“Romeo Romeo O Romeo” fate what is fate? Fate is the whole book of Romeo and Juliet, fate is the language Shakespeare uses to write his plays the way the play, plays out. “Everything is destined to happen turn out or act in a particular way”- (google dictionary) everything is lead by fate the believing of fate and the actions shown that lead to fate. The words fate are never used but throughout the whole play it is shown.

In Romeo and Juliet the way Shakespeare shows his first sign of fate is by using the prologue, it shows that in the play Romeo and Juliet that they are going to kill themselves, the purpose of the prologue is to tell the audience what is going to happen. The prologue is an example of fate where it says: “Two star crossed lovers take their life” fate is shown in this sentence because this is the outcome by the end of the play.

In the play Romeo and Juliet, another way Shakespeare shows fate is by using metaphors, a way that he shows fate using a metaphor is by saying his life is a journey: “He that hath steerage of my course direct my sail” when Romeo says this he is saying that he is a ship and God is the caption and whatever happens God has set him up for it. This is fate because Romeo is surrendering his control and letting God decide he uses the word ship meaning for God to move his sail so he can go on a different course this is fate because then he meets Juliet.

In the play Romeo and Juliet another way Shakespeare shows a form of fate is by using coincidences, in the play one of the coincidences that are shown is when Romeo is with Benvolio and Mercutio, walking along the street when a Capulet is standing outside when Romeo walks past the Capulet member asks Romeo to read the invite to the Capulets party. Romeo reads the invite to the Capulet whilst Benvolio and Mercutio are listening, they then convince him that they should go to the party they finally get him to agree to go they turn up at the Capulets masking party where he sees Juliet and falls in love instantly. If he did not read the Capulet invite he would not of meet Juliet and the play would not have a story and the families would still be rivals.

 In the play Romeo and Juliet the plot events are good way of Shakespeare showing another form of fate the major plot events relate to the play and help make the story play out the way it does, in Romeo and Juliet one of the major plot events is when Friar John is meant to deliver the letter to Romeo to tell him what the plan was with Juliet but when a plague breaks out and Friar John gets stuck in the town and is put to a standstill the letter can’t be delivered he returned it saying “I could not send it — here it is again — Nor get a messenger to bring it to thee so fearful were they of infection” this affects the way the outcome of the play and leads to Romeo and Juliet both killing themselves.

 In conclusion Shakespeare uses many ways of showing fate in Romeo and Juliet, some being, The prologue, Metaphors, Coincidences and plot events. Although Shakespeare never says the words fate I personally think it is shown through the whole play especially in the four things I said above. fate and freewill won’t always be talked about, but always shown and it is up to you whether to believe it or not.