Romeo and Juliet, the classic tragedy written by William Shakespeare, is often categorized as the lesson of fate vs. free will. “The deliberate construction of the play in such a way that its action seems to lead inevitably to the catastrophe of the young lovers' deaths is known as Shakespeare's 'tragic design.' (Preview of Romeo and Juliet) William Shakespeare wants the audience to realize that Romeo and Juliet are destined to cross paths, hence the title "star-crossed lovers." Many games of chance in the play support this theory: for example, Romeo's failed attempt to stop the fight between Mercutio and Tybalt and Brother John's inability to leave Verona because of the plague. References to "fortune" and "stars" throughout the play, particularly the description of Romeo and Juliet in the Act I prologue as "star-crossed lovers", also support this argument. (Preview of Romeo and Juliet) The feud between the Montagues and the Capulets was going on long before Romeo and Juliet even met. This feud was one of the reasons they were destined to meet. It was fate that caused o...