William Shakespeare is a popular and legendary play Wright from the a Elizabethan era. Shakespeare’s plays have stood the test and time and still appeal to audiences today. He wrote classics such as `Romeo and Juliet`, `Macbeth’ and `The Taming of the Shrew`. Shakespeare was an incredibly popular play Wright during Elizabeth oreign as Queen of England and at this time Britain was a Christian country . The English had a very poor opinion of their own language and their was very little serious writing, hardly any literature, Shakespeare was educated at a local grammar school and went on to become one of the worlds most successful play wright. He also wrote two long poems and a collections of sonnets, that appealed to Elizabeth I, a great admirer of Shakespeare’s work. His plays were a variety of comedy, tragedy and romance.
One of Shakespeare’s classics plays is `Romeo and Juliet`. He is said to have written the play in 1597 approx. Shakespeare tells the tale of two star crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, whose short romance is plagued with tragedy. The play focus’ on popular themes such as romance, tragedy, death and violence. Shakespeare was inspired by a poem by Arthur Brook called, ‘The tragical Histoire of Romeus and Juliet.’ The poem never got much acknowledgment or recognition but Shakespeare used it as the basis for writing a play about, who are now, the world’s most famous lovers. Romeo and Juliet’s meeting is told in the form of sonnets, which were very popular in Elizabeth I court and would appeal to Queen Elizabeth. It is said that Shakespeare wrote his plays with Queen Elizabeth’s tastes in mind.
The prologue of the play reveals a lot about the plays theme and how fate plays an important part in the play. We are told that Romeo and Juliet are ‘star – crossed lovers’ (destined for bad luck) and ‘death marked’. we know that their relationship will be plagued with death. The prologue actually reveals the plot and could be seen as ruining the play. However many of Shakespeare’s audience were looking to enjoy how well it was told, not seeking to be surprised by original plot turns. Fate and fortune are closely related in this play. In the Elizabethan era people strongly believed in superstition, fate, destiny and the wheel of fortune. People believed they had no influence in their life as everything was already planned out. In this essay I will study how fate plays an important part in Romeo and Juliet and I will also study if Romeo and Juliet had the ability to choose what to do or if their short lives were predestined” The play is filled with references to fate and fortune.
Everything seems to fall in place and this theme appealed to Elizabethans. Events that happen later in the play link back to other events earlier on and it seem evident that Romeo and Juliet’s lives are ruled by the wheel of fortune. Romeo is a young son of the Montague’s. He is dramatic and constantly in love. Juliet is the daughter of the Capulet`s, the rival family of the Montague’s. She is quite naïve and has always obeyed her parents wishes, until she meets Romeo. They meet by chance, fall in love and begin a relationship plagued with tragedy. They marry in secret but soon after Romeo is banished for killing Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt and Juliet is betrothed to Paris, a family friend. However Juliet posses a potion that makes her appear dead and sends a message to Romeo telling him to be at the tomb when she wakes. However Romeo never receives the message and believes she is dead. He then kills himself so they can be reunited in death.
Then Juliet awakens and realising what has happened, kills herself. Their relationship that starts in haste finishes just as fast. The two families, Capulet’s and Montague’s, are then re united in their grief. Throughout the play Romeo is dramatic and constantly predicts his own death. In Act 5,before he goes to the Capulet’s ball he predicts that his death will be soon, `Of a despised life clos’d in my breast, by some vile forfeit of untimely death.’ He is predicting that he will die before his time, which he eventually does. It’s strange that a young, carefree man should be concerned about death. This also leaves the audience in suspense, wondering what will occur at the ball. The reason that Romeo is attending the Capulet’s ball is entirely down to fate.
Entirely by chance, a servant of the Capulet’s had asked him to read an invitation list for a Capulet ball (the servant could not read himself), `But I pray, can you read any thing you see..’ At this time Romeo is desperately in love with a girl called Roseline and attends the party in the hope of seeing her. However he meets Juliet and falls in love with her. This is an example of Romeo and Juliet were destined to meet and destined to fall in love. It also is an example of events in the play `fall into place’. When Juliet is talking to her nurse after meeting Romeo she is desperate and dramatic. She has barley known Romeo but yet she is desperately in love with him, ‘If he be married my grave be my wedding bed.’ She means that she will die if she can not marry him which is a ironic anticipation of events to come.
This will have appealed to the audience as again everything will have fell into place. She continues to talk about how her love will kill him, `Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing.’ It is again ironic as this actual does happen as the reason Romeo dies is because of their love for one another. The beginning of the play is filled with reference of fate and fortune. It is so that when Romeo and Juliet’s outcome is revealed it is linked back to the earlier scenes and everything falls into place. The fight scene in Act 3 is crucial turning point in the play. It changes the direction of the play. In Elizabethan times it was not unusual for men to fight in the street and kill each other in sword play. It was also not uncommon for the guilty party to be killed or banished. The fight scene has many consequences that develop later in the play. A fight between Romeo, Mercuito and Tybalt erupts on the street in which Mercuito, Romeos friend, is killed. Before he dies he curses both families, `A plagueo both your houses’.
By doing this he is probably hoping that the two families would end their bitter feud. In a twist of fate a plague does effect both houses, in Romeo and Juliet’s death but it reunites the two families in their grief. This is a clear act of fate and an typical Elizabethan audience would have enjoyed this. Shakespeare knew when writing what appealed to his audience. When Romeo realises what has happened he seeks vengeance and kills Tybalt. He realises what will happen and how things will never be the same again, ‘The day’s black fate on moe days doth depend, this but begins the woe others must end.’ He knows that the events on that day will change his life and things will never be the same. He continues in saying, `I am fortunes fool.` he knows that events that follow are out of his control, everything lies in the hands of fate.
He must let fate run it’s course. He is right in saying this as it separates the young lovers, Romeo is banished. This almost certainly causes their deaths. It leaves the audience wondering if things could have been different. Could Romeo and Juliet have stayed together if Romeo hadn’t killed Tybalt” Throughout the whole play Romeo and Juliet constantly tempt their own fate. ‘Give me Romeo and when I shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars.’ she is tempting fate and her outcome. When Romeo hears of Juliet’s death he knows it is down the fortune and destiny. He proclaims ‘I defy you stars’ which simply means that he refuses to believe what destiny has dealt him. `Romeo and Juliet’ was a classic play during the Elizabethan era and still remains popular today.
Romeo and Juliet’s untimely death could be down to a number of things, their parents feud or the haste of their relationship but I believe it was entirely down to fate. They met entirely by fate and immediately fell in love. They begin a relationship plagued with bad luck and then tragically both die. I believe their lives had been planned and there is nothing they could do to change the course of their destiny. It is obvious that Shakespeare had intended everything to happen for a reason and decided that fate would rule their lives. It is a format that would appeal to an Elizabethan audience. Scenes from earlier in the play are linked into scenes later on. For example, when Mercuito curses both families a curse actually does occur, in Romeo and Juliet’s death.
Another example of how Romeo and Juliet’s lives were ruled by fate is how each of their predictions of their early death actually comes true. It is as if they tempt fate. However the audience would have already known this as they are warned about the outcome in the prologue. The prologue builds suspense as it leaves the audience wondering what will happen. It also allows the audience to ‘be in on the secret’. it helps them be involved in the play and feel like they are part of it. They know the future of the lovers but still anticipate their outcome. It is always enjoyable for an audience when they are let in a secret, just look how soap operas use this technique. Many people enjoy the play due to the historical background. It represents the classic works of Shakespeare and actually is part of history.
The historic balcony can be visited in Italy and there were actually families called the Montague’s and the Capulet’s. `Romeo and Juliet’ will always remain a classic play and be enjoyed by many audiences. It contains popular, classic themes that every one can enjoy, love, violence and death. Even though today,2004, nearly everyone knows the story of the star crossed lovers the play is still enjoyed by many people. I believe the reason many people enjoy the play is because of the love Romeo and Juliet have together. They believe they can’t be together in life so they will be together in death. It is refreshing to see to people fall in love in a age were people are cynical of love and marriage due to high divorce rates. It also how original how their love sprung from hate. `Romeo and Juliet’ remains one of Shakespeare’s best loved plays about the worlds most famous fictional lovers who lives were controlled by fate.