Starcrossed Lovers- Explain what does it mean please

[juliadavison12]

Star crossed lovers- I wonder if anybody could give a brief defintion of what it means please.

I know the meaning but not in depth, can someone explain it better for me please and what it generally means please in better terms please. Does it mean that the couple will have obstacles in the way for them to be together, is this is what it means please.

does it mean that two people are meant for each other no matter how hard they try and avoid it even if the relationship fails not to work and they are destined for each other no matter what has happened in their relationship and something will false them to get back together under different circumstances.

 

[Barb_D]

I interpret it to mean that fate (the stars) have determined that these two cannot live happily ever after.

Romeo and Juliet are the archtype of star-crossed lovers.

 

[BobK]

I interpret it to mean that fate (the stars) have determined that these two cannot live happily ever after.

Romeo and Juliet are the archtype of star-crossed lovers.

:up: (except for the typo - was it one, or is this AmE?)*
Their destinies (as represented in the stars) are crossed.


* There is a Java class ArchType: ArchType

 

[juliadavison12]

what do you mean bob k by crossed, do you mean that they lives are intewined with each other even though everything they have been through such as pain and heartbreak and they both cannot get away from each other because fate will intervene all the time and bring them together as they have obstacles in the way to be together as a couple in love is that correct, am i going the right way please.

 

[bianca]

I believe Bobk simply means that, although the lovers' destinies are crossed, their odds are firmly stuck against them, i.e. there's no chance that they can be together as a (married) couple. it is really sad...

 

[Anglika]

It must also be remembered that the "stars" in this context are those in Astrology, which in Shakespeare's day were regarded as controlling and directing human life in all its aspects.

 

[Delmobile]

Julia, that is just beautiful, but bianca is right. "Star-crossed" means crossed, or thwarted, by fate. Romeo & juliet are each "crossed" by their personal stars, and their romance is doomed to fail. "Fate-thwarted lovers" doesn't sound nearly as nice, though.

Another well-known Shakespeare quote is "The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves [that we are underlings]." This means that we can't blame fate for our problems, it's our own fault if we don't succeed.

Sometimes Shakespeare wrote about blaming fate, and sometimes he didn't.

 

[Barb_D]

:up: (except for the typo - was it one, or is this AmE?)*
Their destinies (as represented in the stars) are crossed.


* There is a Java class ArchType: ArchType

Not even a typo. I just a wretched speller. Archetype is what I meant. Sorry.

Sorry if I didn't make it clear that I mean that fate was "written in the stars."

The crossed part doesn't refer to their lives, but to the fact that the stars have crossed them - made it impossible to be together.

 

[MrPedantic]

Should we discount the ambiguity altogether? If the stars "crossed" them, by determining their unhappy ending, then the stars also dictated that their paths should "cross" in the first place. It seems Shakespearianly compact to me.

MrP

 

[Delmobile]

Jacques Derrida is paging you to the "lion's share" thread, Mr.Pedantic

Joking aside, I think you are right, which is why Shakespeare is still being performed, studied and enjoyed in 2007.

 

[showstopper957]

[FONT=&quot]“From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, a pair of star-crossed lovers take their life.” The eighteen words that make up this quote lay the story out for us. This first section of the quote (“From forth the fatal lions of these two foes.”) says that because of the feud that is taking place between these two families something dreadful will happen, hence the words “fatal lions”. “A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life.” Is the effect of the first part of the quote. Because of the feuding families “star-crossed lovers take their life.” But we can go more in-depth with this explanation. The word “star-crossed” is referring to fate, destiny forces Romeo and Juliet to fall in love with each other. And “take their lives” takes you to the very end of the book where Romeo drinks a dram of poison because He believes Juliet has died and Juliet stabs herself with Romeo’s dagger because Romeo has killed himself. This now goes back to “star-crossed lovers” which as I said earlier is an example of fate. Fate plays a very important role in this play; Romeo and Juliet die because it’s their destiny to end their family’s feud. And with their deaths the feud does end.

:up:
[/FONT]​

 

[redwan4ever]

Thanx lot dear friend

 

[dancer93]

it means that it was destined for two people to be together, and there is no one in the world more suited for you but the one person. but the fate that brings them together also keeps them apart.

 

[dancer93]

it means that two people are destined to be together and that they are absolutley perfect for one another, but the fate and destiny that brings them together also keeps them apart.

 

[BobK]

it means that two people are destined to be together and that they are absolutley perfect for one another, but the fate and destiny that brings them together also keeps them apart.

People who believe that the expression has a single meaning should bear in mind MrP's observation:

Should we discount the ambiguity altogether? If the stars "crossed" them, by determining their unhappy ending, then the stars also dictated that their paths should "cross" in the first place. It seems Shakespearianly compact to me.

MrP

I'd add yet another meaning. The stars are destinies; one can see one person's destiny as a line. These lines cross; they come together and they move inexorably apart. I'm sure there are additional interpretations. The only thing we can be sure of is that there is not a single meaning. ;-)

b