Fate allows love to happen between the two feuding families. This is both optimistic and pessimistic. Fate allows the two lovers to fall in love and be in a world of bliss, even if it was for a short time. Margaret Kennedy once said, “It is better to break one’s heart than to do nothing with it.” In a sense, Romeo and Juliet loved, and used their hearts, even if it did end in turmoil, but this is the risk both lovers chose to take, and by that, their love was not only great, but electrifying. Although fate allowed both lovers to be happy, fate also led two feuding families’ children to love each other. By this, fate denies both the young star-crossed lovers love that they want; a love that is accepted. Juliet knows the difficulty and the risk for loving Romeo as she says, “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse they name! Or, if though wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I’ll no longer be a Capulet.” (II. 2. 35-38). Juliet knows that hers and Romeo’s names are why it is difficult to love one another. By this, fate is cruel because it allows lovers to meet, but blocks the way for true happiness and bliss of a lifetime.
In addition to fate being cruel for true lovers to find each other, then separate them, love is cruel by Juliet being promised to another man. Juliet is to be married to Count Paris, but this proves difficulty because she and Romeo have already married. Juliet cannot object to the marriage of Paris because she is only Capulet’s daughter, and she cannot say she is married to Romeo, whose father is Montague, a mortal enemy of Capulet. Tybalt, who is kinsman to Capulet, expresses his feelings and sums up all Capulet’s feelings about Montague house by saying to Benvolio, kinsman to Montague, “…As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.” (I. 1. 70). Tybalt uses hate, a strong word of dislike, to sum up his feelings about the Montagues. Because Tybalt hates Montagues and he is kinsman to Capulet, and Capulet hates Montagues as well. It can only be said that Capulet would not like the idea that his only daughter, Juliet, would love a man from the house of Montague. So that is why Juliet cannot object to her father’s decision. Since she is to be married with Paris soon, because of Tybalt’s untimely death, she and Romeo cannot make plans to escape. Because of this, she may have to marry again. Love is cruel in this way because love allowed her to meet her Romeo, but fate gives her another husband, which she does not want.
Fate allowed Romeo and Juliet to meet, and fate also separates the lovers in many ways, one such way was when Romeo kills Tybalt. When Tybalt kills Mercutio, and Romeo avenges his friend, Mercutio, by killing Tybalt, Romeo is banished from Verona, his city, to Mantua, another city. Romeo is forced away from his family, friends, and his love, Juliet. Juliet, who is sitting at Verona and is about to be married to Count Paris, cannot do a thing to stop this wedding. Romeo, who is also powerless and cannot do a thing, is tortured from the idea that he is away from Juliet. If Romeo and Juliet do have an escape plan, it would take a couple of months, because Juliet does cannot just run away after Tybalt’s death. If Juliet runs away, she would make her parents ashamed. Also, it is not wise to try to run away because she is being watched closely by the house of Capulet; they are worried for her since Tybalt’s death. Romeo cannot visit his fair maiden because of the decree by Prince Escalus, which states that if Romeo is seen at Verona, he will be executed. Prince Escalus says, “Let Romeo hence in haste, else, when he is found, that hour is his last.” (III. 2. 198-199). Romeo cannot visit his love, Juliet, and Juliet cannot see her love, Romeo. By this, fate is cruel.
Although the fates are cruel in Romeo and Juliet, the most worse fate, which was out of everyone’s hands, was when Friar John, a fellow Franciscan of Friar Laurence, the man who married Romeo and Juliet, could not give a letter to Romeo. The letter explained how Juliet drunk a potion that imitates death and Romeo should come to Verona to see Juliet’s sleeping body. By the time Romeo gets to Verona, Juliet should awake, and with that, they could make their escape because no one would notice Juliet missing since she is thought to be dead. Since Romeo did not get this letter, he hears news that Juliet is dead. Because Romeo believes Juliet is dead, he decides to buy a powerful poison from an apothecary and visit Juliet’s grave. Count Paris, a man with poor timing, is visiting Juliet’s body to pay his respects. Paris and Romeo encounter each other, and with an exchange of words, they duel, not knowing that Juliet is the wife of Romeo. Since Romeo has nothing to lose, or so he thinks, Romeo kills Paris, which ensures Romeo’s demise, whether it be by the punishment of Prince Escalus, or by Romeo’s own hand. Romeo commits suicide when he cannot bear the thought of Juliet’s death, Romeo drinks the poison and dies within a couple of minutes. Juliet, who now awakens and sees her lord, Romeo, dead, becomes full of grief. She then takes her own life with Romeo’s dagger. Fate allowed Romeo and Juliet to be together, but as the price of their happiness, fate took their lives away. Through the death of their children, Montague and Capulet realized how foolish they have been with their feuds, and they have been taught a lesson that is the worst way possible. The Prince, showing the readers that the lesson that has been taught has been at a costly price, by saying, “A glooming peace this morning with it brings. The sun for sorrow will not show his head.” (V. 3. 319-320). By fate, Romeo and Juliet loved each other, and by another cruel twist of fate, Romeo and Juliet has died, loving each other till the end.
Fate is cruel as shown in Romeo and Juliet. Fate can be very kind by bringing two people happiness, but fate can then switch sides, and cause two people misery and grief. Fate allows Juliet to find her soul mate, but with that, her father wants her to marry another man. Fate is also cruel by allowing Romeo to find his soul mate, but because of his rage, Romeo is banished from Verona, banished away from his love, and his life. Fate is most cruel when Friar John could not give the letter to Romeo about Juliet’s fake death to be with Romeo. Fate can be a positive thing, and also a negative thing. It is how men choose to think of fate, as a friend or a foe. Romeo and Juliet could think of fate as cruel, by fate causing their deaths, or they could consider the fact that even though fate is cruel, fate did bring them together, creating happiness in their short lives.