How do Shakespeare and the studied poets use literary techniques to communicate their ideas about fate?

 

Introduction: Shakespeare and the studied poets use a number of literary techniques to communicate their ideas on fate. A technique that can be found in all three pieces of work is the use of metaphors.

Shakespeare uses metaphors throughout the play Romeo and Juliet, a metaphor can be described a word or phrase that is used to describe an action that may not have its usual meaning. An example where Shakespeare has promoted fate using a metaphor can be found in Act 1, scene 4 when Romeo is talking to Benvolio before the Capulet party, saying “But he that hath the steerage of my course, Direct my sail. On, lusty gentlemen”. This quote suggests that God is in control of Romeo’s destiny and to lead him in the direction of “untimely death”. I feel that Shakespeare uses metaphors in the play to send an underlying message to the audience, which links to the theme of the play which is fate.

Rudyard Kipling author of the poem, A Song in a Storm has the same direct underlying message as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, which is fate. Kipling also allocates metaphors in order to show how the fate of the ship was out of their control, which can be linked to Romeo and Juliet when Romeo talks to the “stars” saying how God is in control of his fate. In a song in a storm, Kipling says “Almost these mindless waters work as though they had a soul”, this suggests that someone else, maybe God, was in control of the storm and that it was their path that led them there. A quote that can linked closer to Romeo and Juliet is “we can make good of all loss, except the loss of turning back”, Kipling is trying to say the only real loss is giving in, and that the crew should make the best out of the situation they are in, and not to turn back or leave the path that has been set for them. Metaphors are used by the author because it strengthens the point and sets the scenery of the situation, making the reader more curious and more engaged in the poem. The use of metaphors in this poem communicate the idea of fate, suggesting that everybody has one, and that there is no way of changing it; it’s like your life is a set out for you already.

In the poem Ozymandias, Bysshe Shelley does not use metaphors to communicate the idea of fate like Shakespeare and Kipling, although they do share some literary techniques like the use of iambic pentameter.

Iambic pentameter is a consistent beat that can be found in a poem, it’s made up from 10 syllables and it rhythm does not change throughout. Shakespeare uses iambic pentameter during the play to intrigue the audience in different ways, he does this by using the iambic pentameter method, this is an easy way to describe the pattern during the scene, it’s the path of the beat through the play which measures the time and beat from one scene to the other. When mentioning about fate it’s easy to describe it through the iambic meter, like when Friar Lawrence didn’t get to Romeo in time to tell him to tell him that Juliet isn’t dead. 

In the poem, A Song in a Storm, Rudyard Kipling has a variety of techniques that he uses, and one of them is iambic meter. He uses this technique so can measure the beat of the poem, and it’s also a good way to study the sequence of fate in the poem. The quote “By force of weather, not of war, in jeopardy we steer” he’s talking about how the weather is much greater than the sailors and how it the waves reflects on a constant beat which puts the sailors at risk. After he says “Then welcome fate’s discourtesy whereby it shall appear” this suggests that they’re welcoming fate’s disrespectful behavior and how they’re playing with their potential death. This links to Romeo and Juliet underlying message of fate when they’re risking their lives to be together and how they have no boundaries on not being together.

Persy Byshee Shelley the author of Ozymandias has a substantial amount of underlying messages which regards to the topic of fate. In the poem Persy talked about how there was a traveler who stumbled across a statue in the desert. On the statue writing was craft d into it saying “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!” but then it says “Nothing beside remains”, this is an act of fate and irony reason for this it that he’s talking about how he’s all powerful and almighty but for then for him to remain into nothing suggests that not even Ozymandias can out run fate.

Shakespeare interprets the use of fate in Romeo and Juliet during the prologue. He does this by talking about how the two pair of star crossed lovers take their life in a act of cause from regret and disappointment within their out breaking adventures. Even though we know how the play is going to end Romeo and Juliet both try to control their own fate.

The poem a Song in the Storm, Kipling repeats the idea of fate by using the technique that is repetition. The last two lines in each stanza Kipling talks about how the sea is greater than the crew on the ship, also mentioning how they’re welcoming fate and putting their lives at risk. In the poem the ending word on every 7th line is the word discourtesy he repeats this word so he can get his main point through as an underlying message.

Ozymandias is structured with different techniques in the poem. Bysshe introduced the Volta, a Volta in poetry is used at the end of an octave (first eight lines) to change a scene from one to the other. Bysshe uses Volta’s because it can easily separate from where the poem leads on to the point of fate.