William Shakespeare’s Greatest Love

Tragedy
“Romeo & Juliet”

Position : Tragic Death by Their Personal Choices

Supporting Details 1 :-

Romeo heard of Juliet’s death before he was told that it was being
faked. Romeo rushed to her side to kill himself so he may rest in peace with
Juliet. The drastic choice to kill himself was his own; no one forces him to do
it.

Romeo : From this world-wearied flesh. Eyes, look your last!

Arms, take your last embrace! And, lips, O you
The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss
A dateless bargain to engrossing death!
Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide!
Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on
The dashing rocks thy sea-sick weary bark.
Here’s to my love! (Drinks.) O true apothecary!
Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die. (Dies.
(ACT V, SCENE III)

Supporting Details 2 :-

Juliet could have told the people about her marriage to Romeo –
accepted the consequences and then, there would not be a need for the fake
death that had misled Romeo. Better yet, she could have just left Verona
with Romeo when Romeo was leaving Verona the first time, rather than
staying there till things get out of control. Instead, she chose to stay till the
last possible moment and chosen to drink the potion.

Juliet : Shall I be married then to-morrow morning?

No, no: this shall forbid it. Lie thou there. ( Laying down a dagger.
What if it be a poison, which the Friar
Subtly hath minister’d to have me dead,
 Lest in this marriage he should be dishonour’d,
Because he married me before to Romeo?
I fear it is: and yet, methinks, it should not,
For he hath still been tried a holy man.
How if, when I am laid into the tomb,
I wake before the time of Romeo
Come to redeem me? there’s a fearful point.

(ACT IV, SCENE III)

Supporting Details 3 :-

Romeo chose to go to Capulet’s party though he knew that the two

families did not get along. Furthermore, Romeo chose to seek after Juliet and
continued seeing her. He could have just left and not returned to the
Capulet’s resident.
Romeo : He jests at scars that never felt a felt a wound.
(JULIET appears above at a window.
But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou her maid art far more fair than she:
Be not her maid, since she is envious;
Her vestal livery is but sick and green,
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
Is it my lady; O, it is my love!
O, that she knew she were!
She speaks, yet she says nothing: what of that?
Her eyes discourses. I will answer it.
I am too bold, ‘tis not to me she speaks:
Two of the fairest stars in all heaven,
Having some business, do intreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven

( ACT II, SCENE II)

COUNTER ARGUMENTS: -

1- The biggest sign of fate playing the part would be when the Chorus
uses the phrase “Star-Crossed Lovers” (1, 1, 6) – indicates
Shakespeare’s thoughts on what kills Romeo & Juliet. Indirectly,
suggest to the audience that the two lovers are destined for trouble.
Romeo’s lines after he had killed Tybalt have also suggest the same,

e.g – Romeo ; I’m fortune fool ( 3, 1, 145 )

Another example of fate play a part in the whole process of Romeo &
Juliet death would be when Romeo was given the list of party
invitations by the illiterate servant to read, from there, Romeo, who
was (then) still in grief of losing the girl he love (then) Rosaline, swear
that he will attend the party at the Capulet’s to look at Rosaline. ONLY
AT ROSALINE – fate later on come into the play and attracted Romeo to
Juliet, when Romeo himself had said that, there shall be no girl fairer
than Rosaline.

Romeo : She had, and in that sparing makes huge waste;

For beauty, starved with her severity,

Cuts beauty off from all posterity.

She is too fair, too wise, wisely too fair,

To merit bliss by making me despair:

She hath forsworn to love; and in that vow

Do I live dead, that live to tell it now.

(ACT I, SCENE I)

Romeo : O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!

It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night

Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear;

Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!

 So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows,

As yonder lady o’er her fellows shows.

The measure done, I’ll watch her place of stand,

And touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.

Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!

For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.

(ACT I, SCENE V)

2 - Fate seems to cause Mercutio to be killed by Tybalt under Romeo’s

arm – causes Romeo wanting to avenge Mercutio’s death and slays
Tybalt. Once Romeo had killed Tybalt, he had no chance to stay in
Verona anymore as the Prince had already announced the punishment
– causing Romeo to either leave Verona or die ; without his consent or
choice, anyhow he choose, he can’t stay anymore.

Prince : And for that offence

Immediately we do exile him hence:
I have an interest in your hate’s proceeding,
My blood for your rude brawls doth lie a-breeding;
But I’ll amerce you with so strong a fine,
That you shall all repent the loss of mine:
I will be deaf to pleading and excuses;
Nor tears nor prayers shall purchase out abuses:
Therefore use none: let Romeo hence in haste,
Else, when he’s found, that hour is his last.
Bear hence this body, and attend our will:
Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill. (Exeunt.

(ACT III, SCENE II)

Position Paper

Ever since the Greek ancient years, upon its introduction to the people,
plays in the form of entertainment, had become a culture. There were many
types of plays, comedy, love or romance, and tragedy. Among all of the
genres, Tragedy was always the crowd’s favorite genre of play in those
times, even until today. There were many great tragedies invented by
talented and most gifted writers, among the earliest would be the Greek pair
Odysseus and Penelope, Eloise and Abelard in the year 1100 in Paris,
Pyramus and Thisbe that showed to reader such selfless love and make sure
that even in death they were together, Tristan and Isolde that took place
during the reign of King Arthur, Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal that took
place in 1612. The modern and more reckoned with tragedies would most
probably be of those from Shakespeare, for example, Antony and Cleopatra,
Othello, Macbeth, and the most famous of all, Romeo and Juliet.

The plays, most often than not, dealt with real issues whether we would like to admit it or
not. The issues usually indeed the reflections on what had been going on within that particular
time. There are many questions that author rose in their masterpieces. Shakespeare through
many of his plays put forward many interesting questions to reader to ponder upon. One of the
most debatable questions of all time would probably be, whether our lives are governed by fate
or by our own personal choices. Shakespeare through Romeo and Juliet, managed to bring about
this question for the reader to be thinking about. In my opinion, although fate seems to
have influenced on what happened to Romeo and Juliet, their choices
contribute more to their fate than fate itself. Although some of the reasons
would suggest to readers that their death are out of their control, fate is not
the biggest nor the sole reason they ended up dying. So, this would be my
position for this paper, the tragic death in Romeo and Juliet by William
Shakespeare is by their personal choice and not fated. Fate is often called
upon, wondered about, and blamed for mishaps. However, where fate is
blamed in the play as the ultimate cause for a mishap, there is always an
underlying action, or combination of them, on the part of human beings that
decides the consequences. Human weakness, the loss of self-control, is
always the direct cause of a bad choice or mishap, and not fate itself.
However, given the background of which this play was written, fate was
looked upon as a great power that abode human’s life, during Shakespeare's time,
most Elizabethans believed in fate and it shows particularly in Romeo and Juliet textual
evidences. To the Elizabethans society, they strongly believe in the rule of fate in one’s life.
This idea is written about in the Bible in Jeremiah 1:5. It says 'Before I formed
you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I
appointed you as a prophet to the nations' This means that God had planned
our lives before we were born.

In my opinion, we as human, write our own destiny and fate. Though we

can’t help to change who our parents is, we could always change what we
think and know for fact is not right. The options are always in our hand and
that eventually, in normal or many circumstances, we are the one who
choose our path and our way of living. In Romeo and Juliet, all the events
that took place were the results of their decision. They chose to go down the
way they did and there was no other forces that put them in that position.
For example, Romeo heard of Juliet’s death before he was told that it was
being faked. Romeo rushed to her side to kill himself so he may rest in peace
with Juliet. The drastic choice to kill himself was his own; no one forces him
to do it. The unfortunate events such as the circumstance that stop the
Friar’s assistant from delivering his message may just be a small incident in
their tragic love story, but that particular event was not that influential to
have killed them both, in a simpler word, that event did not killed them. If he
hadn't have done anything drastic they would both have been alive and well.

Other example that would clearly suggest that it was their “stupidity”
in their choices that lead to the tragic death would be when Juliet chose to
keep the news of which she had been the lady of Montague from her
parent’s knowledge. She could have just admitted the fact that she is now
married to Romeo and accepted their punishment which would definitely be
better off than being death. Some would even say that it was their stupid
choice of pursuing each other though they know for fact that the two families
were in feud suggest that they do choose their way and there was no
unfortunate event that took place that put them there. Yet, Shakespeare
doesn't tell about the poor judgments that the two young teenagers used. He tries
to make it seem that they had no choice in the matter. What really plays the
biggest part in their death is not fate but the decisions of the two adolescents. Many
choices contributed to the end of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo's choice to go to the
Capulet party where he met Juliet was one example of their choice. He knows that
his family and Juliet's family hate each other. Still, he goes to their party fully
knowing what might happen. Furthermore, Romeo chose to seek after Juliet and to
continue to see her. He could have just left and not have returned to her house and
gone to her balcony. By making this choice he sets up all the problems that occur
later. Even if the later events happen by chance and it seems as if fate was the
reason that they died, their choices put them in that position. Although, Romeo
pursued Juliet he isn't the only reason that they die. Juliet's choices play a large part
in deciding their end. Romeo woos Juliet but Juliet could have resisted. When he
sends for her to marry him, she can decide not to show up. They also could be
honest and tell their parents. The parents might not like it but at least Romeo and
Juliet wouldn't die. When Juliet chooses to drink the potion and not go with Romeo
and leave Verona she makes a way for chance to come into play. She could have
left and lived with Romeo, but she didn't and therefore suffered for it. Many
elements of chance or fate and choice together decided the outcome of this story of
two star-crossed lovers. Yes, things out of their control helped to kill them but they
made the decision to pursue each other and leave the opening for those things to
happen. So, was it choice or fate? I believe that personal choice is the real nemesis.