Evaluating the Forces of Fate through Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet

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[...] Evaluating the forces of fate through Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet In many of William Shakespeare's dramas, a theme that seems to appear habitually is fate. Fate is defined as the “supposed force, principle, or power that predetermines events, and the inevitable events predestined by this force.” Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet are two stories in which fate guided by strong emotion is the central theme that brought each story to its respective end. There are interesting aspects of these two stories that draw parallels, but at the same time are completely different. [...]

[...] Then shortly after, the lamentable timing of Romeo's suicide and Juliet's awakening, further strengthen the argument that fate is what is driving this play, and what drove Romeo and Juliet to their deaths. In Macbeth, the forces of fate were that of greed, lust, power, etc. However in Romeo and Juliet, the forces of fate focus more on love, destiny, devotion, and commitment. Although the forces of fate worked differently and for different reasons in the two plays, the intangible energy of fate is them to their respective ends. [...]

[...] Macbeth is to meet his fate, as did his wife, who finds her self unable to pull her mind from the guilt of their doings, and kills herself after going mad. Macbeth is murdered by Macduff, and the story ends with the “good guys” prevailing. The fate of Macbeth and his wife is driven by prophecy, greed, and oddly enough, coercion. The predictions made by the witches could not be directly applied at all times, so they were merely riddles that were to be unfolded within the minds of Macbeth and his wife. [...]