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Romeo & Juliet - Fate & Freewill

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Romeo & Juliet - Fate & Freewill
Names: ________________________
Class: _________ Date: __________

FATE
Scene/ Incident /page nos.
(where theme is exemplified)
Evidence showing aspects of theme
(*Select key phrases)
My Comments/ Explanation
(A1S1)
Prologue
- Chorus reminds audience that the love of Romeo and Juliet will lead to their deaths

“A pair of star-cross'd lovers”
“Whose misadventured piteous overthrows, do with their death bury their parents' strife.”
“The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love”

-Fate can clearly be seen as the audience is reminded right on the onset of the cursed nature of Romeo and Juliet’s love.
- It foreshadows the death of Romeo and Juliet, almost confirming the inevitability of their doom.
- Such absolution emphasizes the lack of control that the couple have over their lives and their love
-They are destined and fated to die
-The fulfillment of such prologue’s foreshadowing only serves to remind audiences of the ultimate control of fate over their lives and their inability to prevent these prophecies from being carried out.
(A1S2)
Benvolio gives Romeo advice
- Capulet servant shows them attendance list

“I am sent to find those persons whose names are here writ, and can never find what names the writing person hath here writ. I must to the learned.”
“Stay, fellow, I can read.”
“…my fair niece Rosaline…”
- Fate is seen here as Romeo, being fated to love the unreachable Juliet, is given this opportunity through a rare coincidence
- Out of anyone, Capulet’s servant approaches Romeo to read the guest list
- This informs Romeo of Rosaline’s presence and urges him to attend the ball
- This rare coincidence is due to fate, and this indicates the control of fate over Romeo – in which it influences his choices (to attend the ball, thereby meeting Juliet), and leading to his death.
(A1S4)
Romeo and friends head to the Capulet ball
- Romeo gets a premonition
“I fear, too early: for my mind misgives some consequence

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