Free Will In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Many people argue that our lives are predetermined and others that believe the choices you make will have an impact on your future. In the play, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, two star-crossed lovers get married and their marriage leads to deadly consequences. Their families are feuding and because they are feuding they can not be seen together. Because their parents would not allow it, they chose to marry each other secretly. Free will is to blame for the untimely deaths of Romeo and Juliet because of the choice they made to get married, Romeo’s decision to go to the masked ball, and choosing to kill themselves. Free will is the ability to make our choices and the first choice Romeo made was to go to the masked ball at the Capulet house even though he and his friends were not invited. After Romeo’s choice to attend the party, he saw Juliet and fell deeply in love with her. “I’ll go along, no such sight to be shown, but to rejoice in splendor of mine own” (I.ii.100-101). In this moment Romeo decides that he is going to go to the party even though he knows he should not. Romeo is going to the party to see Rosaline, the woman he loves, even though he knows that if he gets caught it could lead to trouble. Romeo’s decision to go to the party lead …show more content…
After their marriage, they lived secretly making sure that nobody knew about the marriage except for the nurse and Friar Laurence. “Ah, Juliet, if the measure of thy joy Be heaped like mine, and that thy skill be more To blazon it, then sweeten with thy breath This neighbor air, and let rich music’s tongue Unfold the imagined happiness that both Receive in either by this dear encounter” (II.vi.24-29). In this moment Romeo asks Juliet what she can imagine about their marriage while Friar Laurence is preparing to marry them. Romeo’s choice of marry Juliet led to both of their deaths. Killing themselves, because one of them