romeo and juliet essay with quotes

Romeo and Juliet Quotes

Romeo and Juliet quotes are some of Shakespeare’s most popular, and the play is full of enduring quotes from start to grisly finish.

In Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare gave the world such memorable quotes as “ a rose by any other name would smell as sweet “, “parting is such sweet sorrow”, “a plague on both your houses” and dozens more. Below is our pick of the very best quotes from Romeo and Juliet, spoken by a variety of primary and secondary characters in the play. After each quote, the character speaking is listed, along with act and scene.

“ A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life. “

(Chorus, Prologue)

“Abraham: Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? Sampson: I do bite my thumb, sir.”

(act 1, scene 1)

“O teach me how I should forget to think!”

Romeo (act 1 scene 1)

“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs. Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes; Being vex’d a sea nourish’d with lovers’ tears.”

“Under loves heavy burden do I sink.”

Romeo (act 1 scene 4)

“Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.”

Romeo (act 1 scene 5)

“O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright.”

“But, soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.”

Romeo (act 2, scene 2)

“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”

Juliet (act 2 scene 2)

“ That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.”

Juliet (act 2, scene 2)

“See how she leans her cheek upon her hand. O, that I were a glove upon that hand That I might touch that cheek!”

“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.”

“O, swear not by the moon, th’ inconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circle orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.”

“My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.”

“This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath, May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.”

“Good night, good night! parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good night till it be morrow.”

“Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast.”

Friar Laurence (act 2, scene 3)

“For this alliance may so happy prove, To turn your households’ rancour to pure love.”

“Women may fall when there’s no strength in men.”

“ These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder”

Friar Laurence (act 2, scene 5)

“A plague o’ both your houses!”

Mercutio (act 3, scene 1)

“Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill.”

Prince (act 3, scene 1)

“Oh, I am fortune’s fool!”

Romeo (act 3, scene 1)

“Give me my Romeo, and, when I shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night, And pay no worship to the garish sun.”

Juliet (act 3, scene 2)

“Romeo, Romeo, Romeo! Here’s drink: I drink to thee.”

Juliet (act 4, scene 3)

“O true apothecary, Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.”

Romeo (act 5, scene 3)

“Tempt not a desperate man”

“O happy dagger, This is thy sheath: there rust, and let me die.”

Juliet (act 5, scene 3)

“All are punished.”

Prince (act 5, scene 3)

“For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.”

Are we missing any great Romeo and Juliet quotes? Let us know in the comments section below.

Read quotes from Romeo and Juliet translated into modern English :

• How oft when men are at the point of death
• Gallop apace you fiery footed steed
• The clock struck nine when I did see the nurse
• She doth teach the torches to burn bright
• What light through yonder window breaks
• See the RSC’s take on Romeo and Juliet on stage

Shakespeare Quotes by Play

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I’m looking for the translation of ‘O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face! Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave? Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical! Dove-feather’d raven! wolvish-ravening lamb! Despised substance of divinest show! Just opposite to what thou justly seem’st, A damned saint, an honourable villain! O nature, what hadst thou to do in hell, When thou didst bower the spirit of a fiend In moral paradise of such sweet flesh? Was ever book containing such vile matter So fairly bound? O that deceit should dwell In such a gorgeous palace!’ Anyone know of a good Shakespeare to English translator?

Actually, I believe she’s talking to her mother or nurse how she “Hates” Romeo. When in reality, she’s saying things under her breath while she speaks, so she only hears the bad stuff. Basically still in love with him after he killed Tybalt, just trying to keep suspicion away. Of course this was 9th grade stuff for me so I could be wrong. lol

lots of help for my sis

It’s basically all oxymorons and paradoxes, it does not make sense. Juliet thinks it doesn’t make any sense why her beautiful lover would do such an ugly crime to Tybalt Idk. That’s my interpretation :/

Romeo’s and juliet is my favourite show

There are many interpretations of Romeo and Juliet, I just loved the film from 1969. The story is a great story of forbidden love, family hate, and salvation.

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Romeo and Juliet Quotes

Hailed as one of the popular tragedies in classical literature, “Romeo and Juliet” is replete with memorable and timeless quotes that defy the confines of time and space. Due to its immense popularity, some of the riveting dialogues have been repeatedly referenced in various mainstream movies.

Although every act of the play features engaging quotes, the most thought-provoking and heart-rending dialogues have been delivered by the two passionate lovers — Romeo and Juliet. Some of the most intriguing quotes of these two young, star-crossed lovers are discussed below with a short analysis.

Famous Quotes from Romeo and Juliet

Example #1:.

Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs; Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes; Being vexed, a sea nourished with loving tears.

(I. i. 195-197)

The aforementioned lines pertaining to the grief of unrequited love have been delivered by Romeo in the midst of his conversation with Benvolio. Using the imagery of fire and smoke, Romeo regards his one-sided love for Rosaline a fiery madness fueled by a lover’s sighs. The depth of despair experienced by a lover who feels forsaken is conveyed through aquatic imagery. For Romeo, love is an unfathomable sea sustained by the tears of an abandoned lover.

Example #2:

One fairer than my love? the all-seeing sun Ne’er saw her match since first the world begun.

(I.ii. 99-100)

This dialogue has been uttered by Romeo in response to Benvolio’s insistence that Romeo may find a more endearing and more beautiful lover than Rosaline. Highlighting the unprecedented beauty of his beloved Rosaline, Romeo exclaims that no other woman in this world can possibly compete with Rosaline’s irresistible charm. The ironic thing, however, is that the moment Romeo lays his eyes on Juliet, the mere thought of Rosaline disappears from his mind.

Example #3:

My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me, That I must love a loathed enemy.

(I. v. 152-155)

This poignant dialogue has been delivered by Juliet after she realizes that the young gentleman she has fallen in love with is none other than Romeo Montague — a member of the family despised by Juliet’s parents.

These lines signify the cruel workings of fate and reinforce the idea that one can neither anticipate nor choose the person one falls in love with. On a metaphorical level, these lines imply that the matters of the heart lie beyond the realm of rationality, and that prudence is rarely exercised when choosing one’s lover.

Example #4:

Tis but thy name that is my enemy. Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What’s Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot , Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.

(II.ii. 41-47)

These timeless lines have been delivered by Juliet in the much-acclaimed balcony scene. Juliet identifies Romeo’s surname, Montague, as the point of contention between their respective families. On the sub-text level, these lines reinforce the idea that a person’s essence is not solely defined by their names and that it transcends family lineage.

Example #5:

Good night , good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow , That I shall say good night till it be morrow.

(II.ii. 199-201)

The aforementioned, often-quoted lines have been delivered by Juliet while bidding farewell to Romeo. These heart-touching lines brilliantly capture the essence of the bittersweet sorrow experienced by passionate the lovers who are forced to face the agony of estrangement on account of familial pressure.

It is noteworthy that the oxymoron “sweet sorrow” in these lines refers to the fact that in Romeo and Juliet’s case, the pain of parting is made bearable by the hopeful idea that they will reunite next morning.

Example #6:

I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptiz’d; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.

(II.ii. 53-55)

These passionate lines have been delivered by Romeo during the classic balcony scene. Aside from highlighting Shakespeare’s impeccable mastery of religious imagery, these evocative lines emphasize Romeo’s abiding love for Juliet. Moreover, this quote signifies that any term of endearment reserved by Juliet solely for Romeo will be as invigorating for him as a religious rebirth.

Example #7:

O, swear not by the moon, th’ inconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circle orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.

(II. ii. 114-116)

These verses serve as another memorable addition to the widely anticipated balcony scene. Delivered by Juliet, these lines are meant a warning for Romeo. Juliet uses different phases of the moon as an analogy for inconsistent love that is subject to change.

Refusing to settle for anything other than an everlasting commitment, Juliet firmly informs Romeo that any love governed by changing conditions or fluctuating emotions is not an option for her.

Example #8:

And yet I wish but for the thing I have; My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.

(II. ii. 139-142)

These verses have been delivered by Juliet while conversing with Romeo. In these verses, she professes the authenticity of her deep love for Romeo by equating it with the unfathomable sea. Similar to the vast, unimaginable expanse of the sea, Juliet’s true feelings for Romeo cannot be quantified. In effect, similar to the boundless sea, Juliet pledges that her unconditional love for Romeo will never diminish or falter.

Example #9:

Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast.

(II. iii. 101)

The aforementioned succinct advice has been delivered by Friar Lawrence to the two star-crossed lovers. By urging Romeo and Juliet to exercise a degree of caution and moderation in their love, Friar Lawrence is emphasizing the significance of mature wisdom in relation to impulsive actions.

Although the aforesaid advice is specifically addressed to the young lovers, it holds universal appeal since it highlights the tragic consequences of hasty decisions taken in the heat of passion.

Example #10:

Good gentle youth, tempt not a desperate man.

(V.iii. 59)

Romeo makes the above assertion in response to Paris’ accusation that Romeo is responsible for Juliet’s apparent suicide. Romeo warns Paris that he better not tests Romeo’s patience since a man caught in the midst of desperate situation is likely to resort to violence. Unfortunately, however, Paris does not heed Romeo’s advice and inadvertently ends up being killed.

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Romeo and Juliet

By william shakespeare, romeo and juliet essay questions.

In what way do Romeo and Juliet break gender conventions? How do these roles fluctuate throughout the play?

At the beginning of the play, the young lovers' behavior reverses common gender conventions – Romeo acts in a way that his friends call feminine, while Juliet exhibits masculine qualities. Romeo is by no means an archetypal Elizabethan man; he is disinterested in asserting his physical power like the other male characters in the play. Instead, Romeo chooses to stew in his pensive melancholy. On several instances, Romeo's companions suggest that his introspective behavior is effeminate. On the other hand, Juliet exhibits a more pronounced sense of agency than most female characters in Shakespeare's time. While the women around her, like her mother, blindly act in accordance with Lord Capulet's wishes, Juliet proudly expresses her opinion. Even when she has lost a battle (like when Lord Capulet insists she consider marrying Paris), she demonstrates a shrewd ability to deflect attention without committing to anything. In her relationship with Romeo, Juliet clearly takes the lead by insisting on marriage and proposing the plan to unite them. As the play progresses, Romeo starts to break out of his pensive inaction to the point that Mercutio notices this change. Romeo also makes a great shift from his cowardly attempt at suicide in Act III to his willful decision in Act V. Overall, Romeo and Juliet are arguably a good match because they are so distinct. Juliet is headstrong, while Romeo is passive until passion strikes and inspires him to action.

Contrast Romeo's attempted suicide in Act 3 with his actual suicide in Act 5. How do these two events reveal changes in his character and an evolving view of death?

Romeo considers suicide in both Act 3 and Act 5. In Act 3, Romeo's desire to take his own life is a cowardly response to his grief over killing Tybalt. He is afraid of the consequences of his actions and would rather escape the world entirely than face losing Juliet. Both Friar Laurence and the Nurse criticize Romeo for his weakness and lack of responsibility - taking the knife from his hands. In contrast, Romeo actually does commit suicide in Act V because he sees no other option. He plans for it, seeking out the Apothecary before leaving Mantua, and kills himself out of solidarity with Juliet, not because he is afraid. While suicide is hardly a defensible action, Romeo's dual attempts to take his life reveal his growing maturity and his strengthened moral resolve.

Several characters criticize Romeo for falling in love too quickly. Do you believe this is true? Does his tendency towards infatuation give the audience occasion to question Romeo's affection for Juliet?

This question obviously asks for a student opinion, but there is evidence to support both sides of the argument. In Act 2, Friar Laurence states his opinion that Romeo does indeed fall in love too quickly. Romeo is arguably in love with being in love more than he is in love with any particular woman. The speed with which his affections shift from Rosaline to Juliet – all before he ever exchanges a word with the latter – suggests that Romeo's feelings of 'love' are closer to lust than commitment. This interpretation is supported by the numerous sexual references in the play, which are even interwoven with religious imagery in Romeo and Juliet's first conversation. However, it also possible to argue that Romeo's lust does not invalidate the purity of his love. Romeo and Juliet celebrates young, passionate love, which includes physical lust. Furthermore, whereas Romeo was content to pine for Rosaline from afar, his love for Juliet forces him to spring into action. He is melancholy over Rosaline, but he is willing to die for Juliet. Therefore, a possible reading is that Romeo and Juliet's relationship might have been sparked by physical attraction, but it grew into a deep, spiritual connection.

Examine the contrast between order and disorder in Romeo and Juliet . How does Shakespeare express this dichotomy through symbols, and how do those motifs help to underline the other major themes in the play?

The contrast between order and disorder appears from the Prologue, where the Chorus tells a tragic story using the ordered sonnet form. From that point onwards, the separation between order and disorder is a common theme. Ironically, violence and disorder occurs in bright daylight, while the serenity of love emerges at night. The relationship between Romeo and Juliet is uncomplicated without the disorderly feud between their families, which has taken over the streets of Verona. The contrast between order and disorder underscores the way that Shakespeare presents love - a safe cocoon in which the lovers can separate themselves from the unpredictable world around them. At the end of the play, it becomes clear that a relationship based on pure love cannot co-exist with human weaknesses like greed and jealousy.

Many critics note a tonal inconsistency in Romeo and Juliet . Do you find the shift in tone that occurs after Mercutio's death to be problematic? Does this shift correspond to an established structural tradition or is it simply one of Shakespeare's whims?

After the Prologue until the point where Mercutio dies in Act III, Romeo and Juliet is mostly a comic romance. After Mercutio dies, the nature of the play suddenly shifts into tragedy. It is possible that this extreme shift is merely the product of Shakespeare's whims, especially because the play has many other asides that are uncharacteristic of either comedy or tragedy. For example, Mercutio's Queen Mab speech is dreamy and poetic, while the Nurse's colorful personality gives her more dimension than functional characters generally require. However, it is also possible to see the parallels between this tonal shift and the play's thematic contrast between order and disorder. Shakespeare frequently explored the human potential for both comedy and tragedy in his plays, and it is possible that in Romeo and Juliet , he wanted to explore the transition from youthful whimsy into the complications of adulthood. From this perspective, the play's unusual structure could represent a journey to maturity. Romeo grows from a petulant teenager who believes he can ignore the world around him to a man who accepts the fact that his actions have consequences.

Eminent literary critic Harold Bloom considers Mercutio to be one of Shakespeare's greatest inventions in Romeo and Juliet . Why do you agree or disagree with him? What sets Mercutio apart?

One of Shakespeare's great dramatic talents is his ability to portray functional characters as multi-faceted individuals. Mercutio, for example, could have served a simple dramatic function, helping the audience get to know Romeo in the early acts. Then, his death in Act 3 is a crucial plot point in the play, heightening the stakes and forcing Romeo to make a life-changing decision. Mercutio barely appears in Arthur Brooke's Romeus and Juliet , which Romeo and Juliet is based on. Therefore, Shakespeare made a point of fleshing out the character. In Mercutio's Queen Mab speech, Shakespeare has the opportunity to truly delve into the bizarre and often dangerous sexual nature of love. Further, Mercutio's insight as he dies truly expresses the horrors of revenge, as he declares a plague on both the Montague and Capulet families. He is the first casualty of their feud - and because he transcends functionality, the audience mourns his untimely death and can relate to Romeo's capricious revenge.

How does Shakespeare use symbols of gold and silver throughout the play? What does each element represent?

Shakespeare uses gold and silver as symbols to criticize human folly. He often invokes the image of silver to symbolize pure love and innocent beauty. On the other hand, he uses gold as a sign of greed or desire. For example, Shakespeare describes Rosaline as immune to showers of gold, an image that symbolizes the selfishness of bribery. Later, when Romeo is banished, he comments that banishment is a "golden axe," meaning that banishment is merely a shiny euphemism for death. Finally, the erection of the golden statues at the end of the play is a sign of the fact that neither Lord Capulet nor Lord Montague has really learned anything from the loss of their children. They are still competing to claim the higher level of grief. Romeo, however, recognizes the power of gold and rejects it - through him, Shakespeare suggests a distinction between a world governed by wealth and the cocoon of true love.

Do a character analysis of Friar Laurence. What motivates him? In what ways does this motivation complicate his character?

Friar Laurence is yet another character who transcends his functional purpose. When Romeo first approaches the Friar to plan his marriage to Juliet, the older man questions the young man's sincerity, since Romeo openly pined for Rosaline only a few days before. However, the Friar shows a willingness to compromise by agreeing to marry the young lovers nevertheless. What ultimately motivates Friar Laurence is his desire to end the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues, and he sees Romeo and Juliet's marriage as a means to that end. While his peaceful intentions are admirable, his devious actions to achieve them – conducting a marriage that he explicitly questions – suggests he is more driven by politics than by an internal moral compass. The fact that a religious figure would compromise one of the Church's sacraments (marriage) further suggests that the Friar wants his power to extend beyond the confines of his Chapel. He also displays his hubris by helping Juliet to fake her death, rather than simply helping her get to Mantua to be with Romeo. While Friar Laurence is not an explicit villain, his internal contradictions speak to Shakespeare's ability to create multi-faceted characters.

Should Romeo and Juliet be considered a classical tragedy (in which fate destroys individuals)? Or is it more a tragedy of circumstance and personality? Moreover, could the tragic ending of Romeo and Juliet have been avoided?

In classical tragedy, an individual is defeated by Fate, despite his or her best efforts to change a pre-determined course of events. A classical tragedy both celebrates an individual's willpower while lamenting the fact that the universe cannot be bested by mankind. The tragic elements in Romeo and Juliet are undeniable - two young lovers want nothing more than to be together and fall victim to an ancient feud and rigid societal conventions. However, while Romeo and Juliet's deaths result from human folly, the immovable power of fate also has a hand in sealing their destinies. For instance, Romeo and Juliet had many opportunities to simply run away together instead of being separated after Romeo is banished from Verona. Furthermore, many of the tragic occurrences are contingent on antagonistic characters running into one another, and then choosing to pursue vengeance rather than simply walk away. Based on this evidence, it is possible to read Shakespeare's intent as suggesting that behavioral adjustment can often prevent tragic events.

How is Romeo and Juliet a criticism of organized religion? Examine the play's secularism to develop your answer.

While Romeo and Juliet does not present explicit attacks against religion, Shakespeare reveals his skepticism of Christianity in subtle ways. In many ways, Romeo and Juliet must reject the tenets of Christianity in order to be together. In their first meeting, they banter, using religious imagery to share their sexual feelings. In this exchange, the lovers acknowledge the omnipresence of Christianity, but cheekily use religious images in an unexpected context. Further, Christian tradition would have required Juliet to submit to her father's desire, but instead, she manipulates his expectations to distract him from her real agenda. Even Friar Laurence, an explicitly religious figure, uses Christianity as a tool towards his own ends. In this way, the play implicitly suggests that the rigid rules of religion often work in opposition to the desires of the heart - and to pursue true happiness, one must throw off the shackles of organized faith.

Romeo and Juliet Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Romeo and Juliet is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Can you find verbal irony in the play? Where?

One example of verbal irony would be Romeo's reference to the poison he has purchased as a "sweet medicine". A cordial is a sweet liquor or medicine.

Come, cordial and not poison, go with me To Juliet's grave; for there must I use thee.

What do we learn about Mercutio in queen man speech?

The whole speech is based on pagan Celtic mythology. Mercutio’s speech is laced with sexual innuendo. The words “queen” and “mab” refer to whores in Elizabethan England. As his speech goes on we notice the subtext get increasingly sexual...

What does Romeo fear as he approaches Capulet house? What literary device would this be an example of?

Romeo feels something bad is going to happen.

I fear too early, for my mind misgives Some consequence yet hanging in the stars

Looks like foreshadowing to me!

Study Guide for Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Romeo and Juliet
• Romeo and Juliet Summary
• Romeo and Juliet Video
• Character List

Essays for Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

• Unity in Shakespeare's Tragedies
• Fate in Romeo and Juliet
• Romeo and Juliet: Under the Guise of Love
• The Apothecary's Greater Significance in Romeo and Juliet
• Romeo and Juliet: Two Worlds

Lesson Plan for Romeo and Juliet

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Romeo and Juliet
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Romeo and Juliet Bibliography

E-Text of Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet e-text contains the full text of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

• List of Characters

Wikipedia Entries for Romeo and Juliet

• Introduction
• Date and text

Romeo and Juliet

William shakespeare, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Though much of Romeo and Juliet is driven by the choices its main characters make and the actions they take, there is a dark undercurrent running throughout the play: the suggestion that fate, not free will, is behind the entirety of the human experience. Repeated references to fate and fortune throughout the play underscore Shakespeare’s suggestion that humans are merely pawns in a larger cosmic scheme—invisible but inescapable fates, Shakespeare argues throughout the play, steer the course of human lives, and any and all actions that attempt to subvert those fates are futile and doomed to fail.

In the world of Romeo and Juliet , fate and predetermined destinies are an accepted part of life and society. From the chorus that introduces the first two acts of the play, commenting upon the events that are about to take place, to the characters’ own preoccupation with the unseen forces that control them, Shakespeare imbues the world of the play with the heavy atmosphere of a “black fate” sitting like a storm cloud just above the entirety of the action. Throughout the play, characters acknowledge—and make “misadventured” attempts to thwart—the invisible forces guiding their lives. Yet every attempt to outsmart, outwit, or dodge fate ends terribly. By having Romeo and Juliet verbally acknowledge—privately and to one another—their fears about their doomed fates, Shakespeare showcases how badly his characters want to believe that their desires and actions stand a chance in the face of fate’s wily hand. “Alack, alack, that heaven should practice stratagems / Upon so soft a subject as myself,” Juliet laments after learning that her parents have arranged for her to marry Paris , not knowing that she is already married to Romeo. Juliet has, at this late point in the play, had to deal with the death of her cousin, the cruelty of her family, and the destruction of her previously held ideals about the nature of good and evil, friend and enemy. She has, she feels, been through enough—and is beginning to believe that fate is “practic[ing]” on her, striking her with terrible news and insurmountable problems for sport. Juliet acknowledges the role fate plays in her life—she knows she is a pawn of the “heaven[s]”—and yet her actions over the course of the rest of the play show that she longs to fly in the face of heaven’s decrees.

“O, I am fortune’s fool!” Romeo screams shortly after he kills Tybalt in a duel; “I deny you, stars !” he shouts when he learns of Juliet’s “death” in the play’s final act. In these two expressions of frustration with fate and fortune, Shakespeare uses Romeo’s anger at fate’s dominion to show that while he hates realizing he is on a predetermined path, he is nonetheless cognizant of his lack of autonomy in the face of fortune’s plans for him. When Romeo calls himself “fortune’s fool” after slaying Tybalt, he laments, perhaps, having committed the act he knew he’d have to commit all along: killing the man who killed his best friend. Now that he has committed murder, however, Romeo feels he has been a “fool” to play into fortune’s hand, and to fail resisting harder the pull of fate’s demands. When Romeo learns of Juliet’s death, he cries out that he will “deny” the stars—in other words, he doesn’t want to believe Juliet is dead, or possibly believes, deep down, that there is something he can do to reverse what the stars have ordained even if she is. As he prepares to ride from Mantua to Verona to investigate the truth of his servant Balthasar ’s news, he is admitting, full-out, that he plans to try to reverse his and Juliet’s fortunes—even as, in the same breath, he tacitly admits that he knows their fates are already written in the stars.

Shakespeare’s argument about fate is a bleak one. The insinuation that forces humans can neither comprehend nor control guide their words and actions is perhaps even more sinister in a contemporary context than it would have been in Shakespeare’s own time. Though debates concerning free will versus determinism stretch back to antiquity, faith in humans’ ability to steer their own destinies did not begin to emerge more widely throughout Western culture until well after Shakespeare’s time. Whether or not Shakespeare himself believed in the total dominion of fate and fortune, he certainly used his plays as an arena to work out his frustrations with the mechanisms of individual destiny—and to suggest that to deny or defy one’s fate is a fatal, calamitous choice. 

Fate ThemeTracker

Fate Quotes in Romeo and Juliet

Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; Whose misadventured piteous overthrows, Doth with their death bury their parents' strife. The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love, And the continuance of their parents' rage, Which, but their children's end, nought could remove, Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; The which if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

Romeo: I dream'd a dream to-night. Mercutio: And so did I. Romeo: Well, what was yours? Mercutio: That dreamers often lie.

Oh, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope'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 blessèd my rude hand. Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.

My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late!

O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circled orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.

Romeo: Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much. Mercutio: No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church-door; but 'tis enough, 'twill serve: ask for me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man.

O, I am fortune's fool!

Is there no pity sitting in the clouds That sees into the bottom of my grief? O sweet my mother, cast me not away! Delay this marriage for a month, a week, Or if you do not, make the bridal bed In that dim monument where Tybalt lies.

Then I defy you, stars!

O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. — Thus with a kiss I die.

Yea, noise, then I'll be brief; O, happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rest, and let me die.

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Romeo and Juliet

Ruth D. ★ 5.0 (5)

Queens university belfast - ba english.

Experienced English teacher

• Qualified Teacher

Notes || Exam Prep || Character Profiles || Themes || Additional Reading & Videos

This topic is included in  Paper 1 . You can find notes and guides for it below.

• Overview and Key Quotes
• Glossary of Key Terms
• Key Terms Flashcards
• Guide to Paper 1
• How to plan and write a top mark essay
• Question Bank - Characters
• Question Bank - Relationships
• Question Bank - Themes

Additional Reading & Videos:

• Summary video in memory map format
• Romeo and Juliet themes and quotes Youtube playlist
• Romeo and Juliet 2013 film
• Romeo and Juliet 1982 film
• Romeo and Juliet context video
• Romeo and Juliet youth and age article

Character Profiles

• Lady Capulet
• Lord Capulet
• Minor Characters
• Fate and Freewill
• Gender Roles
• Oppositions
• Violence and Conflict

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AQA English Literature Bundle - Romeo and Juliet, AQA Power & Conflict Anthology, A Christmas Carol

Last updated

19 May 2024

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Resources included (3)

AQA Power & Conflict Poetry Anthology A4 Posters

Romeo and Juliet GCSE study guide

A Christmas Carol GCSE study guide

AQA English Literature bundle includes -

Romeo and Juliet Study Guide AQA Power & Conflict Anthology Posters A Christmas Carol Study Guide

Romeo and Juliet includes -

• handouts and exercises on plot, character, themes, writer, and the nature of drama
• a glossary of dramatic terms
• an explanation of the three unities
• how to structure your essays
• the use of P.E.E.
• rhetorical devices chart
• revision tests
• a connectives chart (discursive markers)
• 20 GCSE questions
• model exam answers
• links to instructional YouTube videos
• form, structure and context

AQA Power & Conflict A4 Posters includes -

The Power and Conflict cluster of 15 poems is beautifully presented with annotation boxes for easy revision.

A decorative must have for classrooms and bedrooms

A Christmas Carol includes -

• handouts and exercises on plot, character and themes
• the exam board assessment objectives
• writer biography

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