Choosing a Path In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the theme fate vs. free will demonstrates the inability and ability to choose your own path. Some of the characters in this play make their own choices but others just let fate guide them and see where they end up. Following fate leads characters to make mistakes, you should always have a choice and say, but if you just let everything happen without making a choice or saying something, then things can take a turn for the worse. Romeo believes if he just lets fate control his life, then nothing can go wrong for him cause he won’t mess anything up with the choices he makes, Juliet chooses everything she does except for falling in love with Romeo because who you love cannot be controlled, and lastly the nurse makes her own choice to be Juliet’s confidant but doesn’t stay her confidant throughout the whole play because of a choice she made. Some characters make choices and some follow fate, but which is better? Romeo learns his lesson that fate cannot run the course of your life. When Romeo was “in love” with Rosaline and couldn’t stop thinking about her, he decided he wouldn’t make choices anymore and let fate run his life for him. “I’ll go along no such sight to be shown, but to rejoice in splendor of my own.”(Romeo, pg 615 act 1scene 2) He is agreeing to go to the masquerade ball and see how it is and at the ball, Juliet catches his eye. Instantly, he wants to get to know her because he feels she is perfect, except things do not go as planned. “O dear account! My life is my foes debt” (Romeo, pg 626 act 1 scene 5) Romeo says that when he realizes that Juliet is a Montague and that they are enemies and shouldn’t be together. He believes fate has done this to him but he doesn’t care because he loves Juliet so much. After Romeo and Juliet are married in Friar Lawrence’s cell, he sees Mercutio and Tybalt fighting. He tries to stop it because he is still in the love phase and not the fighting mode. He doesn’t wish to hurt Tybalt because now they are related so he wishes no blood to be spilled and tries to break them up. In doing so he gives Tybalt a chance to stab Mercutio and Romeo soon realizes what he had done. “O, I am fortunes fool” (Romeo, pg 654 act 3 scene 1) is what he says when he realizes that by letting fate guide his life, he got Mercutio killed. Following fate has consequences, you are not fortunate for long. Juliet chooses to disregard everything but her love for Romeo. Before the masquerade ball it is brought to Juliet’s attention that Paris wishes to marry her, but they do not know each other yet and are to spend time together at the ball. “I’ll look to like if looking liking move.” (Juliet, pg 618 act 1, scene 4) Juliet says that in response to her mother, who is begging her to give Paris a shot and at least see if there is a spark. At the masquerade ball she meets Romeo who keeps trying to pursue her and she gives him a chance, at that moment she feels something for him that she has never felt before. When she realizes she is in love with her enemy, she is upset and says “to early seen unknown and known too late.”(Juliet, pg 627 Act 1, scene 5) She doesn’t think they will ever see each other again after that but she is wrong. Romeo comes back and goes to her balcony to talk to her; they talk about their love for each other. “Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow” (Juliet, pg 635 Act 2, scene 2) their relationship speeds up