Fate's misfortune in Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet"

In modern times, and in the Elizabethan era, fate plays an important role in people's lives. Many people believe it to be written in stone, and unchangeable. Many others believe it to be controlled by a person's own actions. In Romeo and Juliet, fate is one of the main themes, described as having power over many of the events in the play. Fate is often called upon, wondered about, and blamed for mishaps. However, where …

…each instance of ill fate is an underlying weakness on the part of one or more persons that dictate the results. Finally, almost all of the 'ill fated' instances are easily traced to Friar Laurence, who himself represents the idea that fate does not exist, giving the conclusion that human weakness, the loss of self-control, is the force behind ill mishaps, not fate. Work Cited Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Roy, Ken. Toronto.         Harcourt Brace, 1987.