Fate plays an important part in the play Romeo and Juliet, as in the Elizabethan times fate used to play an important part in every day life as the Elizabethans used to believe that fate used to control every aspect of their lives.

At the beginning of the play we know that fate begins to control the lives of the characters Romeo and Juliet as it says in the prologue "a pair of star crossed lovers" this shows that the lives of Romeo and Juliet are destined to meet. We also know that their lives will end in death and they will never live a happy life together as it quotes in the prologue "a pair of star crossed lovers take their lives..."

There are many "what ifs...." in the play which are changes in events that if they didn't happen that Romeo and Juliet would never meet...