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Fate’s Role in Romeo and Juliet From the very beginning of his timeless love story Shakespeare proclaims Romeo and Juliet are “star-crossed lovers.” This couldn’t be more true. Throughout the entire play Romeo and Juliet’s lives are governed and ended by the fate which brought them together and ignited their love. Within the first few lines of the play, the audience is made aware that it is fate which is in control of these two young lovers lives. The prologue boldly proclaims “A pair of star crossed lovers take their life, whose misadventures piteous overthrows doth with their death bury their parents’ strife (I, IV, 117-119).” The audience is also made aware that the characters themselves believe in fate. Romeo declares “Some consequence yet hanging in the stars... by some vile forfeit of untimely death. But he hath the steerage over my course direct my sail (I,IV, 115-120).” This suggests that Romeo feels that fate holds “consequences” that he does not yet know of. The end of the quote, “but he hath the steerage over my course direct my sail,” suggests that Romeo knows he does not have control over his life and looks to another power above him for direction, fate. He also cries out