Did Romeo Defy the Stars?

As Act V opens, Romeo is contemplating a dream he has the night before. He dreams that Juliet sees his dead body and kisses him awake. The trouble isn't that Romeo believes in the prophecy of dreams; the problem is that he interprets his dream as a good event because he dreamed about Juliet, and this puts him in a happy state. He fools himself into thinking that he can interpret dreams correctly and just because his dream is about his love, it must be good. Poor Romeo!

Happy to see his friend and servant Balthasar, he inquires about Juliet only to hear that she is dead. He screams to the heavens, "Then I defy you stars," which means that he wants to defy fate or change destiny. Can he? Can killing himself to be by her side in the tomb actually put him with her for an eternity? As usual, he doesn't seem like he has thought this through because they could only be together physically, not spiritually according to their religious beliefs. But youth lends him energy, and his impulsive determination puts him in even higher gear to get by Juliet's side quickly.

Did you know that the plague was present in Europe at this time? The reference in scene 2 to Friar John being quarantined on his way to deliver Romeo's letter is quite believable. If he were visiting someone believed to have the plague, he could have been sealed up indefinitely. He was lucky to get out at all. But was this luck or fate again?

The graveyard scene is truly grisly. Imagine sneaking around in the middle of the night, worrying about intruders, spirits, and so forth. The audience witnesses three more deaths and learns about another. It is truly a disastrous end.