Friday, February 26, 2010

What do stars symbolize in Romeo and Juliet?

At the beginning of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the two young lovers are described as "star-crossed." The use of the term "stars" in this context refers to an astrological interpretation of the positions and movements of the stars.


Many people believed in astrology in this period, thinking that the stars influenced or gave signs concerning the events in people's lives. Under this system, people's characters and fortunes were determined by the configuration of the stars when they were born.


Behind this was the notion that the stars and planets circled around the earth borne on crystal spheres. The lowest of the spheres was that of the moon (the lunary sphere) which divided earth from the heavens. The moon and objects farther away from earth had a unique and special connection to God and thus expressed divine will and foreknowledge.


The stars therefore symbolized fate, predestination, and the will of God. 

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