Romeo & Juliet: Fate

Aram Asatryan
05/26/11

Romeo & Juliet
Is it possible for something to be doomed from the start? Were Romeo and Juliet victims of fate in the play, “Romeo and Juliet”, by Shakespeare? This is a question that comes to mind. Romeo and Juliet are victims because they both are in love with each other but cannot safely be together.
Death was not something that either one of them was looking for at that point in their life. It was love they were looking for, yet in finding such a love, they found death. Fate had a bigger plan in mind for the two teenagers, one that would heal an age old family blood feud, and all it took was a couple of twists of fate. There were several events in this play that occurred out of the control of both Romeo and Juliet. It was these following events that sealed their destiny. There is something that always bothers them, whether it is their parents, their servants, or the society. Romeo says, “Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, Too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn.” (Page 24, Lines 25-26) With this line, Romeo is trying to show how much his heart hurts from love. Romeo says how he is in love and love is a tender thing which is poking him. He says that this is not what he thought love would be.
The first incidence of fate first comes into play in Act I, scene II, where Benvolio is trying to convince Romeo to get over his latest love, the fair Rosalind. Rosalind had decided to take a vow of chastity and joined a convent. Benvolio thinks the best thing for Romeo would be to go and meet the other fair maidens of the town. It was on the other side of town though that fate was dealing her cards. Juliet’s father, the head of the Capulet family, sent out a list of people to invite to his party. Romeo and his two friends were also invited. Romeo’s friends were convincing him to go to the party and meet other girls while Romeo was still upset about his last love.
The society is not allowing Romeo and Juliet to be...