Fate vs. Free Will


Another important theme of Romeo and Juliet is fate vs. free will. Romeo consistently blames his problems on “the stars” which represent fate. Were Romeo and Juliet doomed to die or could they have had a different destiny if they had made different choices? Similarly, do poor or unfortunate people of today put too much blame for their situation on fate or “bad luck” when they should take responsibility and work harder to take control of their lives? Or, on the other hand, do you believe that we should be more helpful and understanding of those who are less fortunate and recognize that sometimes people fail because of situations outside of their own control?

60 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 8:59 AM

    I think there is no such thing as fate. Everyone has a free will, and can make their own choices. People should take more responsibility and not blame things on "bad luck" or fate.
    -Maverick3

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:02 AM

    I think fate is real but I also believe that your path depends on the choices you make. If you make poor choices and end up somewhere you don't want to be, you can't blame it on fate.
    -PinkPrincess

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  3. awesome wings123February 24, 2011 at 9:03 AM

    i think that people's responsibility makes the choices for the rest of there life there is no bad luck that brings your "doom". Like when Romeo killed Tybalt and called himself fortunes fool. he was not fortune's fool he was just dumb and acted without thinking about the consequences

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  4. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:04 AM

    I think that yes, there is fate, but you can defy it. You can have free will and have the choice to take control and be your own decision maker in your life. Nothing good ever came to those who didn't try and fail a few times. So Romeo, those stars don't control you...you're just a lovestruck fool. - jillninja14

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  5. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:04 AM

    I agree and disagree with Maverick3. I beilive in Karma and if you do bad things or make bad choices, ect, then that will come back to you. But, I also agree because if you do something bad then grow up and take full responsibility for what you did, stop blaming other people and take your consicense.

    Checkitout(:

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  6. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:04 AM

    I think that if Romeo or Julliet paid attention to certain things that happened I think they would of had a better chance of surviving.
    -Ticonderoga

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  7. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:06 AM

    I think that it is a fine line between fate and free will. THis is because at the time you are making the decision there is no possible way of knowing the full extent of what will happen as a result. By making certain decisions like Romeo going to the party it is free will but there is an aspect of fate involved too because he had no way of knowing for sure that this would lead to his tragic demise.
    -Chicken

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  8. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:06 AM

    Well I think that everything happens for a reason and all, but they definetly could've changed their fate if they hadn't freaked out and if they actually used their brains. I also think that you are pretty much responsible for the way your life turns out. You shouldn't blame "the stars" or "fate" when you can change your own life.

    -Goldielocks13

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  9. ShakespearaFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:07 AM

    okay well romeo's an idiot, and if he wasnt being stupid like 10 peole wouldn't have died of heartbreak or agression or somthing or other.

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  10. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:07 AM

    There is no such thing as fate (I believe) because everybody has free will and can literally do whatever they want. People just don't think before they do things and if something bad happens they try to blame it on anything else but themselves because they don't want to take resposibility for their own actions.-Boston's Fine$t

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  11. TrescatFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:07 AM

    People should be taking responsibility, not just breaking the law and doing bad things, and then claim it was fate they made them do it. People have control over their actions.

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  12. funky fresh beansFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:08 AM

    I think that our lives are comprised of both fate and choices. Certain aspects of our lives are in our control because we make choices and they have good or bad consequences. However, some aspects of our lives are out of our control and there is nothing we did to make it happen.

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  13. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:08 AM

    I personally think fate is a load of bologna. Not to criticize anyone else's thoughts, but I feel like people use the thought of fate to blame their actions on others or get away from making their own decisions, which in turn may get them into a lot of trouble.
    ~Batman

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  14. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:08 AM

    I think the question of whether or not fate determines the out comes of our lives is a question that cannot be simply answered with a yes or a no. People are given resources and and opportunities that they did not work for but were born with. This often coincides with the country or region in which they are born. In areas like the fertile crescent the people there were fortunate to live in an area with cereal crops and good working animals. In contrast the people of New Guinea were born in an area where crops are not good and the only animal available are pigs. So these people may work just as hard as those in the fertile but it just so happened that they were not in an area that gave them good resources for development. But it cannot be concluded that this is the only factor of determination in these situations. Someone can have all the resources for success and still not be successful.
    ~Spiderman

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  15. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:09 AM

    I think that karma plays a role in everyday life all the time. I also think that people need to MAN UP and take responsibility for their own actions. You will have good karma if you do good things.

    PEN15 COMMANDER

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  16. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:10 AM

    I think that people can have the right attitude about whatever situation and can make it be the best no matter what. People that have something go wrong to them loose their minds and mope around acting like the world is over. They could change thier situation if they got a job or did other things. Many homeless people are addicts and if they would have made the choice eailier in their lives not to do drugs and break the law they might be in a better suituation. But their are few circumstances that do have fate involved, but most things can be changed.
    ~cripple101

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  17. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:10 AM

    I do not belive in fate. Everybody has the chance to make a decision for themselves and do what they think is best. There are some intances of "bad luck" when other people make decisions that are not benificial to the person who had bad luck. It is unfortunate, but has nothing to do with fate.

    QUAN

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  18. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:11 AM

    I think that everyone is thinking too deeply about this. What happens in dreams doesnt always lead to what hapens in real life. Take "wet dreams" into concideration, These dreams almost never happen in real life, so how would Romeo know that his dreams were going to happen in real life when most of them dont. You guys are thinking about it too hard. It's just bad luck, not fate.
    -BigBanana69

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  19. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:11 AM

    I do not think fate is real. I believe that people's lives are determined by how driven they are to succeed. I believe that luch only happens when hard work meets oppurtunity. This is when I think people have some good luck. If Romeo wasnt such a loser than none of this wouldve happened to him. Also Juliet picked the wrong guy to like.

    Precious

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  20. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:13 AM

    People do not have control over most of their actions. It is mostly other people and fate that controls our lives. Mercutio can be to blame for the situation. Or maybe it was just the creator of the universe.
    -Amen

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  21. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:14 AM

    I agree with Precious
    That there is no such thing as fate. I think it all comes down to how hard you work and what you want in life.

    Michael Scott

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  22. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:15 AM

    I don't nessicarily believe in fate. I mean it might be true in some cases but for those of you who have seen the Butterfly Effect will see that it points out that the little descions you make now will affect your life greatly 20 years from now.
    Ovie13

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  23. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:15 AM

    BigBanana69.... good point.

    PEN15 COMMANDER

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  24. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:15 AM

    People have free will to make their own choices, so there is no such thing as fate. I agree with Precious.

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  25. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:16 AM

    People have free will to make their own choices, so there is no such thing as fate. I agree with Precious.
    -Maverick3

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  26. DancerGirl:)February 24, 2011 at 9:20 AM

    I believe in fate sometimes, but i think that the choices people make can determine the rest of their lives. People believe they get bad luck alot of the time because of the choices that they make in the past.

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  27. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:20 AM

    But if you watched Final Destination you will realize that you will die no matter what. And we all know movies have all the answers to life. :D
    Ovie13

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  28. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:21 AM

    i dont believe in fate because life is what you make it and if you just relay on fate the whole time than more than likely you are not going to go anywhere
    -superstar-

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  29. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:25 AM

    Jillninja14- I think you made a very good point; fate can be changed if you have the will to do it. Romeo just sat back and went with the flow and look how he ended up! You need to think for yourself sometimes.
    -PinkPrincess

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  30. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:25 AM

    In Romeo's case, he certainly could have made better choices in trying to get Juliet. It is ok to say some things happened for a reason, but not blame every single misfortune on fate or destiny. I do beilive in fate, though. It was fate for my to meet Brooklyn Decker and for her to fall in love with me. Though this has not happened yet, I know it will because it is our destiny.
    Free will overpowers fate. Yet some things do just happen, we can make good or bad choices to out do them. But sometimes the good choice isn't always the easiest choice.
    <3
    THErapist

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  31. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:27 AM

    i<3juliet

    i believe that dreams sometimes lead you but i dont think you need to pay to much attention to them

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  32. awesome wings123February 24, 2011 at 9:28 AM

    I agree with precious people's lives are determined by how hard they are driven to suceed. i meen if you dont care then you are just ganna fail and then you may think you are fortunes fool but really your just a legit fool

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  33. SelebFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:29 AM

    I think Romeo and Juliet need to quit whining and face their problems and stop blaming others. In the play they had plenty of opportunities to turn their fate around but they only made things worse by killing people and pretending to kill themselves. They needed to stop and look around at their surroundings and carefully plan out their next move instead of being trapped in a love trance.

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  34. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:29 AM

    I don't believe in fate, although I believe that every decision you make can have a huge impact on your life. For example if for some reason you get in a car and you forget to where your seat belt, you might not even know it, but that could be the reason you die.
    -Ticonderoga

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  35. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:30 AM

    Fate is real. You didn't choose to be born. It just happened to you. The fact that you exist is a choice that you did not make, and to say you have control of your life even though you had no control of its start is absolutely outrageous.
    -Amen

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  36. ShakespearaFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:31 AM

    i believe in fate, but everyone makes their own choices -- there's no such thing as an inevitable destiny. I think some things were meant to be, but romeo is stupid. i dont think he was doomed, he just didnt make a few key connections.

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  37. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:32 AM

    Seleb is right. People always look to blame someone or something else when things go wrong. Romoe and Juliet blamed fate, even though there is no such thing as fate.
    -Maverick3

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  38. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:32 AM

    I think that people make their own choices and then deal with the consequences of those choices. And I dont think that has anything to do with fate.

    Michael Scott

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  39. TrescatFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:35 AM

    Somethings can happen to you that you can't avoid, which might be considered fate, but if its an action you took, like killing someone, its definitely not fate

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  40. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:37 AM

    Maverick 3 and Seleb are right. To many people these days blame it on someone else. It is never their fault that something happened, it is always someone or something else's.

    QUAN

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  41. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:38 AM

    I agree with Ovie13, everybody dies eventually but most of the time fate doesn't do anything to speed it up or slow it down.-Boston's Fine$t

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  42. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:38 AM

    I believe in fate. A quote I once heard was, "The things that happen to you in life, change the way you see the world." And I DEFINATELY agree with this. I think fate plays a role in it because what is caused by fate happens, and what happenes will either help you or not later on throughout life. It's not necessarily in your control but you have the choice to change your own fate.
    Pinklady(:

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  43. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:38 AM

    There may be a thing called "Fate." If it exists I think you would be able to change it if you really tried or cared.

    -Yuuki

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  44. funky fresh beansFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:40 AM

    I think history as a whole is a collective combination of 1.)natural causes (fate) 2.)people's choices and actions and 3.)divine interference (if you believe such things)

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  45. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:44 AM

    i agree with Boston's Fine$t there is NO such thing as fate whatever happens is becuase of choices you or someone else made not because of this imaginary thing called fate. Say your playing basketball and you miss the winning shot is that fate? No, no its not its because you did something wrong. The main reason i feel we have this thing called fate is so that we have something to blame our mistakes on because blaming it all on other people get old.

    ~Jesta~

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  46. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:46 AM

    I agree with Jesta. There is no fate, life is just the result of people making choices, good or bad. It's all cause and effect.
    -Maverick3

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  47. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:47 AM

    I agree with Maverick 3, fate doesn't exist. You have the free will to do your own thing, but when things go wrong, we will point to anything but ourselves to blame. We just don't want to think that it was our fault aht something bad happened. It is always someone else's fault that something happened to you is a stupid thing to believe. You make your own fate. Fess up and take responsibility for your actions. -jillninja14

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  48. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:48 AM

    There's no such thing as fate. People made up fate so they wouldn't have to face up to the fact that they failed or whatever happened.
    -Goldielocks13

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  49. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:50 AM

    i disagree with funky fresh beans natural causes are not fate there is no such thing natural cuases are things that can't be controlled such as heart attacks and things like that. When have you heard of someone who says their fate is to become a famous actor/actress and they get that? No chances are they will end up doing something else like working a desk job making $9.00 an hour living an avearage life. Your "fate" i feel is your wishes and they will only happen if your willing to work at them and never give up. Look and many pro athletes they weren't just handed that chance they worked for it for years practicing to do the best they can.

    ~Jesta~

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  50. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:51 AM

    Was it fate that romeo and juliet met?? I dont think it was fate but more like good timing and luck. I dont believe fate is real but the way the play goes suggests so at times. Was it fate that romeo was so stupid? you answer that one, Mr Shakespeare.

    Precious

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  51. ShakespearaFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:53 AM

    NO!!! thats not true! some things were meant to be! yes there is failure and excuses, but i believe in God and that everything happens for a reason. fate is not fortune-telling and crap, its the believe or a sense that there are no accidents! only actions, consequences, and learning.

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  52. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:53 AM

    It wasn't fate Romeo was stupid, that's just guys for you....
    -Goldielocks13

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  53. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:53 AM

    Even though you all say "Fate" doesn't exist, then what is it when two people fall in love at first sight(Like Romeo and Juliet)? Like I said before, There is a "Fate" but you have the power to change the course of it.

    -Yuuki

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  54. ShakespearaFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:55 AM

    whoa i didnt realize how deep that was.

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  55. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:56 AM

    I dont think that it was Romeo and Juliet's fate to die. I think it was just karma catching up with them for all the lieing, and sneaking around they did. Like they say karma's a bitch and Juliet and Romeo in my opinion just had really bad karma. Like Maverick3 said it's people's making choice whether they wil be good or bad.
    Pretty Little Liar 2:)

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  56. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:56 AM

    all of what is said depends entirely on what is meant by fate. I think that fate is pretty much anything that happens that you do not really have control over. I also think that through free will we make choices with no possible way of seeing all the things that one decision can effect. Therefore I think that there is a lot of fate invovled in every choice we make. I am not saying that we have no control over our lives though... Free will lets us determine which path the chain of events will go down... each with different consequences.
    -Chicken

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  57. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:57 AM

    If you have the power to change it, then it really isn't fate. Fate is supposedly set in stone...
    -goldielocks13

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  58. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 9:58 AM

    "Fate" can be changed, but only slightly. You may change the course, but you can not change the ending. Even without "Fate" we will all end up the same way, dead.

    -Yuuki

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  59. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 10:02 AM

    Everything happens for a reason. Maybe god wanted them to die and maybe it was just fate. No one really knows except for god.

    Checkitout(:

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  60. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 10:03 AM

    But how do we know if God knows? We don't even know if he exists, its just a thoery made up by people who needed somthing else to beleive in.

    -Yuuki

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