens the theme of fate by implying that everything that goes on, is more than just you. It states that humans are a very small part in this game we call life. We all just have to play along. The idea that the sailors are in the hands of the sea is also suggesting that they are putting their lives in God’s hands as he controls the sea. Although the sailors don’t know what is going to happen they are willing to follow their fate even if it means that this is their last mission. Kipling also personifies the sea in one of his metaphors to show fate.
“Almost these mindless waters work as though they had a soul.”
This quotation highlights that tone of fate by saying that that sea has a mind of its own and will take control of tonight’s events. The fact that the sea is portrayed to have a soul means that no matter what the sailors do, they cannot change the mind of the waves and what they choose to do.

Shelly chooses not to use any metaphors in his poem ‘Ozymandias’. This would have been a deliberate choice that he made. Although he does not use any metaphors he still express the idea of fate throughout his work. It is clear that Ozymandias was a great and powerful king but even in all his glory he could not stop his fate from happening and he still died, got forgotten and became derelict.

Another way that all three authors demonstrate fate is through the use of a meter. A meter is an ongoing rhythm or beat that goes on throughout both the play and poems. This technique follows the theme of fate as like fate it is something that can’t be changed or stopped. Shakespeare uses this when he writes
“Is it even so? Then I defy you stars!”
In this quote Shakespeare uses an iambic pentameter. This style of meter is very similar to the human heart beat. This again illustrates the fact that it cannot be stopped. The endless repetition is like time. Time keeps going on no matter how hard you try and control it, a lot like fate. You cannot change the path that has been made for you, fate, time and this iambic meter are all never ending and inevitable. However the words in the quote are said by Romeo as he is not pleased with the way his life is going and he is now questioning Gods plan. This is important because up until now Romeo was happy to follow God’s plan. He has also began to realize that he has no control in what is going on with his fate. He tries to control it by taking his own life and stopping the beat of his heart and in turn stopping the iambic meter. Although this does work some might say that this was Gods overall plan for him and actually Romeo’s part in the grand plan of things was over. So therefor he did not change his fate but followed all the steps he was supposed to.

Kipling also uses the use of a meter. Kipling uses the meter to not only help the undertone of fate but also to reflect the movement of the sea. The meter flows just like waves coming in and out.
“We can make good all loss except the loss of turning back”
This quote says that you should not run away from your fate, you should just go with the flow. The use of a meter helps this as it gives you the rhythm to do so. The quote also implies that as long as you follow your fate you will never loose. Turning back on yourself and fate will always provide you with the biggest lose as eventually you are destined to end up in the same place. This again is supported by the use of a meter as you can’t turn back on the rhythm as it is pre-designed to go the way you are meant to go.

Shelley also uses an iambic meter in his poem Ozymandias. This beat again is continuous and uncontrollable just like fate. This Iambic meter is shown in the lines.
“of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare.”
This shows that time and fate keeps flowing on. You cannot speed it up, slow it down or change it. The view of fate in this poem is consolidated by the use of this iambic pentameter. This quote shows that even Ozymandias who was a “king of Kings” could not control fate and lost everything. He could not control his fate even with all his power. Fate happened regardless just like the iambic meter. Shelley also uses the iambic pentameter to portray the movement of time.

As much as all three authors use a lot of literary techniques that are the same the all have adopted their own unique additional features. Each of these features is effective in their own way. Shakespeare uses the use of a prologue to enhance fate. Shelley uses a Volta to support the shift of fate and Kipling uses repetition and a changing rhyme scheme.
Shakespeare starts his play with a literary device called a prologue. Right at the start of the play Shakespeare is playing with the idea of fate. He tells the audience exactly what is going to happen to the lead character. Throughout the rest of the play we watch whilst both Romeo and Juliet make choices and twists and turns to control what is going to happen in their lives. However inevitably they cannot change their fate and they end up exactly where they were planned to be. This proves that you cannot change fate no matter how hard you try. If it has already been planned out then it’s going to happen regardless. It is almost like Shakespeare uses irony to imply fate throughout the play. The fact that Friar John was quarantined in a small village and could not deliver the letter to Romeo informing him of the fact that Juliet is not really dead.
“I could not send it- here it is again- nor get a messenger to bring in thee, so fearful were they of infection”
The letter was Friar Lawrence’s way of controlling fate unfortunately this did not work. In the eara of Romeo and Juliet people would of not only believed that God created an individual’s destiny but also controlled disease. This means that in a way God was still controlling the character fate as he prevented the plan of sending a letter to Romeo.
Shelley places a Volta in his poem to separate the first Octave from the last Sestet. It is also at this stage that the fate of Ozymandias changes. In the beginning of the poem Shelly talks about a traveler who finds the remains of a statue.
“Half sunk, a chattered visage lies, whose frown and wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command”
Even by the remains of the statue the traveler could tell that Ozymandias was powerful. After the Volta the image of Ozymandias changes.
“Nothing besides remains. Round the decay”
This lets the reader know that fate isn’t controllable by anyone, even if you are a great and powerful leader. In the end we are all going to die and be forgotten. All the power and control a ‘king of king’ might have won’t allow them to decide what will happen to them. Shelley also uses a distinct rhyming scheme in his poem Ozymandias. The rhyme scheme starts off quite strict and structured. By the end of the poem the rhyme scheme has broken down. The rhyme scheme mirrors the journey of fate. The rhyming scheme decays just like Ozymandias did.

Kipling applies a different strategy to reinforce fate in his poem, he uses repetition. Kipling is the only one who actually uses the word fate.
“Then welcome Fate’s discourtesy”
Kipling places this line near the end of every stanza it helps support the idea that we are not in control of fate. It also implies that we should not see this as a bad thing but instead welcome the fact that our future is a mystery and we should enjoy the journey. Kipling is also saying that it is alright to be afraid of the unknown and that we should allow fate to take its course as life is more important than just you.

Overall I would have to say that all three authors, although taken different approaches, all portray fate as uncontrollable and inevitable. Although you cannot change the river of time you can create ripples. Some people believe that if you create enough ripples that you can change the tide because the future is never really set. However all three of these pieces will prove this to be wrong. That’s the thing about fate it’s going to happen weather you plan it or not.