I was discussing Romeo and Juliet with my class t’other day and I’ve begun to realize that one of the things that made the play so effective was not the “lover’s devotion” people usually associate as the theme, but rather the use of chance in creating this tragedy. It is true that the element of chance was exaggerated in the play. Friar Lawrence’s letter to Romeo is by chance detained because of the plague. Tybalt just happens to position his lunge correctly and mortally wound Mercutio. Romeo just happens to meet Juliet at the party. Friar Lawrence arrives at the grave just moments after Romeo’s suicide. So many events happen by chance that it at times seems unreal.
Chance, though, is what gives the play it’s power. That element of uncontrollable external circumstance is universal, and it creates in the audience’s mind the thought: “If only”. That frustration of powerlessness makes Romeo and Juliet a truly effective tragedy. Each chance event has such a bearing on the entire play that one small change in any event could have affected the entire play. For example, if Friar Lawrence had only arrived at the gravesite sooner, Romeo would have known the plan and he and Juliet could have been spared.
This brings up another point. The play is so fascinating because it arrests the audience’s attention. The suspense is high because the plot pivots on so many on these chance elements. The audience waits in anticipation to see Romeo get the Friar’s letter, but he never does. So the audience shifts their hopes to chance that Friar Lawrence will be able to inform Romeo of the plan in time. Throughout the play, the audience is left wondering whether or not it will end tragically; so when the end does come, the tragic conclusion is a shock to an unsuspecting audience.
So ultimately, love is not the main theme of Romeo and Juliet; Shakespeare is rather exploring the element of chance and the major role it has in the outcome of our lives. Though over-the-top at times, it help build suspense in the minds of the listeners; thereby making the play as effective as possible and giving us one of the greastest works in the English language.
What a coincidence.
