In Romeo and Juliet there were many instances where their deaths could have been prevented. Mercutio’s persuasion (not sure if persuasion is the best word here - maybe see if you can think of another way to say this) towards Romeo, Friar’s naïve decision to lead the marriage and the murder of Tybalt are mistakes that help guarantee death. The questions that remain are whether those events were set predetermined by fate, unavoidable and waiting to happen despite precaution. or whether fate is something determined by the individual, with free choice deciding his own future?