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📜british literature i review

Fortune

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025

Definition

Fortune refers to the concept of fate or destiny, often personified as a deity that governs the luck and circumstances of individuals. In literature, especially in the context of Shakespeare's late romances, fortune plays a crucial role in shaping characters' lives, presenting the unpredictable nature of existence and the influence of chance on human endeavors.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

  1. In Shakespeare's late romances, characters frequently grapple with the whims of fortune, illustrating how external forces can drastically change their paths.
  2. The theme of fortune is often intertwined with themes of reconciliation and redemption, as characters must navigate both fortune's favors and misfortunes.
  3. Shakespeare uses fortune to explore the unpredictability of life, suggesting that control over one's destiny is limited and subject to chance.
  4. Fortune's dual nature as both a benevolent and capricious force is evident in how characters experience joy and suffering throughout the plays.
  5. The character of Perdita in 'The Winter's Tale' exemplifies the impact of fortune, as her identity and fate are dramatically influenced by chance events.

Review Questions

  • How does Shakespeare portray the concept of fortune in relation to character development in his late romances?
    • Shakespeare portrays fortune as a pivotal force that shapes character development in his late romances. Characters often experience significant changes in their lives due to fortunate or unfortunate events, reflecting the unpredictability of fate. This creates depth in their journeys, as they must confront challenges posed by fortune while striving for personal growth and reconciliation.
  • Discuss how the idea of Fortune's Wheel is illustrated in Shakespeare's late romances and its implications for the characters' journeys.
    • In Shakespeare's late romances, Fortune's Wheel serves as a metaphor for the ever-changing nature of luck and circumstance. Characters experience highs and lows as they navigate their relationships and challenges, demonstrating that fortune can elevate or diminish one's status in an instant. This cyclical nature emphasizes the theme that life is unpredictable, urging characters to adapt to their changing fortunes while seeking hope and resolution.
  • Evaluate the relationship between fortune and themes of redemption in Shakespeare's late romances.
    • The relationship between fortune and themes of redemption in Shakespeare's late romances is complex and significant. Characters often face hardships that are attributed to misfortune or bad luck, which ultimately leads them to seek redemption through personal transformation and reconciliation with others. By confronting the role that fortune plays in their lives, characters can learn to navigate their destinies more wisely, ultimately finding peace and understanding in a world governed by unpredictable forces.

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