Story of Romeo and Juliet is down to fate or by their own free will, I believe there is overwhelming evidence that Romeo's actions were heavily influenced by fate rather than by his choices. This can be seen in the prologue where Shakespeare refers to Romeo and Juliet as "A pair of star crossed lovers", this shows that their relationship is doomed to fail as it goes against the astrological belief of the period that stars ruled over the fates of people.
By 'crossing' the stars and defying their predetermined fates Romeo and Juliet incur the wrath of a higher being that ensures Romeo's unlucky and tragic end as depicted later in the play.Romeo's love for Juliet is fated to death. This can be seen in the prologue where Shakespeare refers to their love as "death mark'd". This insinuates to the audience that their love is doomed, and whatever Romeo does to defy this, it shall not work.After Mercutio had been attacked by Tybalt, he declares "a' plague a both houses".
Mercutio was angered as he believed that his death was caused by these two feuding families. However, this could mean that he wants Romeo and Tybalt to die. This could be because the "plague" was a deadly virus (The plague was prevalent at the time when the play was set) and Romeo and Tybalt belong to the two different families. It's as if he's declaring a spell on the two of them, to make them die.
The idea that Mercutio pre-emptied their fate is strengthened by the fact that they both actually die.In act 3 scene 1 Romeo is certain that the stars are against him. He says "O am I fortunes fool", this could insinuate that he believes he is a "fool" of the stars, suggesting that he was foolish for loving Juliet and now the "fortunes" are against him.Before Romeo arrived at the Capulet mansion, he was sceptical about going to the party as he felt that there is fate "hanging in the stars". Romeo believes that his pre determined fate shall present him with a "consequence".
He believes it is "waiting in the stars", suggesting that fate will prepare something bad for him. Romeo meets Juliet at the party, which was the "consequence", Romeo predicted. This was important because Romeo later killed himself for Juliet. Which was predicted and was fate.
I believe Romeo was forced to kill Mercutio because of the "black fate" that overwhelmed Tybalt. Romeo says - "This days black fate on moes day doth depend this but begins the woe others must end". Romeo tells us that it was "black fate" that forced Tybalt to kill Mercutio, and now he is forced to kill Tybalt as he "must end" this argument others started. This was fate for Romeo because he is forced to kill Mercutio as he says "the woe other must end", he says "must" as he has to kill him. As if he has no choice.
In act 1 scene 5 Romeo says "My grave is like to be my wedding bed", this is significant because Romeo is predicting that his wedding shall turn into a funeral. This is important because this comes true as he does die, and his wedding is meaningless.However, Romeo says "Thy Beauty has made me effeminate" in act 3 scene 1. This is important because it shows the audience that Juliet has the power to make him "effeminate", meaning that she can make him feminine.
This shows us that Juliet has the power to make Romeo do anything. This shows us that a lot of Romeo's decisions were made because of Juliet's beauty.Also, in act 5 scene 1 Romeo says "I defy you stars", this shows us that he wants to go against the stars, because when you defy something you go against it - defiance. This shows that from now on in Romeo will make his own decisions and go against his own fate.
This is important because now his decisions he makes after this are free will, showing us that when he commits suicide it was his own free will.Juliet describes Romeo when she says "O fortune, fortune, all men call thee fickle" in act 5 scene 1. This tells us that Romeo's very own lover believes Romeo rushes into decisions. She describes him as "fickle", is someone is "fickle" it means that they rush into decisions. She calls upon fate (fortune) to make Romeo less fickle, as his decisions cause them pain, such as when he rushed into killing Tybalt.
This is a brilliant example of Romeo's downfall, because it shows that he rushed into decisions.
