Teachers name was changed for privacy reasons
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English
27 October 2017
Fate Vs. Fact in Romeo and Juliet
In Mr. Martins argumentative paragraph, he argues that Romeo and Juliet's tragedy happened because of fate and not human action. While I do agree with some aspects of his writing like when he states, "People these days tend to stress about making difficult decisions and feeling guilty about these actions." The rest of his paragraph I do not agree with. The main statement being "that fate is the single most important factor in determining what happens to the characters.", the characters being Romeo and Juliet from Shakespeare's play Romeo & Juliet. I believe that the tragedy that happened to the young lovers was 100% based on human action and not fate and I will address the reasons why throughout this essay.
When Romeo doesn't receive the letter from Friar Lawrence it's Friar John's fault for not getting it to him. In act 5 scene 2, Friar John tells Friar Lawrence why he didn't make it to Mantua. He says, "the searchers of the town, Suspecting that we both were in a house, where the infectious pestilence did reign". In this quote, Friar John says he didn't make it to Mantua because when he went to a town to get another friar to join him on the journey the health authorities thought they were infected with a disease, so they quarantined them inside. Friar John continues by saying, "Sealed up the doors and would not let us forth. So that my speed to Mantua there was stayed." He is saying the doors were sealed off and they would not let us leave so my trip to Mantua was delayed. Because of the human actions of Friar John, Romeo didn't get the message that Juliet wasn't actually dead.
When Romeo goes to Apothecary to buy the poison he is fully aware of what he is doing. Apothecary warns him when Romeo buys the poison. Apothecary even thinks this isn't the best idea when he tries to warn him how strong it is. He says, "put this in any liquid thing you will and drink it off; and, if you had the strength of twenty men, it would dispatch you straight.", meaning if you drink this liquid even if you were as strong as 20 men you would die instantly,
but in the end, Romeo convinces him to sell it to him. When Romeo goes into the tomb where Juliet, who he thinks is dead, is buried he decides to take his own life because he can't imagine living in a world without Juliet. So Romeo because of his own thoughts and feelings he decides to drink the poison. He says this right before he drinks the poison, "Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavory guide. Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on the dashing rocks thy seasick, weary bark. Here's to my love!" He's saying in this quote let's end this hurt, pain, and suffering. He then says here's to my love then he drinks the poison and dies.
Juliet is put under a sleeping potion because of human action as well. This happens because Friar Lawrence thinks of a plan to bring them back together. She didn't have to go through with the plan if she didn't want to. The night she drinks the potion she talks to herself about all the ways Friar Lawrence's plan could go wrong. One way Juliet says the plan might go wrong is stated as follows, "What if it be a poison, which the friar subtly hath ministered to have me dead," She's saying in this quote what if the friar put poisoning in this mixture. Another way it could have gone wrong is when she states, "How if, when I am laid into the tomb, I wake before the time that Romeo Come to redeem me? Or in other words what if I wake up before Romeo comes to get me?
In conclusion, the ultimate tragedy that is Romeo and Juliet's relationship was most definitely based on human reaction. The letter not reaching Romeo, Romeo deciding to take his own life, and Juliet going through with her plan were all caused by human actions and not fate. In real life, people blame fate for their problems when really it is human action and conscious choices causing it. Fate and human action are two opposite things but are equally important in an individual's life
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Comment your position this topic if you've read the play. Criticism is appreciated.
