Final answer:
The theme of fate versus free will in Romeo and Juliet is evident in the characters' actions and the outcomes of those actions, highlighted by specific quotes that illustrate this tension throughout the play. option 1. is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Romeo and Juliet, the theme of fate versus free will is prevalent, as the characters frequently speculate about the influence of destiny on their lives. One key moment is when Romeo, before attending the Capulet party, expresses his sense of foreboding: “my mind misgives / Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars” (1.4.107-108). He feels compelled by an external force, yet chooses to go, illustrating the tension between predetermined fate and personal choice.
Friar Laurence also remarks on the role of fate in the tragic ending: “A greater power than we can contradict / Hath thwarted our intents” (5.3.153-154). Even though the characters make their own choices, such as the secret marriage and Juliet's feigned death, they are ultimately swept along by events they cannot control, like Romeo's untimely arrival before Juliet wakes. This interplay of fate and choice underscores Shakespeare's exploration of whether the lovers' destiny is written in the stars or crafted by their own actions.
Juliet's own words echo this sentiment when she ponders the outcome of her and Romeo's actions: “O Fortune, Fortune! All men call thee fickle” (3.5.60).