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Romeo And Juliet And Free Will Analysis

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The concept of fate has touched many lives throughout the centuries, and over time it, along with its counterpart free will, has [been?] transcended into the form of literature. Its influence is evident in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, particularly in how Pip, and his object of affection, Estella, are repeatedly subjected to preordained events. Furthermore, free will, or the ability to determine our own destiny, also holds sway over the characters in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, specifically Romeo and Juliet themselves. Free will has a greater influence on the characters in Romeo and Juliet than fate, while in Great Expectations, it proves to be the opposite, with fate having more heavily impacted Pip, and his associates.
Free will has a greater influence on characters in Romeo and Juliet as indicated by the many instances in which Romeo and Juliet decided that they wished to end their own lives. One such instance was when Romeo speaks to Friar Lawrence after having killed Tybalt. He states,“...--O, tell me, friar, tell me,/ In what vile part of this anatomy/ Doth my name lodge? Tell me, that I may sack/ The hateful mansion.” (Shakespeare III.iii.114-117) As this quote helps to illustrate, the power of free will can be quite harmful if used with malintent. If Romeo had been left to his own devices he would have chosen to stab himself. His decision to “sack/ The hateful mansion.” (Shakespeare III.iii.116-117) would have been of his own choosing, but it

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