Bryn Burrows, Banks Hand, Timothy Crumel

Mr. King
English 1 Honors
23 November 2015
Fate and the People Around You
Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings
you together, but do so with all your heart.-Marcus Aurelius The people in the 1980s were
known to be materialistic (a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as
more important than spiritual values- dictionary.com) and consumeristic (the protection or
promotion of the interests of consumers- dictionary.com). Due to their materialistic ways it made
things such as technology and overall production of goods determine their fate as happy human
beings. The 1980s was all about striving for the best future you could get even though fate could
not be changed this same attitude is seen throughout the play Romeo and Juliet.
The two families identities towards each other in Romeo and Juliet was that they did not
get along very well. This then decided the unfortunate fate of the young lovers. An example from
the Romeo and Juliet text about the two families not getting along is in the prologue at the
beginning of the story. In lines 9-12 it states The fearful passage of their death-marked love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage. Which, but their children's end, naught could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage ("Romeo and Juliet Quotes.") This shows that
Romeo and Juliet's death was caused by the fighting of their parents. If the constant tension
hadn't gone on, the fate of Romeo and Juliet would have been dramatically different. They would
not have had to go behind their parents back to get married. Another example is when Tybalt
murders Mercutio in Act 3 Scene 1. He said "A plague o' both your houses!" in line 90. ("Romeo

and Juliet Quotes.") This then foreshadows even more tension that will build upon between the
families. Romeo then after challenges Tybalt which then later results in Tybalt's death. After his
death it then caused even more tension between the families as now Romeo from the Montagues
had killed someone from the Capulets. Ultimately, relationships with others will have an affect
on the fate. Romeo and Juliet make me think of Ronald Reagan because of their determination
to change their society.
Ronald Reagan was elected president in the beginning of the 1980s. Towards the end of
hthe 70s America was very unconfident and lost but Reagan wanted to change that. ("Ronald
Reagan.") He went from changing the frustration to making them stronger than they had ever
been. Their identities had changed to everyone else around the world. The people attained
spectacular wealth than ever before in history due to the help of Ronald Reagan.("Ronald
Reagan.") In Romeo and Juliet the Friar had a goal that one day he would soon hope to unite the
Montagues and the Capulets. The friar was a person who wanted to help Romeo and Juliet out.
He advised them to act more moderate and cautiously with the decisions they made like getting
married. The Friar helped them along by trying to make everyone happy like how Reagan
wanted to change the United States and make them feel better from the depression they were in
at the end of the 1970s. Another person who made many contributions and made a legacy for
himself in the 1980s was Bon Jovi.
Bon Jovi was born on March 1962 he was known as the singer, songwriter, actor, and
philanthropist. But he is mostly known as the singer of the band bon jovi. Since 1984 he has
realest some major album that made his career successful. There are some songs that he wrote
about that time period that represent the culture like you give love a bad name, its my life,
what say you cant go home, and bed of homes. Over a lifetime he sold 120 million records

worldwide and even top seven number l single on top ten hits. He shows the moderate day love
and also shows how tough life is. He had turn his sing career into something huge and
successful.When it comes to Romeo and Juliet I think they shape themselves and their
relationship. Just like Bon Jovi shaped himself in the people around him. Romeo and Juliet truly
believe they loved each other and died and change the people around them. Just like Bon jovi
showed how he love his music and shaped the people around the world. They both relate to show
the both change the reality itself also know as fate.
Bill Gates was someone who strived for success. He was a businessman, computer
programmer, and billionaire. Gates struck his fortune during the 1980s and was known as one of
the most influential people of the time. The timing was a big factor in Gates success. He decided
to grow his business in a decade where new technology was getting extremely popular and
computers were becoming more common in the average household. It was in the 80s that Bill
Gates started to take steps towards making himself a successful programmer and businessman. If
he hadnt taken those steps towards his dreams at that time, companies like Apple would have
probably taken over the computer software industry as mentioned in britanica.com (20). If it
wasnt for people embracing more technology, Bill Gates would most likely not be in the
position he is in today as richest man alive. He was in the right place at the right time and around
the right population. In the play Romeo and Juliet the people around the two lovers have a
large impact on their future/fate. For example, the Friar impacted the decisions of Romeo and
Juliet. This is shown in lines 51-126 of act 4 scene 1 of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet when
he persuades Juliet to follow his plans. His decisions and schemes ultimately lead to the young
lovers deaths. All in all, this just reinforces how much culture or cultural identity affects the
bumpy road of fate.

Fate is like a bumpy road, full of unexpected changes yet always leading to the right
direction. The 1980s were about taking the bumpy road and paving it into a bright future. The
decade was a time when people were not so focused on fate being something set for life but
something you want to make the most out of. This familiar theme was apparent in the play
Romeo and Juliet. Maybe there isnt such a thing as fate. Maybe its just the opportunities were
given, and what we do with them. Im beginning to think that maybe great, epic romances dont
just happen. We have to make them ourselves- Marissa Myers . This quote captures the unique
way people viewed fate in the 80s, Romeo and Juliet, and in the present. In todays age this
quote could apply as well. It relates to relationships and someone trying to get through a tough
time. It clearly depicts how humans do not change as much as most would think. Maybe we are
more like Shakespeare or Bill Gates than most would imagine.