Wesley's English Journal

This essay will give you a full account on secrets and hidden messages within each scene of the play”Romeo and Juliet”.The specific question “How does William Shakespeare explore the concept of Fate of Romeo and Juliet?”. This is where I will be analyzing the specific definitions off fate. In this essay I will be telling you the points, statements, examples and even conclusions about different scenes which will reflect on the concepts of fate.There are two main scenes that I am going to analyse upon and the scenes are when Romeo has his scene “Hanging in the Stars”. The other is when Mercutio dies at that very moment when Tybalt kills him.

This first and foremost scene I would like to state is when Romeo alas his “Hanging in the  Stars”moment.Here is the scene that I am going to analyse:

Act 1 Scene 4  “Hanging in the Stars”moment

Romeo: I fear too early, for my mind misgives Some consequence yet hanging in the stars Shall bitterly begin his fearful date With this night’s revels, and expire the term Of a despised life clos’d in my breast, By some vile forfeit of I untimely death. But He that hath the steerage of my course Direct my sail! On, lusty gentlemen.

This specific scene is where we know and understand that William Shakespeare has made or possessed upon Romeo by giving him his own psychic ability.Romeo chose to go to the ball, despite having misgives about it. He chooses to ignore premonitions. This can be shown in his own fears “some consequence yet hanging in the stars” this shows that he felt that something tragic, yet to be revealed, was about to occur. Despite this, he continues. “Expire the term of a despised life closed in my breast” showing how Romeo was having a premonition of death. Romeo knows the consequences when a Montague enters a Capulet ball. He chooses the danger as a risk even though it may lead to his own death at the end of his speech he states “he that hath the steerage of my course, direct my sail”.   He says that he will everything at the hand of fate, however while he attributes everything to fate, Romeo is making the perilous choice to go to the ball.  Which allows him too conduct a willing and seek beneath his future .The fact that back in the old Shakespearean days everyone believed that there was a God. This just points out my next statement about God giving him a slight ambiguous warning because he does not quite know what this warning meant to him. At that time he had not met Juliet so he must have thought something was going to happen to him but it was the point that Shakespeare had been trying to deliver to us that it was a Tragedy and Love but not death.So i think that Romeo has given his own perspective theory on how he will adapt to this pain or tragedy. In the prologue it says that a when the prologue says “A pair of star cross’d lovers take their life”. Which obviously describes that Romeo and Juliet (the main characters of the whole play) are going to suffer in some kind of pain or agony. When I first read this I always would remember the prologue and what it says. So automatically when I read this extract, Romeo had his own Hanging in the Stars moment i was thinking about the tragedies on what was going in my head which was the dramatic irony. My conclusion to all of this, is that William Shakespeare uses his own theories of astrology and the power of the stars. I personally think that Gemini and all the other stars have given him a sign which allows him to seek his own fatality.

Now the next ambiguous and tormenting scene that I will be analyzing is the scene where we witness the death of our fun friend “Mercutio”. At the end of this scene we witness another unlawful tragedy which includes Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt Capulet.In this scene we see a battle on both houses. We are here with Romeo, Benvolio, Mercutio and the Tybalt’s Capulet gang. Here is the scene:

Act 3 Scene 1

Mercutio:Ay, ay, a scratch a marry, ’tis enough. Where is my page? Go,villain, fetch a surgeon.

Romeo: Courage, man, the hurt cannot be much.

Here we witness that Mercutio has been  stabbed by Tybalt which gives us a reason why Romeo would want to kill Tybalt. This specific scenes shows that when Mercutio gets stabbed he is using his own words to describe what the stab and pain felt like. But sooner or later we soon find out that the only reason he was saying those words were to portray his strength, honour and dignity. He was acting as if he did not react to the stab like as if it was just a scratch and he is very peaceful  no tension but just some calm and more loyal. Now here is the line where Mercutio curses two houses too suffer even beyond death.

Mercutio: Help me into some house, Benvolio, Or shall I faint. A plague a’both your houses!They have made worms’ meat of me. I have it, And soundly too. Your houses!

When we are in this scene we witness that Mercutio dies and in the Baz Lurhman film, we see that the scenery has been interperated by using pathetic falicy as in the play it is just a normal street. In the film as Mercutio dies there is a thunder olt which strikes in to the scene. To me this shows that when Mercutio dies and what he says is when God is watching him like a death wish. At this moment Mercutio says “A plague on both your houses”. This to me as we have established before in the prologue “A pair of star crossed lovers take their life”. This as we analyzed before is that both Romeo and Juliet are going to die. Sooner or later we find out that the reason for both Capulet and Montagues to suffer beyond death is bacause of their loving and only child of their family is dead.

Thank you for reading my my essay, I hope this has given you a better understanding of Romeo and Juliet.

Wesley Chong