As we study William Shakespeare and read Romeo and Juliet in class, consider the following prompt:
In Shakespeare's time, predestination had immersed itself in the belief system of England. This concept is reflected in the work of Shakespeare. The lives of men and women are "mapped out in the stars", and attempts to transcend or disrupt this order, or chain of being, only lead to tragedy. Does belief in predestination exist in some form today? Do we subscribe to a similar or different philosophy? How does predestination relate to, or conflict with, the "American Dream"? How might you categorize the belief systems of our world today? Do you believe that your destiny is mapped out for you, or do you think that you control your own fate? (3-5 paragraphs; due via post and hard copy 9-19).
65 comments:
In Shakespeare’s day, the popular belief of the English was of predestination. Predestination is the concept that everyone’s life is planned out, by God, before their birth; if something happened that was not fated, tragedy would surely follow. Only the stars held the future. In today’s society, however, predestination is no longer a popular belief. Of course, that is not to say that people do not trust in similar things: fate, destiny, providence. In his play, “Romeo and Juliet”, Shakespeare states that the two were “star crossed lovers”. Today, that description sounds romantic, but in that era, being “star crossed” was a horrible thing to be. It meant that their paths had crossed and their fates had gotten tangled. The two’s lives had been cut short due to the jumbled destinies.
Predestination goes against all that is the “American Dream”. We Americans like to believe that we pave our own ways; that if someone works hard, they can accomplish anything. Only we control our fates. Predestination not only opposes the supposed American Dream, but the American way of life, as well. If predestination is the notion that God has your life planned out, there is no such thing as freedom. If predestination was real, it means that people never have a chance to redeem themselves. It would imply that people are bound to being or living a certain way their entire life.
Surely some people still believe that their life is planned out. Different religions have different beliefs and customs. A few of the religions must believe in the concept of predestination. I myself do not think my future is all planed out. I think not that my destiny, as it were, is all mapped out. I write my own life story. Life is what you make of it, the choices you make affect where your life leads. If you let life happen, you will stay forever the same.
Shakespeare’s time and our time differ extremely. Since he lived from 1564 to 1616, the worlds belief’s were much different than they are today. The people of that time believed in an idea called predestination. This idea is far different than what many of us now believe in, like the American dream.
Predestination is the idea that your fate was already decided by some sort of higher power and there is nothing you can do to change or adjust your fate. They believed that everything from what you would be doing for a job to how many kids to death was already decided and that they weren’t your decision. This greatly differs the idea of he American dream. The American dream is basically if you work hard you will be successful. The harder working and determined a person is the more successful they will become. I think that most people today believe in or something relatively close to the American dream because it gives people the felling that they can change their fate and what they do matters.
Predestination and the American dream are two completely different concepts. They really show how much society has changed over a couple hundred years. I think it is better having people who believe that they can change their life or social standing if they work hard. Shakespeare’s time and our time are extremely different.
Predestination is the concept of having one’s fate or destiny preordained before they were born. Any attempt to change their destiny would be in vain as their attempt to alter their fate was part of the grand scheme of things, as it were. Predestination was a popular idea around the Victorian times, so it would be reasonable to say that Shakespeare would include the idea in his writing.
In effect, predestination does exist today. The concept of luck is a slightly warped and watered down version of predestination. One could say that luck can count as predestination, though luck does not necessarily destine you to go to heaven or hell, nor does it mean that there is a celestial plan for you to do what you are to do, but one could say that luck is “divine intervention”. Luck is a much more popular idea as opposed to predestination for a number of reasons. One reason is predestination is a very limiting and constraining concept due to the fact that it gives us the idea that we have no control over our lives no matter what actions we take. Luck allows us some feel will, to act on our own consent based on the circumstances. This makes luck more appealing to believe, more so that predestination. Another reason is that predestination is less popular idea is that it is older than luck, so it became less accepted over time. Another adaptation of predestination is horoscopes, the idea that the position of the stars and sun effect how life on earth played out. -peter l
unfinished
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Is it really predestination or just a coincidence?
Back in the 15oo’s when Shakespeare wrote the play “Romeo and Juliet”, a lot of the people were into believing predestination. Predestination is the belief that you are born with a set life; that your life is some how mapped out in the stars. Predestination exists in a lot of forms today. Fate is one of the forms. Fate is also known as destiny, which means an inevitable course of events. This simply means that no matter what you do, what is supposed to happen will happen. Luck is another half form of predestination, it means the same thing as destiny just people don’t think of it as being mapped out, it’s just spur of the moment.
Predestination does conflict with the so called “American Dream”. As Americans we are told to make are own dreams come true. We strive our whole lives to become what we want to be. We believe that when you get a good education and work hard you can achieve your goals. On the other hand, some people believe that their life was supposed to go that way, like in predestination.
I believe that most people in our society today, are believers in free will. Most people today don’t even believe in god. The people that do believe in god believe in predestination without even knowing. Most religions today believe god is all knowing, so wouldn’t that mean he already knows what your life is? So with that said, you believe in him to lead your life right so that you live “right”. You think that you make certain choices because you are supposed to in your life.
I believe that my life is mapped out to an extent. I do believe that things happen for a reason and maybe its god that is helping me make these choices. But I also think that we have choices. Sometimes god might throw an obstacle at you and you have to try and make the right choice. Depending on the choice you make your life path could change.
Is it really predestination or just a coincidence?
Back in the 15oo’s when Shakespeare wrote the play “Romeo and Juliet”, a lot of the people were into believing predestination. Predestination is the belief that you are born with a set life; that your life is some how mapped out in the stars. Predestination exists in a lot of forms today. Fate is one of the forms. Fate is also known as destiny, which means an inevitable course of events. This simply means that no matter what you do, what is supposed to happen will happen. Luck is another half form of predestination, it means the same thing as destiny just people don’t think of it as being mapped out, it’s just spur of the moment.
Predestination does conflict with the so called “American Dream”. As Americans we are told to make are own dreams come true. We strive our whole lives to become what we want to be. We believe that when you get a good education and work hard you can achieve your goals. On the other hand, some people believe that their life was supposed to go that way, like in predestination.
I believe that most people in our society today, are believers in free will. Most people today don’t even believe in god. The people that do believe in god believe in predestination without even knowing. Most religions today believe god is all knowing, so wouldn’t that mean he already knows what your life is? So with that said, you believe in him to lead your life right so that you live “right”. You think that you make certain choices because you are supposed to in your life.
I believe that my life is mapped out to an extent. I do believe that things happen for a reason and maybe its god that is helping me make these choices. But I also think that we have choices. Sometimes god might throw an obstacle at you and you have to try and make the right choice. Depending on the choice you make your life path could change.
~Brianne Eagar
I think predestination exists in some cultures today. For example in the middle eastern countries you are born into a certain social standing. You are not able to move beyond what you are born into. They believe their destiny is mapped out for them.
Americans do not believe in predestination. We believe that through education and hard work we can reach the American Dream. Predestination conflicts with this idea because it claims our future is out of our hands.
The belief systems of our world today vary. Some cultures believe in predestination and others do not. I, however, do not believe in fate or destiny. My future will be based on the efforts I put into life.
Predestination is when you are born, your life is already planned out for you. I think to some extent that predestination still exists today. Like if you are born into a family where your parents own a business, one day you will own that business. But sometimes predestination doesn’t always go through, like if you don’t want to own that business.
I think we have both similar and different philosophies now. Some people are still born with predestination and some are born without one. A different philosophy from Shakespeare’s time would be not having predestination. So you would be able to decide for yourself what you wanted to do. I think predestination would be a conflict with the “American Dream” because the American dream is to do what you want to do in life and not have it be decided for you. If you have everything decided for you in life then you won’t be happy because it’s not what you want to do.
I would categorize the belief system we have in our world today by religion. Most people have different beliefs so they are in a different religion. Some people might not even believe in any religion so they’re not part of a religion.
I believe that I control my own fate. I don’t have predestination. My life is not already mapped out for me. I would rather not have predestination because I wouldn’t want my life to be planned out already. I might not have liked what was predestined for me,
Brandon Moreau
Shakespeare’s life time in England shaped the plays he is so famously known for. The culture and belief system of the day influenced the plot of the play. One of those belief systems was predestination which went hand in hand with the chain of being that was another belief in the period of Shakespeare’s life. However the idea of predestination is still alive in some popular cultures but is no longer as main stream as it as in the past. While the idea of predestination was in the past the mainstream idea of culture, in our culture today the “American Dream” has replaced predestination in our daily lives. Shakespeare was very intelligent however I do not believe as he did in the belief of predestination; I believe in the “American Dream” and nobody is going to tell me that every second of my life has already been mapped out by the divine creator, which I do believe in and that no one person is going to tell me that they are a better caliber than myself. Just as beliefs influence the flow of daily life in our modern world they even more so did in Shakespeare’s life.
Despite man-kinds increasing advancements in science both in quantity, quality some form of predestination still exists today. The most evident and least, if at all altered form of predestination is astrology. Astrology was and still is considered a science to people of ancient times up to our present day. Even FDR sought the services of astrologer for how much longer he was for this Earth; this service he requested was made because of the president’s contraction of polio and as he knew would lead to the end of his time on this earth. As the information I have just stated clearly indicates despite reason’s many advancements this primitive ideology installed by the ancient ruling classes to subdue physical and mental resistance of the ruled still survives to this day.
There are many ways to categorize today the worlds many belief systems. The three most widespread religions today are Christianity then Islam and Judaism. From Judaism a prophet by name of Jesus emerged who proceeded to split a very small portion of the Jewish population and formed the Catholic Church. Later Catholicism was made the state religion of the Roman Empire under Emperor Constantine was victorious in one of the many Roman civil wars. Another of the three major religions is Islam which was founded upon the teachings of the prophet Muhammad who reached about his god Allah. The last faith Judaism is the oldest faith of the three; the reason why I bring it up last is because the first two religions I mentioned both branched from Judaism and because succeeding Holocausts’ of which the first was launched in the ancient Persian Empire, discrimination by both the Roman Republic and Empire, and one of the most darkest and cruelest years of human history the Holocaust of the Third Reich conducted and authorized by Adolf Hitler. Other than these three religions most of the other world religions are not as wide spread and have emerged outside the flow of days mainstream culture; predestination being among one of the religious philosophies that has lost popularity with the world at large.
William Shakespeare was a brilliant man in very many respects; Shakespeare lived during a time that can be commonly known as the English renaissance and just as Leonardo da Vinci was ahead of his time mathematically, Shakespeare was far ahead of his time linguistically. It is unfortunate however that he was limited to the culture of the day in which he wrote for. In Shakespeare’s work in Romeo and Juliet the belief that himself and his fellow countrymen observed as predestination and a chain of being. This ingenious philosophy I can say with little to no doubt was envisioned and put into action by the ruling classes of ancient times. It is simple this philosophy kept the ruling classes in power and the citizenry welcoming and never challenging their unconscious abdication of their god given rights by the rich and powerful landowning families of the day. However I myself do not subscribe to either of the philosophies of predestination or a chain of being; I believe in the American dream. I am religious and I do believe in god but I do not believe he has planned every single moment of my life eons before I was born and that the stars will not have already have mapped out my life. After all that is like saying it is going to rain something bad is going to happen and it will be a very sad day for me, that is not true every day a person has on this Earth can be made good or bad by the attitude of the person, the day is what you make of it for better or for worse. I do not and will not as I have clearly stated I will not subscribe to the belief system of predestination and especially not to a chain of being.
Shakespeare and his countrymen subscribed to the belief of predestination and a chain of being. Both were ingenious ideas to subjugate the citizenry of the country. However in many ways that was what made his plays so great to the people of the day. We today could never analyze and interpret the plays he wrote so long ago the way the great playwright wrote them to be understood because our cultures today are so radically different from each other that some of the meaning is lost to the passage of time because our modern analysis are based on our own cultural bases and therefore we cannot identify with the groundlings to the rich upper classes who attended in great numbers to see his plays because his culture can never truly be our culture. Just as modern culture buts heads with the indigenous customs and cultures of native nations around the world, our advancing culture today is also butting heads with the fragmented remains of what is now Shakespeare’s dying culture. In conclusion, the culture that shaped Shakespeare’s life also shaped his famous plays just as culture today shapes our own forms of entertainment and leisure.
Way back in 1564, William Shakespear’s time, everyone believed that before you were born predestination would leaf them to exactly how their lives would unfold. They believed that their life was all mapped out for them in the starts and sky. For it would tell them exactly where they were going and what was going to happen to them throughout their life. People who followed by believing in Predestination would be called Calvinists. It was written in the bible that a man named Calvin believed strongly in predestination and said that before you were even born into this world, it was the sky and stars that controlled ones destiny, that they already mapped out for them. That is where the name Calvinists first came from.
In our present time now we have a term called the “ American Dream “ which people today try to strive for. I think that “ Predestination “ and the “ American Dream” are two completely opposite concepts. Back in 1564 everyone believed in predestination and you had no choices or control over your own life or how it would unfold. It was already mapped out for you. Now a days the term “ American Dream “ is exactly what it sounds like, a dream. This quote could mean anything. It just depends on how you look at it. To me, the term living the “ American Dream “ means to me living in America where our freedom plays a big roll in today’s society. All the sayings “ follow your dreams”, “ believe in your dreams”, etc. All come from the original saying “ American Dream “. These sayings are different from most of that sayings back in Shakespeare’s time because people had a strong belief for predestination where their lives were already mapped out for them. The American Dream basically says that if you want to do something or have something you’ll have to work for it and you can do whatever you set your mind to. We in America have that freedom and we can have our “ dream “ if we really want it bad enough. We have that choice to be anything and we can do anything if we put our mind to it and follow our dreams. There are of course some things in which we have no control over but throughout our journey through life we can make choices and choose our own destiny.
I honestly don’t believe that our whole life is predestined. I don’t believe that before your even born your whole life is mapped out for you in the stars. With predestination, your whole life is written for you. I still think that people in today’s society still believe their lives are a little predestined. Like when you’re growing up, your parent and family give you advice for things, such as when they tell you that they want you to be happy, grow up, find love, get a good job, have a wonderful family, be able to support yourself and your loved ones, and so on and as listeners to our parents and family’s advice we take those words with us and grow up by referring back to them. So to me that also seems like a little predestination. Our up bringing has in a way led the way for us on our journey through life a little like predestination does. However, we still have a lot of control as to what we do and what we become and make of our life. It isn’t all totally mapped out for us.
Back in the 1500's the people felt their life was already mapped out for them and that they had no say as to what would happen to them or what they would be. It was all under the control of the stars and skies. Today, we grow up and live our life with goals and dreams of our own. Destiny is not all mapped out for us. There is no way we can predict our future and there are still things over which we have no control over. But a lot of what happens to us in our life is under our control. We can make choices to be successful, to make it in life, to exercise, eat right promoting good health so that we may live longer etc. To me I think predestination all depends on what beliefs you have.
-- Allyson Salvo
Tyler Durocher
September 18, 2008
F Block
Predestination Reflection Essay
During the life of Shakespeare, people believed in something called “Predestination”. Predestination is the belief that god has mapped out peoples lives for them before they are born. It is said that you could tell what will happen in your life because it is mapped out in the stars. It is also said that if these patterns were messed with, that tragedy would soon follow after. Shakespeare you this in some of his plays, but it is most commonly used in the play “Romeo and Juliet”. The belief of predestination still exists in our world in some way.
Now a day’s predestination still exists in our world in some sort of form. For example, some people use the phrase, “that everyone has a purpose on the earth”. This saying relates to the idea of predestination because it relates to the fact that everyone is put here for a reason by God. They are similar because they both use the common idea that god puts us on earth for a reason. That is how predestination still exists in our world.
In more recent times people believe that everyone has a chance to do anything, if they work hard enough. So therefore, that idea is differs from the belief of predestination very much. Predestination is saying that god has chosen what is going to happen on your life, and there is nothing you can do about it. This belief conflicts with the “American Dream” in many ways. The “American Dream” is our belief that everyone can choose there own path and live life the way we want to. Whereas, predestination states that God has planned our lives for us. Those are some of the reasons why the belief of predestination conflicts with the “American Dream”.
Our belief system of the world today is very simple; everyone has a chance to be something. It is said that even the most unfortunate person can rise to the top if they are willing to accept the responsibilities, and work hard to reach their goals. This belief is very important to the people of our world today. I think it is important because it gives every person in the world hope to achieve something better than what they were born with. People are influenced by this belief because they know that if the work hard enough and keep their goals in mind; that they can be something better than what they were before. That is how I would categorize our belief system today.
In Shakespeare’s time predestination was a popular belief. In the present is not believed much anymore. I do not believe that my destiny is mapped out in the stars for me to follow. I believe that I am able to choose my own fate. This idea is very important to me. It reminds me that even when I’m not doing so well; I can change what is happening if I set my mind to it and try really hard. That is what I believe and it is what I will live my life by.
Predestination and Shakespeare
Predestination: the idea your entire life is planned out for you before you are even born. During the time period that Shakespeare lived, many people believed in the concept of predestination. They also thought that trying to go against your destiny would cause bad things to happen. Many of Shakespeare’s works included this concept, especially his famous tragedies. A very well known saying which is originally from Romeo and Juliet that refers to predestination is “star crossed lovers”. Since their stars are crossed, fate does not agree with them, and as we all know, they eventually meet their death.Almost 500 years later there are still some people that follow the idea of fate, yet there are others who have changed it up a bit.
Today, there are still many “Calvinistic” people. The word Calvinism comes from the name John Calvin, who lived in the early 1500s and strongly believed in the ideas of fate and destiny. The Christian bible relates God to the idea of predestination by saying that God decides the “path your soul will follow”. Many other religions, such as Judaism and Islamic, teach this idea as well. Also, if you were always good with children and they seemed to be drawn towards you, people might say that you were destined to be an elementary school teacher or work at a daycare. Or maybe you fixed a broken computer at only ten years old. You then might be destined to work for Geek Squad when you grow up. Many people still think that predestination is a likely concept.
There are some people that do still believe in this idea, but many people also have different ideas. The vast majority of Americans agree with the American Dream. The main idea of the American Dream is that anyone in America, no matter how low in society they are, can succeed in life if they try hard enough. In Shakespeare’s time, people believed that if you were born to be poor you would remain poor no matter what. These two concepts definatly contradict each other since most Americans think that you can change your destiny if you really want to. Personally, I believe that certain things are pre-decided but if you really want to change these things you can.
What do you believe? The choice is all yours...
~*~Taryn Kitchen~*~
During the Renaissance period, many people believed in the fact that their destiny was already selected for them, and if anyone should try to change who or what class they were in, and if they ever try and change that, “you will pay with your lives for the forfeit of peace.” Shakespeare was a very famous person, as well as important. He wrote some of the most famous plays to this day, and in modern times, almost 500 years from his time, we still learn about him and his plays. Insane! It’s almost unbelievable of how much he actually gave humanity; its greatest plays, a modern language, and it appealed to everyone in the audience. He was a “master of the arts”, and e very interesting person. He did use characters names over again, but he made it clear with some of their meaning. Take Benvolio, from Romeo and Juliet, for example. He is a naturally good guy, but his name also has a natural meaning as well. The root “ben” is a synonym for “good”, or “nice.” So when Shakespeare talks about him, you can clearly get the deeper meaning of his name. Now a character like Mercutio, also from Romeo and Juliet, is an odd, but bright character. Shakespeare almost seems to talk through him in a sense, because he has a deeper understanding of the world around him, and the people he’s with.
Now almost everyone knows about Romeo and Juliet. It’s a story of two lovers, who try to defy destiny to be together. But as predestination states, if you try to change destiny, a tragedy occurs. Not only do Romeo and Juliet die, as many people know, but a number of close friends and other characters die as well. Wiping out all traces of the “mutiny against God.” Much like this, many believed that it was going to happen to them if they went against the “flow” of things. I do believe in God, but that doesn’t mean everyone else has to. I chose to see one point of view, even though there are countless others. Not everyone has to agree, because as long as you know yourself to be right, that’s all that matters. But as I was saying, I do believe God does have some guidelines already plotted out for you, but He is very flexible with what you do, as long as you don’t go against the Ten Commandments, given to Moses, to see that all of Gods followers obeyed for their savior. The fact is, yea, you have the right to choose your own destiny, but you have to be careful of which path you take. Some lead to the light, and others only lead to darkness, and no one can stop you from going your own path. Others may think I’m wrong, or even crazy, but that’s just because they look at this, predestination, and the issue, from a different perspective.
In modern times, yes, there is some sort of belief in predestination, but it’s no where near as strong as it was back in the Renaissance. Today we have morals, or laws that help us and guide us along the path, which ever way we choose to go. Predestination doesn’t effect the “American Dream”, because you can become a famous book writer, or movie star, even if your family was poor when you were younger, because you decide, for the most part, what you’re going to do with your life, because we’ve evolved over time, to see that that was what God really wanted; to guide us, not baby sit us, because it probably gets pretty boring for Him, so he allowed us to realize our full potential. Say if your family isn’t the wealthiest, and you have a knack for acting, or writing, you could be a famous actor or writer some day, and you’ll be known throughout the world. To me, that is the “American Dream”, and it can be achieved, because “if you put your mind to it, anything is possible.”
~John Norton~
~Class D~
By Lindsay Garrone
Period-D
Shakespeare and Predestination
In the time of Shakespeare people in England believed that their lives were already planned out before they were born and their was nothing they could do to change that, this concept is called predestination. In his play Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare used predestination as a major theme in the play. In the first paragraph of Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare describes them as “star crossed lovers” as to say that there love was doomed from the very beginning.
Today predestination exists in several forms. Some of these forms would be fate, determinism, and foreknowledge. Today some people do believe in fate and predestination but most people believe that we control our own fate and our own life. Predestination relates to the “American Dream” because the “American Dream” is the opportunity to make individual choices without the restrictions of class, caste, religion, race, or ethnic group. But another big part of the “American Dream” is making lots of money which has nothing to do with the “American Dream”.
The world today has many different beliefs depending on the different regions, but I think most of the world believes that they control their own fate. But when certain things happen, usually good things, people start to question the idea of fate and predestination. I would categorize the worlds belief system today as somewhere in the middle, we are not quite sure what to believe. I believe that you make most of the decisions in your life yourself but when something really good happens where there is no other explanation for it, I believe fate came into play for a brief moment to remind me that it is still there.
Evan “Spicy or P-Money” DaSilva
Hey Mr.Kefor how’s it going? I have your class second tomorrow, pumped for that Romeo and Juliet!
Back in the 1500’s and people still in today’s society believe in a term called “predestination”. predestination is when your life is already decided for you and there is no way you can change it. Predestination happens once you are born and your life is “set in the stars”. predestination was much more popular back in the 1500’s than it is now, but I still believe that it is still around in the world today. When you believe in predestination you believe that you cannot change the course of your life, so what’s the point of trying? This is the my personal belief on the topic of predestination.
I don’t believe in predestination for several reasons. My first reason is I believe you can change your life with one decision, whether it’s a smart decision that changes your life for the best, or for a dumb decision that changes your life forever, like drugs, alcohol, and such. Another reason is I do not personally believe that you couldn’t change your future. The “American Dream” is if you work hard, your life will be the best it could possibly be. I believe that the American dream is possible, because I believe you control your fate. Life is a very fragile thing that can end any day, or even any moment, so live life to the fullest, always thinking that you could have an amazing life.
I know everybody is entitled to there own personal decision, but that is my belief on predestination. The thought of predestination to me in my own words is “a joke” because I believe anything can happen, and whatever happens happens. My last main point to this topic is that “everything happens for a reason”. Every single thing that happens in your life you have to decide upon, but everything does happen for a reason in my personal opinion
Brandon D
Predestination is the belief that god has determined the fate of the universe, and it's entities even before it was created. this was the populae belief of shakesperian england. today most people don't believe in predestination today, though some christian groups like the presbyterians, and other branches of Calvanism. specifically related to shakespeare, there is evidence of predestination in romeo and juliet. the line in the "chorus" these two star crossed lovers, meaning that their destinies were never meant to come together. The belief in predestination says that if you try to change your determined path something will go wrong. In the play, the two commit suicide.
today predestination is not a popular religious concept. while there are some groups that still believe in it today. my opinion is that the majority of people do not believe in it. today many of us subscribe to the "American dream" , the American dream is that you can become whatever you set your mind and focus towards becoming which is the opposite of the philosophy of predestination which is that you will become what god has planned for you to become, and if you try to change that you will become much worse than god's original plan. I think that is a philosophy that I would send to people that I was trying to keep oppressed so that they will stay under your control. a good analogy for the American dream is water because it can be transformed into other states of being aka social classes. predestination is a lot like oil because it won't mix, and it generally stays in the same state, similarly to the people whom believed in it, plus it makes it easier for a civilization to keep on moving by giving certain people certain uses, making society more efficient because they don't have to choose what they want to be since they are already going to be what was planned for them by god.
I believe in the American dream. the concept of predestination seems rather depressing, knowing that the best you can be is what god has planned for you. the American dream however says that you can become anything you set your mind to and I like that because it is a more positive and it means I can do things because I want to not because god wants me to. that is the most important reason that the American dream appeals to me, and it is why I think that the American dream is better.
In the modern world there are many different belief systems, some believing in predestination. I would categories them first by if they have a god/gods, or a supreme being or not. then I would categories them by if they are monotheistic or pagan. then by the concept of a division in the god, , and then by other individual beliefs in being. so if I was classifying Calvinism I would say gods-monotheistic-division in god(holy trinity)- and then that they have the concept of predestination. Hinduism would be difficult under my system though because of the fact that they have many gods that make up one god, Brahman. I cannot think of a better or more accurate system though.
predestination is a concept that is constraining, so I do not approve of it.it also is the opposite of the American dream. while some groups still practice it I believe
that the majority of people would agree that the "American dream" is a better philosophy. the belief systems of today are also very diverse. predestination, while it is a effective method of insuring divine power stays in effect is not an effective philosophy for today's world.
Predestination is a controversial topic. The definition of predestination means that your faith is already set, and there is no way to change it because once God decides your faith, it is put in stone and you live your life following those rules. Predestination still exists today in a variety of religions and beliefs. Predestination comes down to what religion you are. Predestination today is not as popular as it was during the Shakespeare Era, as people back then were very into religion and took religion very seriously. However, people do still believe in similar things like Predestination, such as fate, destiny, etc.
When many Americans think or see the word Predestination, Americans relate it to the “American Dream”. The American Dream is a belief meaning that you can achieve any goal that you want with hard work and determination. Predestination relates to the “American Dream” because your fate is also set if you follow the American Dream (For a time period). The difference between the American Dream and Predestination is that you are able to change your fate in the American Dream whenever you want to. For instance, for the first few years of your life, your fate is set. You will be raised by parents (There are times where this may change) until you are mature enough to understand that your destiny (or fate) lies in your hands. That is when the variables are placed in your life and anything is a possibility. In predestination, there are no variables and once you make a mistake, it is stuck with you forever.
To this date, many new beliefs and religions are coming out. Each religion has its own way of interpreting the idea of predestination, if however, they believe in it. I do not believe in predestination. I believe that every person has the right to find what they are best at and succeed in that particular skill. If my life was already planned out, I don’t know what my life would be like right now. Life can be changed with just determination and hard work. With hard work and determination, you can achieve whatever you want to succeed in.
Panos Nikolos
During the time period when Shakespeare was around, predestination was a common belief. Predestination is the belief that everything we are going to be, do, and amount to has already been decided. Nothing we can do, or say will change this. In Shakespeare’s time they believed the stars and heavens already mapped out each and every persons destiny. For instance if you were a king the stars already decided it, if you were a farmer there was nothing you could do about it that hasn’t already been planned.
Predestination still exists today in many forms. In some religions people believe in predestination just like in Shakespeare’s time. They believe that their whole lives have been mapped out. There are People that believe in forms of predestination however, they might not call it “Predestination.” They call it luck, fate, or destiny. They might use it loosely like it was the, “destiny that the Red Sox won the World Series.” People mention predestination in many forms today.
Predestination is almost the opposite theory compared to the American Dream. The American Dream is basically anyone who puts in the effort, and devotion can amount to anything that they want. Predestination was the belief that whatever you where is what you were going to be. There was no way out of it. So they were the opposite, in the American Dream people have control of their own lives. In predestination people had no control of their own lives.
Today all over the world people believe in predestination. Some devote their religion to it; others believe in it occasionally. Also people all over the world believe that they control their own fate and are in charge. I like to believe that I control my life, and I can change it when every I please.
Anthony Berardi
Jay Hallisey
When Shakespeares time around the 1500's was way different to the time that we are living in the in the 20th century. In that time a big thing had been predestination which was that your like had been planned out from the very begenning. Your husband/wife would be picked out for you, where you lived would be picked out and maybe the amount of kids you would have would be picked out too. Anything could have been picked out for you but you could never change it. That was predestination back in the 1500's.
Now in are time predestination is not used as close as much as it did back in the day. In are time now everything is choosen how you want to live it. Unless you live in a certain part of the world that still has predestination usually kings of queens are most likely to have it now because their parents want them to live a perfect life just how their parents had. My opinion on predestination is that it is dumb because thats like saying your freedom is gone because you have to live a life bascially handed to you and thats pointless. I agree that in the modern time predestination is not used because people need the freedom to live the life they want.
Lastly the words "American Dream" and "Predestination" are too different things to me. First American Dream is not having someone pick out a perfect life for you its you making your life as perfect as it can be. For example you going to college at Harvard, becoming a rich lawyer with 2 great kids and a wife in a big house driving a BMW. One the other hand Predestination is someone giving you a life like that but its picked for you and sometimes you may not always like it. That is my choice on predestination back then and in present day and also the difference between predestination and american dream.
Jay Hallisey
When Shakespeares time around the 1500's was way different to the time that we are living in the in the 20th century. In that time a big thing had been predestination which was that your like had been planned out from the very begenning. Your husband/wife would be picked out for you, where you lived would be picked out and maybe the amount of kids you would have would be picked out too. Anything could have been picked out for you but you could never change it. That was predestination back in the 1500's.
Now in are time predestination is not used as close as much as it did back in the day. In are time now everything is choosen how you want to live it. Unless you live in a certain part of the world that still has predestination usually kings of queens are most likely to have it now because their parents want them to live a perfect life just how their parents had. My opinion on predestination is that it is dumb because thats like saying your freedom is gone because you have to live a life bascially handed to you and thats pointless. I agree that in the modern time predestination is not used because people need the freedom to live the life they want.
Lastly the words "American Dream" and "Predestination" are too different things to me. First American Dream is not having someone pick out a perfect life for you its you making your life as perfect as it can be. For example you going to college at Harvard, becoming a rich lawyer with 2 great kids and a wife in a big house driving a BMW. One the other hand Predestination is someone giving you a life like that but its picked for you and sometimes you may not always like it. That is my choice on predestination back then and in present day and also the difference between predestination and american dream.
Chris White
Predestination was a very popular belief back in the day of Shakespeare. It is the belief that everyone's life is planned out before you are born and no you can't do anything about it no matter what. Today though, predestination isn't a very well supported belief and is only believed by a small minority of the people.
Today, in America, we believe that peoples past or families have nothing to do with their career and that it is only based on their hard work, determination, and talents. I believe that people want to believe in the American dream because it gives people hope that they may be able to change their future. I believe that predestination, if true, is not very fair and doesn't give people an equal opportunity to show what they are capable of adding to the world. The American dream is very fair and says that it doesn't matter who you are and where you come from your ability to make a change in this world is based solely on hard work. I like to believe that the American dream is real and encourages people to try their best and be the best they can be.
Although some people may still believe in predestination, I don't think it is a very highly regarded theory. I believe that people don't believe in this because it doesn't give people hope. In fact, I believe that predestination, or fate, actually drains the hope out of people and essentially drains the will to live out of people to. So, although many people out there may believe in fate, I believe in the American dream and what you do truly matters.
In Shakespeare’s time there was no thinking differently. People were raised in God’s words. So if you were to break your leg you would believe that God planed it. I the world we live to every has different ideas of the Universe. Some people that God isn’t real, and those people believe that they make there life not God. Then there are the people that believe that God controls everyone’s life for birth. Back in Shakespeare’s time everyone in Britain was to believe in God and that there lives have been planed.
The "American Dream" to some people is that God is thanking you for staying loyally to him. That all the things you my have is Gods gifts. Then to the other people is that if you work hard. Things are going to make life easy unless you make it for your self. If God deterred are lives there would be no meaning of life God would take of the ones his pick for good lives and that would be treating everyone different. Then the people that believing that working everyone makes there own dictation for there life.
I believe that I control my life. With my freedom I have and that what I decide to do with my life. If God controlled lives he would not be equal to all of Humanity.
mike donahue
Nick Stanley
In English we are talking about Shakespeare. It is a very interesting book. It is one of my favorite book. Every time I read it I still get confused on it. Just a little bit. I read it every year
I believe that everyone has their own opinions about predestination. Yes, I believe that predestination exist in some form today. People have their beliefs about God and his creations and what happens, happens for many reasons. I do not believe that our desting is mapped out for us. I believe we work hard and that we will succeed in whatever we do. Life is what you make it out to be. I definitely think that we are in control of our own fate. Us American believe we can do what ever we want to do. If we want to be a football player we can we don’t have to do what our parents say to do for a job. I think we do have similar and differences. One difference is we don’t really have that much predestination. I will categorize the belief system in one word to is religion. Some over other people have different religion.
In conclusion this book s going to be a very good book once again. It is going to be that because we have a very good class and we all can read well with a little act sent to. It is going to e a good time.
Predestination is the belief that your life is mapped out so that everything you do is preplanned by a supreme force. It means that no matter what you do, you can’t change your destiny, or fate. During Shakespeare’s lifetime, the concept of predestination was very popular, and many people believed in it. People believed that everything that happens was meant to happen, and that your fate was decided before you were even born. Some people today still believe in predestination, but there are others that believe that you have the ability to choose your fate.
Today, there are still some groups of people that believe in predestination, including certain religions, such as Calvinism. Calvinists believe that God chooses the path that you will follow during your life. The American dream is a very different concept than predestination. It is different because it says that you choose your own destiny, and that you have the ability to control your own life, no matter what your place in society is. Predestination is the complete opposite. The American dream tells you that if you work hard and are a good person, then you can achieve great things. In predestination no matter what you do, your destiny won’t change. Some people believed that if you tried to go against your fate, or destiny, that bad things would happen.
Many of Shakespeare’s works include the concept of predestination. One of the famous examples of this is in Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare referred to Romeo and Juliet as “star-crossed lovers” which means that their stars crossed, and their fates did not end well. My opinion about predestination sometimes changes. I think that predestination exists to an extent, but mainly I believe that we are capable of running our own lives, based on our actions. I also believe that certain obstacles along the way are meant to be there, to help guide us towards our fate, but overall, I believe in the concepts of the American Dream, more than I believe in the concepts of predestination.
-amanda arns
B Blye
William Shakespeare was one of the greatest writers of the English Language. His father’s name was John Shakespeare and his mother’s name was Mary Arden. Back in his time they believed in something called predestination, which means that your life was already planned out before you were even born. There was nothing you could do to change it.
He was a poet and he also had written plays. He had written an average of 1.5 plays in one year when he first started in 1589. The last play he had wrote was called The Two Noble Kinsmen, written during 1613 when he was 49 years old. William would never publish any of his plays, but they had been published by his fellow actors. William had written 37 plays and 154 sonnets, he was also an actor and he performed in many of his own plays. He performed for Queen Elizabeth and later for James I. He had to translate the bible for King James I. At age 14, in eighth grade, he dropped out of school because he was very intelligent for his age. When he was 18 he had bought the second most prestigious land in all of Stratford. He was known as the business man in his home town of Stratford.
The most famous play he had ever written was called Romeo and Juliet; it is a love story but a drama at the same time. The play is about a love that causes suicide for two young people. At his plays you would have to pay four pennies to get the good seats which would be up on the balconies or in the back. The people who couldn’t afford it would have to sit in the front. If you wanted to buy refreshment you would have to pay the price the person selling the refreshment said, or you wouldn’t get it. For dessert they would sell you an orange. For a meal they would give you a meat pie. If you didn’t want the orange or the meat pie than they would give you a tomato, but back then they thought tomatoes were poisoness, so most people would get the orange or the meat pie. His plays were very spectacular to see, and if you were going to see one, then it was important. He was very successful and he is said to be the best writer of the English Language.
At the age of 52, in the year 1616, he passed away.
Predestination is the concept of having one’s fate or destiny preordained before they were born. Any attempt to change their destiny would be in vain as their attempt to alter their fate was part of the grand scheme of things, as it were. Predestination was a popular idea around the Victorian times, so it would be reasonable to say that Shakespeare would include the idea in his writing.
In effect, predestination does exist today. The concept of luck is a slightly warped and watered down version of predestination. One could say that luck can count as predestination, though luck does not necessarily destine you to go to heaven or hell, nor does it mean that there is a celestial plan for you to do what you are to do. One could say that luck is “divine intervention”. Luck is a much more popular idea as opposed to predestination for a number of reasons. One reason is predestination is a very limiting and constraining concept due to the fact that it gives us the idea that we have no control over our lives no matter what actions we take. Luck allows us some feel will, to act on our own consent based on the fortunate circumstances. This makes luck more appealing to believe, more so that predestination. Another reason is that predestination is less popular idea is that it is older than luck, so it became less accepted over time. An adaptation of predestination is horoscope(s), the idea that the position of the stars and sun effect how life on earth played out. Horoscopes, though older, have remained more popular than the concept of predestination due to its history. In ancient time, the Greeks first studied astrology as a way to calculate the time of the year, as their geographical position did not cause drastic enough changes in weather for them to determine. Using the stars’ location and the sun’s location, they effectively knew what time of the year it was. Other cultures around the world used the stars to navigate due to the lack of navigational equipment or landmarks to travel by. Their dependency on the stars lead them to develop the use of horoscopes. Based on the position of the stars, the people in ancient times thought that they could read the future or possible futures. So, in effect, the usage of horoscopes is a short-term, non-guaranteed version of predestination. Again, it does not doom you to hell, nor does it tell you that you are defiantly going to heaven. There are also many other evolved versions of predestination- fate, magic i.e. fortune telling and the like, and more.
For the belief of horoscopes and luck, the both of these concepts are widely accepted. Our society does not adhere to those concepts rigidly as people did with predestination in the Victorian era. One reason that predestination isn’t as supported as much as we once did is because we have advanced as a society and technologically over the last hundreds of years. While luck and horoscopes have a slightly same concept as predestination, they are more favored than that of predestination and therefore predestination is less supported. It might be because the first two, horoscopes and luck, coincide with the “American Dream” better than predestination.
The “American Dream” is a vision that if you work hard, you will succeed in life. Predestination and the American Dream are completely opposite in principles. While the conception of the American dream allows one to think that we almost have complete control over our lives and we can do with it what we wish, predestination says that we have no control over our lives and nothing could be done to change that. With that said, the two principles fully clash. Our belief system is radically different from what it was in Victorian times and even any resemblance of predestination is not followed very closely. Our belief system is based on logic and reason. Today, the majority of people think that most things need proof and evidence for it to be true. Religion has some effect on our outlook but the majority of the people who practice a religion do not believe that their lives are predestined.
Over the past centuries, there has been debate on whether predestination is a feasible conjecture as to whether predestination is true. It also would be extremely, if not impossible, to tell whether that is true. Every decision that everyone makes, hypothetically, would be thought of, fated, and executed by whatever greater power is “out there” meaning that though we think that the decision is our own, it is not. On the other hand, hypothetically, one could say that all our choices in life and the path that we choose really is what we choose- we could say that there is no effort made by any great being(s) to destine our lives. One can only guess. And it would not even be an educated one. It is exactly that- a guess. My opinion is that our lives are not fated and that predestination is not something that I would put my faith in. The things that I do and think is under my own control and that no higher being has planned my life for me. Predestination is plausible and I would not be surprised if it were the truth but for now I think that the choices I make and the ones that people make around me are completely on their own will and it has not been destined.
Peter L.
~Predestination~
During Shakespeare’s time people thought their lives were planned out right when they were born. In Shakespeare’s day, the popular belief was predestination in English. Predestination involves god and his creation. Predestination was a major theme in Romeo and Juliet. Those who believe in predestination believe that before the creation God determined the fate of the universe throughout all of time and space. Predestination is no longer a popular belief. Some people believe in destiny, fate and karma but it’s not as popular today than Shakespeare’s time. Shakespeare and our lives are so much different. Our beliefs are different than Shakespeare’s time. We mostly believe in the “American Dream”.
We have similar beliefs today. They are similar because they both use the common idea that god puts us on earth for a specific reason. Every one is here for a reason. Predestination relates to the American dream because the “American Dream” is the opportunity to make your own choices without the harm of religion, race, or ethnic group. Some say that the American Dream is beyond the grasp of the working poor who must work two jobs to insure their family’s survival. Others say that the “American Dream” has become the pursuit of material prosperity. That people work more hours to get better cars and more fancy things. Yet others look toward a new “American Dream” with less focus on financial gain and more emphasis on living a simple and happy life.
I would categorize the belief system some what high. Lots of people believe in karma, fate and destiny. Some people don’t know what to believe, they are confused about fate and karma. They believe in their religion. So many people have different religion. So different people believe in different beliefs. I believe that you make your decisions by yourself. I think if something happens it happens for a reason, even if it’s good or bad.
*~* Kimberli Lynch *~*
Period:D
Back in Shakespeare’s time everyone found out their predestination. Predestination is a belief that people from the 1500s believed. That you could find out what you child’s goal in life was before they were born, by god. They all decided if their kids were doctors, lawyers, farmers etc. That was the belief that god decided and they stuck with that belief.
I think predestination does somewhat exist today. Not as highly as it was then. But I still think it does exist, a little bit. Because your parents may be supreme court judges or they may be something important and want you to be the same as them. Or you may want to be the same as them. If they were telling you that you had to be whatever they were and that was final, yeah that’s predestination in a sense. God may not be deciding for you but someone equally as important in a way is. If you decide that you want to become what your parents are I don’t think that’s a form of predestination. In the play Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses the line the two were crossed lovers. He meant that their destination was decided before they were born and that they weren’t supposed to be together but the lovers crossed paths.
Predestination goes against all of what the American dream stands for. The American dream is basically saying that we make our own paths, no one can tell us what to be, we make our own destiny. God cant tell us to be lawyers or anything, he may help us but he cant tell us. The American dream is pretty much follow your dreams and don’t let anyone tell you other wise. Predestination in this case makes people sound to be bound or stuck in the place that god sent them as. But the American dream can offer you a lot more. You have many choices to choose from, like getting a degree, owning a business. It doesn’t relate to anything at all.
I would probably say that religion is a good way to categorize the belief systems of our world today. There are so many different religions, that some don’t even fallow the same paths. Some religions don’t even have a basis. But that is what people believe in and what they want to believe in. Or you could also say the government in another good way to say that it categorizes the belief systems of our world today. Because you do follow a certain path but you don’t follow it all the way. People go against the rules all the time. Sometimes for good reasons and sometimes for bad. I think I make my own fate. But then again I also think that my father and mother map out my life. Because they tell me to try harder and that they want me to be this when I’m older or that when I’m older. But then again I get to choose what I want to be and be this or that. I control my own fate. I make what I want to happen, happen. And I try my best and do my best to make that happen. If you work hard enough you can make everything you want to happen, happen.
Emily Christy
Predestination has had a major effect over history; does it still have that hold? The answer is yes; predestination has and will continue to have a hold over us, however small, for eternity. The philosophy of predestination is not truly in modern philosophies but where it is, it is highly ignored. Predestination conflicts highly with the “American Dream”, it tells us that we can never rise above our station in life when the “American Dream” says that “if you try, you can do any thing”. I personally would categorize them as not relating to predestination at all, and that they tell one’s self to be or do, what you want to. Destiny most certainly is not mapped out for me, people control their own fates!!!
Does predestination still hold sway on society? Yes predestination does in its way, but today in most non third world countries (forgive me for I know so little about you, o third world countries) the ideal that “if you work hard enough, you can do any thing”. However in some places in the world predestination still has stayed, an example of this is the belief that women should not become educated and obey the men’s every whim. Most peoples have an entirely different view of the world, people especially in America, believe that “if you try you can do any thing you want to”. The philosophy of predestination goes directly against the American dream, pre destination says you can not rise above the class you were born into or bad things will happen, the American dream says “if you try you can do any thing you want to”. Predestination will still be with us in however small a way, for eternity.
The belief systems of today are much less engrained with predestination than their past counter parts (or in the case of more modern religions, not being truly ever engrained at all). Most religions are based upon people being free to do and/or be what they wish to. People during the time of Shake Spear believed heavily in the concept of predestination, that, your life was planed out before you were born. However people in the slightly (just slightly) more modern age of two thousand and eight; people believe that “if you try you can do any thing”. The American dream is in direct contradiction of predestination, I believe in the American dream so predestination has no grip on me. Fate does not control my life, I control my own fate.
Predestination is still a part of our world and will continue to stay with us even as our beliefs evolve again and again over time. Our philosophies are heading in the opposite direction as predestination, but who knows how things will be in the future! The American dream may even change, conforming to predestination or some other such opposite. The beliefs of today have turned mostly away from predestination as freedom has become one of Earth’s main Ideals. Fate, in my opinion has no control over my life other then that witch I give it. The fact is predestination will never really go away; it will always haunt us in subtle ways, always at the edge of our deepest thoughts.
Predestination has had a major effect over history; does it still have that hold? The answer is yes; predestination has and will continue to have a hold over us, however small, for eternity. The philosophy of predestination is not truly in modern philosophies but where it is, it is highly ignored. Predestination conflicts highly with the “American Dream”, it tells us that we can never rise above our station in life when the “American Dream” says that “if you try, you can do any thing”. I personally would categorize them as not relating to predestination at all, and that they tell one’s self to be or do, what you want to. Destiny most certainly is not mapped out for me, people control their own fates!!!
Does predestination still hold sway on society? Yes predestination does in its way, but today in most non third world countries (forgive me for I know so little about you, o third world countries) the ideal that “if you work hard enough, you can do any thing”. However in some places in the world predestination still has stayed, an example of this is the belief that women should not become educated and obey the men’s every whim. Most peoples have an entirely different view of the world, people especially in America, believe that “if you try you can do any thing you want to”. The philosophy of predestination goes directly against the American dream, pre destination says you can not rise above the class you were born into or bad things will happen, the American dream says “if you try you can do any thing you want to”. Predestination will still be with us in however small a way, for eternity.
The belief systems of today are much less engrained with predestination than their past counter parts (or in the case of more modern religions, not being truly ever engrained at all). Most religions are based upon people being free to do and/or be what they wish to. People during the time of Shake Spear believed heavily in the concept of predestination, that, your life was planed out before you were born. However people in the slightly (just slightly) more modern age of two thousand and eight; people believe that “if you try you can do any thing”. The American dream is in direct contradiction of predestination, I believe in the American dream so predestination has no grip on me. Fate does not control my life, I control my own fate.
Predestination is still a part of our world and will continue to stay with us even as our beliefs evolve again and again over time. Our philosophies are heading in the opposite direction as predestination, but who knows how things will be in the future! The American dream may even change, conforming to predestination or some other such opposite. The beliefs of today have turned mostly away from predestination as freedom has become one of Earth’s main Ideals. Fate, in my opinion has no control over my life other then that witch I give it. The fact is predestination will never really go away; it will always haunt us in subtle ways, always at the edge of our deepest thoughts.
Bradley Jones D 9/18/08
Back in Shakespeare’s time everyone found out their predestination. Predestination is a belief that people from the 1500s believed. That you could find out what you child’s goal in life was before they were born, by god. They all decided if their kids were doctors, lawyers, farmers etc. That was the belief that god decided and they stuck with that belief.
I think predestination does somewhat exist today. Not as highly as it was then. But I still think it does exist, a little bit. Because your parents may be supreme court judges or they may be something important and want you to be the same as them. Or you may want to be the same as them. If they were telling you that you had to be whatever they were and that was final, yeah that’s predestination in a sense. God may not be deciding for you but someone equally as important in a way is. If you decide that you want to become what your parents are I don’t think that’s a form of predestination. In the play Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses the line the two were crossed lovers. He meant that their destination was decided before they were born and that they weren’t supposed to be together but the lovers crossed paths.
Predestination goes against all of what the American dream stands for. The American dream is basically saying that we make our own paths, no one can tell us what to be, we make our own destiny. God cant tell us to be lawyers or anything, he may help us but he cant tell us. The American dream is pretty much follow your dreams and don’t let anyone tell you other wise. Predestination in this case makes people sound to be bound or stuck in the place that god sent them as. But the American dream can offer you a lot more. You have many choices to choose from, like getting a degree, owning a business. It doesn’t relate to anything at all.
I would probably say that religion is a good way to categorize the belief systems of our world today. There are so many different religions, that some don’t even fallow the same paths. Some religions don’t even have a basis. But that is what people believe in and what they want to believe in. Or you could also say the government in another good way to say that it categorizes the belief systems of our world today. Because you do follow a certain path but you don’t follow it all the way. People go against the rules all the time. Sometimes for good reasons and sometimes for bad. I think I make my own fate. But then again I also think that my father and mother map out my life. Because they tell me to try harder and that they want me to be this when I’m older or that when I’m older. But then again I get to choose what I want to be and be this or that. I control my own fate. I make what I want to happen, happen. And I try my best and do my best to make that happen. If you work hard enough you can make everything you want to happen, happen.
Emily Christy
Period B
September 18, 2008
Essay
Tyler C.
September 18th 2008
Predestination was common back in those days, it was not odd to hear someone believe that their fate was already mapped out by god.
Though as old as this idea may seem it isnt really dead yet.
Some people, but few, still believe that god has their future planned out for them in some form or way, whether your job, someone you marry, or even walk down a street. However, we still have some of those principles of predestination in parts of everyday life. Maybe you go to a certain school to choose a specific career, you become too arrogant and believe that you WILL be what you want to be when you graduate, Until you find out that you don't qualify. This is where predestination conflicts with the ''American Dream''.
The ''American Dream'' is something someone believes to be a safe haven or a prosperity of wealth and good living based upon one's ability to do something in order to earn it. Whereas Predestination is when you are already made to do something you may not even know how to do.
To most people the ''American Dream'' was a sign of hope from being saved from poverty, instead of being forced to take a disliked or untrained career or fate for themselves, where people can choose what they want to be, how they make it, who they marry, what kind of house they buy, etc.
If you put the beliefs of our world on a shelf, you would run out of room for there are lots of other ideas from billions of other people around the world.I think it was just be narrowed down to those who believe in a free path, those who believe in arranged livings, and others who might do both.
I personally do not believe my fate has been mapped out. If it was I might have been already dead.
I rather make my life they way I want it to be and keep it that way.
Any other way and it might not be as pleasant as one would have imagined. Whatever you believe in I really do not care, go live your life planned or unplanned.
Predestination: to believe, or not to believe?
Introduction
Predestination: if you were asked about it, what would you be able to say? Could you explain where the idea originated? Would you be able to explain the beliefs that encompass this interesting sub religion? Predestination is a subcategory of Christianity; it is a theoretical emphasis on God having divine power over everything, even Fate. It is essentially the belief that your future, your Fate, the path of your very soul, is written amongst the stars by the God. If you attempted to change your fate, dreadful happenings would plague you and your posterity. The stars have forever captured human interest. From the Ancient Mayans to our modern day world, the stars have bedazzled our meager imaginations.
Part 1: A Brief look at Predestination and Shakespeare
In many instances, Shakespeare demonstrates the commonplace belief in Predestination. For instance, in his famous Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Juliet are referred to as “Star-crossed lovers.” The crossing of stars would be the intertwining of fates, or the averting of fate, which was regarded as being sinful. The general idea was that God has set your fate, and trying to change it, or go against the will of God, was extremely sinful. Therefore, in order to demonstrate the severity of Romeo’ and Juliet’s actions, he uses the term “Star crossed lovers.”
Part 2: Predestination Today
Most of us today practice religion regularly, or believe in some sort of faith. But if we examine a census of main stream religions, Predestination, or Calvinism, would not be amongst the most popular. During, and after, the age of enlightenment, freethinkers began to disagree with Predestination. Thus, Predestination started to die out, but still clung to life; there are still people who practice it today. There are traces of Predestination in our modern day lives, however. A good example of this concept is the manner in which people speak about coincidental or odd occurrences in their lives, the way “it was meant to be.” We use phrases like that quite often, more proof that Predestination and Calvinism are still alive in our modern society. Many people view Predestination as being a whole separate religion; this is, however, false. Predestination, or Calvinism, is a variation of Christianity. It is just not as common as other forms of Christianity, hence the misunderstanding of the subject at hand.
Part 3: Predestination and the American Dream
The American Dream: the ultimate aspiration of many immigrants who came to our country in the 19th and 20th century. Predestination stresses the belief that God has planned out your Fate, and you have to live with it, whether you have been damned or blessed. The American Dream however, focuses mainly on the idea of changing your life, making your existence a better place for you and your posterity. Everyone strives to change the lives of themselves and/or others, but that would be considered trying to change your Fate. If Transcending would be sinful, then the American Dream would also be sinful. Many people believe that Predestination was a way to keep European society in balance and in check. Until the Age of Enlightenment, free thinking was just as sinful as transcending your fate. Essentially Predestination and the American Dream are conflicting beliefs that have influenced development of many cultures and civilizations.
Part 4: My Personal Outtake on Predestination
I do not believe that my future is already written. I think my life is shaped by the choices I make and the actions I take. Every man has a chance to make his life the way he wants it. I believe in God, and I believe He has supreme power over everything, but I do not believe He controls our destinies. I believe in the American Dream, in the sense that I can do anything I want to do with hard work and effort.
Conclusion
Predestination was certainly an interesting subject and religion. It is also fascinating to observe how Shakespeare interwove Predestination into his plays and stories. Predestination is unquestionably a captivating piece of history.
After word
I think the most interesting aspect of Predestination is the sternness of the belief. The Five Points of Calvinism, or basic principles, were rigorously enforced to the followers. I was also intrigued by the fact that Shakespeare may have believed in Predestination, or the fact that he promoted it, since many considered him to be a free thinker. He established many new lingual concepts and words, thus the title of free thinker.
Around the time of Shakespeare, people believed men and womens lives were already planned before they were born. This is called predestination. Their lives were said to be all planned out in the stars.
Some people today still believe in predestination. But, others do not have the same beliefs. For instance, I believe that I control my own fate, instead of the stars. Life comes at you unexpectedly, and how you handle things that happen to you controls how things will turn out. Although I do not believe in certain parts of predestination, I do believe in certain aspects of it. I believe that a person was born to do something in life and will be guided to it.
Predestination goes against the American Dream because people believe that if they work hard enough for what they want, then they will get it. If peoples' lives were already determined, then no matter how hard you tried for something it may not end up happening.
There are many different religions and most of them have different beliefs, but people try hard to get what they want out of life.
During Shakespeare's time many people belived in predestination and it is commonly referred to in a lot of Shakespeare's plays. Predestination is the belief that your destiny is mapped out for you by the stars before you are born. Which means that your whole life, from birth to death, is planned for you. Also, it was believed that if you tried to change your destiny that it would only lead to tragedy. The Christians believed this also because it is written in the Bible that God said everyones destinies are planned for them. Predestination is still believed in by many today. It is mostly belived by Christians today because they follow the Bible.
Presdestination is very different from the "American Dream", in fact it is the complete opposite. The American Dream is the belief that you can do anything or be anything you want to be, as long as you set your mind to it. Also, if you want to live the American Dream you have to work hard to achive that dream. For predestination, however, you can't change your destiny no matter how hard you work at something. And should you change your destiny you would experience severe consequences. Predestination contrasts with the American Dream as they are two very different beliefs. Both are still believed in by many people today.
I believe in predestination somewhat because I believe that your some of your destiny is planned out for you, but that you can change it without any consequences. And should you work hard at your dreams, you can be anything you want, thus controlling your own fate. Predestination is still believed in by many people today. Although, it was believed in a lot more back in shakespearean time.
Allison Capprini
Period F
Predestination is the belief that your entire life is mapped before you are even born. In Shakespeare’s time this was a very common belief. Most people believed in predestination. If someone tried to mess with how your life is supposed to be tragedy would happen. Shakespeare used that in his plays, such as “Romeo and Juliet”. He described Romeo and Juliet as “star-crossed lovers”. He said that because their stars crossed and they were not meant to be together.
Predestination still exists today in some way. People say that everyone has a reason for being on the earth. That is a form of predestination. It is saying that everyone is here to do something. Everything happens for a reason. That is also an example. It says that there is everything that happens was supposed to happen and there is a reason for it happening. Soul mates are also another form of predestination. Soul mates are saying that there is one person that you are supposed to be with. It is almost saying that it was planned that you two were supposed to be together.
The “American Dream” is not like predestination at all. Predestination has exactly how you will live your life planned out. The “American Dream” is where you make your own fate. You can do anything that you want if you work for it. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or how much money you have. Predestination and the “American Dream” definitely conflict. They are basically complete opposites.
I don’t believe that my life is mapped out for me. I think that I can do whatever I want to do. Nothing is stopping me. If it seems like I’m not meant to do something, nothing tragic will happen because I try to do that thing. If you are willing to try hard enough and take responsibility for yourself, you can whatever you want. There is no God working against you telling you that you can’t do something just because of your circumstances. Your life is what you make it to be, not what someone has planned for you. You plan out your own life, no one else.
~~Samantha Gaglio
Back in Shakespeares time, people believed in what is called pre-destination. Pre-destination is when your life is already planned out by God, before you're even born. It's said that if you tried to change what is already planned for you, tragedy will occur. My opinion is that if your life is "pre-destined" whats the point in trying to succeed different things? You should just, as people say, "go with the flow".
It's completely against the "American Dream". Living the American Dream is to work hard to do what you want to do. But then, you couldn't do that because of pre-destination. I wouldnt want my life to be all planned out for me, so i don't think it still exists today. You learn what you learn in time, and do what you want to do in the future.
Your life shouldn't be planned out for you, you should live your life the way you want to live it. Not the way God made it. Life is what YOU make of it, not God. So basically if you work hard to be able to do the things you want to do, you will succeed. Which is all it takes to live the American Dream. If you want to succeed, you have to make the choices that you think are right.
I don't believe in pre-destination. Your future can change basically everyday by every decision you make. No matter how big, or how small it may be. Everything changes, and just because your life isn't all planned out for you, it doesn't mean you wont be successful. All you have to do is work hard to get to your goal, and if you do that you'll live your Dream.
By Natalie Tarrie
Period D
Predestination was a well believed theory, in England, in the time of William Shakespeare. Predestination is often used in Shakespeare’s plays but mainly in Romeo + Juliet. In Romeo + Juliet, the two main characters of they play are immediately introduced as being “star-crossed“ lovers, who are destined to take their lives in the end. Hence, that predestination is based on men and woman whose lives are “mapped out in the stars”, with attempts to disrupt this plan, it leads to tragedy and unhappiness.
The concept of predestination, in my own opinion, does not exist. The choices that people make in their daily lives, lays out a plan in it self causing you to chose your own destiny. In life there will always be a choice of right versus wrong, left versus right, north versus south, the only person who is able to make the distinction of the correct choice is you. The theory that “you can lead a horse to water, but you can not force him to drink” comes into the play where someone can tell you how to live, but you have the choice to take it.
The “American Dream” is to make a life out of success and happiness but the only person who has the power to make themselves happy and successful is themselves. Those who have said to of lived the “American Dream” are people who are hard working, non-stop, dedicated, and persistent. If you are predestined then you do not really need to do much in life to become someone because no matter what you do, it will happen. If people came to this country and did nothing because they believed that what ever was meant to happen would happen, they would be nothing, and have nothing. Therefore, I believe that you chose your own destiny, you are the only person who controls the results of your life.
Does predestination mean the same thing today as it did during the time of William Shakespeare? For some people it is a very strong part of their life, for others it is just a hoax, as for me, it is something to ponder about as I lay awake at night. Today, many think that when stars cross the sky it looks pretty and should be photographed, but back during the time in which Romeo and Juliet was placed, it meant great tragedy. The thought of that great tragedy was put in their minds by the philosophy of predestination, a philosophy that today’s society has set aside.
It is hard to imagine a time in which people felt they had absolutely no jurisdiction of their actions and decisions; a time in which those actions and decisions were already made for them prior to their birth. In today’s society, people do not necessarily believe in predestination, but they believe in subsidiaries of it. Fate, destiny, coincidence, and many other words have been used to supersede the original philosophy of predestination. During the time of life that Shakespeare lived in, most of the people only knew what they were told, and they were told about predestination. Individuals in modern times have been given the opportunity to explore new ideas and notions to the point that there are so many different views on life that there is not a clear majority as it was way back when. Due to that unclarity, it is hard to determine if many people still believe in predestination, but it is still out there among the stars.
The idea that your fate was already determined for you was a safe thought in many eyes, but in others it was a horrific destiny that ought to be toyed with. Romeo and Juliet did just that, they toyed with their marked path and it resulted in an untimely death and tragic end. Many people think that it was unfair and unjust, but others thought it was just their fate. The concept of, no matter what happens it was meant to be, is a very common thought in the minds of individuals today. That exact concept gives people the freedom that they can just live life to its fullest and whatever happens just happens. You would think that the individuals during Shakespeare's time would think the same way, but in fact they did not. They thought that they had a plan laid in stored for them, and that if anything caused that plan to get botched, their lives would end the same way as Romeo and Juliet’s lives did, in tragedy. The predicament is quite clear to see that predestination caused more fear in the old society that maybe to the point that today’s society has explored more philosophies causing predestination to be revised or forgotten.
Equality, democracy, and material prosperity are all part of the “American Dream,” and they are not part of predestination. The “American Dream” are all of the idealistic items of society that can be reached with hard work and determination. There are not any standards for predestination, and it is not something that can be aspired to, it is something that has already been decided and can not be amended. The unambiguous path that predestination has given can not be something to hope for, it is something that is. The “American Dream” is what most individuals strive for, hope for, prey for, and desire, but it is not something that has a direct path, unlike predestination.
I will always ponder about predestination, but I strongly believe that my fate lies within my own hands. I have come to find out that there is always a choice, a decision or option in life, and that my choices were not made by someone else, they were made by me. They were made through sheer consideration and I believe that my destiny should only be made by me because I am the one who has to live with my decisions. Predestination is very good for individuals who like to have a plan so that their decisions will always feel reassured, but for myself, my only plan is to live.
-Kady Ferguson, English F Class
In Shakespeare’s time, predestination was a puissant belief. All of Shakespeare’s plays have some reference to predestination. Predestination is the belief that your life has already been mapped out in the stars, before you were even born. This meant that if your family was poor, you would be poor. People did not try to go against their chain of being; because they thought that it would only lead to tragedy.
Nowadays predestination still exists, but only of a small minority. People have broadened their religious beliefs since Shakespeare’s time. More people believe that they will choose their future and what they want to do. Then again, people still believe in fate, but not to a full extent. People who believe in fate say that it just happens. They don’t necessarily believe that their lives were mapped out in the stars.
In America, there is something called the “American Dream”. America is a place for people of all races and cultural back rounds to make the best of their lives. That they can become something more than what their families were. To earn a living and succeed in life. This is why America is the land of opportunities. This goes against the innate idea of predestination.
Today religion is a very powerful thing. Predestination is not so powerful anymore. I personally do not believe in the idea of predestination. I feel that this belief limits people to their full potential in life. And with that, I believe that people would never succeed in life. I have complete control on how I want to live my life: and to live everyday like it was my last one. And with that I am not afraid to step up to challenges, fears, and goals in life. Today predestination is just a belief like the many others in this vast world. That some may or may not believe in.
-Kristy Cataloni
Predestination was strongly believed during the time of Shakespeare. It was the concept that God had already mapped out everyone’s life, by the time they were born and anything that would happen was a result of fate. Only the stars held the future. If you were to go against the stars, bad things would happen. But in our society today, predestination isn’t as commonly believed. Most of us who do still believe in predestination, simply call it fate or destiny.
Today, a lot of our peers believe in the “American Dream”, a belief that totally contradicts predestination. The “American Dream” is the idea that if you work hard, you can be anything you want to be. You decide your own destiny. I myself believe in mostly predestination, but I do somewhat believe in the “American Dream”. I think that God gives you your body and the world, so why wouldn’t he plan out your life? God plans the right family you’re born into, the good friends you’ll meet, maybe not who’s path you’ll cross everyday, but I think he has given us our work ethics. What I mean by that is God has decided if you will take advantage of the “American Dream” or simply not work hard enough to be anything. I also think God has planned out our personality for the most part, but during our life we might tweek it a little from what he originally planned. Our death is also a part of predestination. Only God knows when we will die and how we will die.
I don’t think we can categorize our belief system today as well as in the time of Shakespeare. Everybody believes something different from the next person. Beliefs are like snowflakes, or fingertips, or tongues; no two are ever the same.
-Amanda Murphy!
In the time of William Shakespeare, many people believed in predestination. In Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, one of the themes were Predestination. It was the belief system of England at the time. Predestination is when people believe that when you are born; your life is already planned out for you. This is still around today but doesn’t seem to have as big as an impact as it had back then. People believed that the stars and heavens already mapped out each and every persons destiny. Throughout many years people’s ideas of predestination has changed.
Today predestination still exists but not nearly as much as it used to. Now people chose how their lives turn out and how they are lived but in some situations people still believe in it. For example, in other countries once your family is royalty such as kings or queens; then you would have to take on that lifestyle. Other situations people don’t consider what happens as predestination, but it was their chose. I think that whenever someone makes a decision in their life that it’s happening for a reason. If someone decides not to follow in your parents footsteps, then there is a reason for that to be happening. In the play Romeo and Juliet when they fell in love, Shakespeare said that it was Predestination. That when they were born it was already planned out and it was meant to happen.
Predestination and the “American dream” are two different things. The American dream is what you want to do in your life and you make your own ways. On the other hand, predestination is saying how everything is already planned. I believe that you make your own life but still it all happens for a reason. Everyone should live their life and not think that it has to turn out a certain way but whatever you do will be right because there is no one telling you how you must live your life. Saying that it has to turn out a certain way is stopping people from doing what they really want and basically taking away their freedom. I don’t think that my life or destiny is set to be a certain way. I make my own life and it will work out that way for a reason.
-Brianna Rogers
class D
Meagan Elliott
9/19/08
Period F
Predestination Essay
Predestination: Is it real?
In the days of Shakespeare, predestination played a big part in the lives of the people. Predestination is the concept that God has planned out everyone's life before they are even born. Everything was told by the stars. Or in other words, people's fates were "mapped out in the stars". And if something occured that was not planned, then tradegy was to follow. This was demonstrated in one of Shakepeare's most popular tradegy: "Romeo and Juliet". In the prologue they were described as "star-crossed lovers". This meant they were not destined to be. But they were together anyway and therefore, tradegy was dropped upon them both.
Today, we do not tend to side in the belief of predestination. However, it does exist in other forms such as luck, destiny, and fate. Most of us do not believe that our lives are mapped out for us by God. We go towards the ideas of luck. But we don't really think of it as being "mapped out in the stars". We just think of it as good fortune or something that happens "in the moment". Destiny and fate are other forms. They are like luck. They are the power that is supposed to determine the outcome. But, if these are not followed, tradegy is not brought upon the person.
Predestination conflicts with part as to we what we know as the "American Dream". As Americans, we believe that we control our lives. We can do what we want with ourselves and our lives. If we are determined and work hard enough, we can get to any destination we see in our minds. We just have to believe in ourselves. However, predestination goes against all of this. If our lives were already planned out, we would have no choice but to follow it. We would have no options. We would have no time to try new things, to experiment. And if predestination were to be real, we would not get second chances to learn from and fix any mistakes. Tradegy would just ruin us.
In life, there will always be at least one person who believes in predestination. Such as a religious group, or just a religion. But, in my opinion, I do not believe that God has planned out my life. I feel that I write my book, my own story. I make decisions for myself. I choose what path I will take with my future. I believe that life will always be what you make of it. And what you decide to do with your life is your decision. Stand up, choose the path you want to take. no one is stopping you.
The Belief of Predestination
During the Shakespearean time period, many people believed that their fate was mapped out in the stars. No matter what you did, the same things were destined to happen to you just because that was the way it was supposed to be. This belief was called predestination. The word predestination comes from the Greek word proorizo which means “to determine beforehand.” The thought of predestination goes all the way back to the Bible. Shakespeare happened to be one of the individuals who believed in this, and it is reflected in much of his work.
Today we have different beliefs that go against predestination. An example of this is the “American Dream,” which is the thought that there are a lot of opportunities here in America and anyone can reach their dream with a lot of hard work. For instance, if you come from a poor family you can one day become very wealthy. All you need to do is work hard and make sacrifices. This really goes against predestination, because if everything is mapped out in the stars, then it really does not matter how hard you work.
In today’s society, we sometimes hear people say “that was destined to happen.” For example, a doctor by chance happens to be at the scene of an accident and is able to save a victim’s life because he was in the right place at the right time. This is how the idea of predestination is used today. Our entire lives are not based on destiny, just certain events.
I do not know if I believe in predestination myself. At different times, I feel differently about it. For instance, if something really bad happens, I might think to myself, “If the theory of predestination is true, why would something bad like this happen to me?” On the other hand, if something really good happens, I might think to myself, “Wow, the only way to explain this is that it was just meant to be.”
Predestination is a very interesting thought that many people still believe in today, though it is not as popular as it was in the days of William Shakespeare. We now have other beliefs, some that disagree with predestination, and others that connect with it in many ways. Even though it’s not as popular today, the theory has been around for thousands of years and will be around for many more years to come.
Tyler Anderson
F Block
In Shakespeare’s time many people believe in the idea of predestination. Predestination was the thought that god had already come up with the way your life was destined to be before you were born. Also nothing you could do could change your fate. Shakespeare uses the concept of predestination in his play Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet are known as “star-crossed lovers” and the people of their time were to have believed that there fates were mapped out in the stars. So why are Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers? Romeo is a Montague and Juliet is a Capulet and the families are enemies of each other. By saying Romeo and Juliet are star crossed lovers, it means that there dreams and hopes are conflicting with what there fate was set out to be.
There are some parts of the world today that still believe in predestination or ideas that have mostly the same morals as it. For example some countries believe that you can not choose your own destiny and that your parents or god will choose it for you. Girls are given a husband by the choice of their parents who believe that the guy is who the daughter is supposed to be with, discarding the fact of whether or not the daughter even likes him. In the United States however we do not believe in the idea of predestination and we believe that every person can make his or her own future what they want it to be. This is known as the “American dream.” These two different concepts are a lot different from the other just like the countries are different from each other, it does not mean that one country’s beliefs are wrong and one is right, it mean that they both have different ways of going about in their daily lives.
I believe that our world today is mostly made up of the belief of trying to get people to have the best possible life on this earth as they can. Different countries may use different ideas and techniques than we do, but almost everyone on this earth’s main goal is to be the best you can be and make a marking on this earth. Everyone wants to be remembered for who they are and what accomplishments they had. Even if you do not get to choose your own destiny you still make the best out of the situation and try to live your life to the fullest. To me, whatever I do now in my life will reflect and make the course of my destiny. If you succeed and try your hardest at what you’re doing then your fate is going to be better off than those who don’t care and do not try to have fun in life.
Overall there are still many countries that believe in a form of predestination. It does not mean they are wrong nor right it just means that to them they have a set life and have to face what is thrown before there eyes. America has the “American Dream” which gives a person more of a chance to shape there destiny. The American dream and the idea of predestination are two beliefs that I believe will never be forgotten in this world and someone somewhere will always believe in them or something that relates to them.
~Caisey Calabro
In the Renaissance days people did not get to choose their own fate. People in the Elizabethen times beleived in predestination. Predestination means that everyones lives were mapped out before they were born. Everyones lives were mapped out in the stars. If you did not follow the stars then a tradgedy would surely happen.Romeo and Juliet were star-crossed lovers which means that they went against their fate and fell in love with each other. Now a days it is not a popular belief, predestination or that peoples lives are mapped out in the stars. Most people believe in fate, destiny, and god. If peoples fates are crossed today it is not that big of a deal than if it happened in the Elizabethan times.
Predestination goes against the "American Dream". Us Ameicans like to believe that if people ty hard and accomplish alot good things will happen to them. Predestination goes against all that Americans are. In an American's daily life we make our own drastic decisions and decide our fates from day to day. If predestination was still around people would not be as diverse as they are today. People would have mostly the same religions, and goals as everyone else. Since people have different religions people have different beliefs. That is why some people today still believe in predestination. i do not believe in predestination. i do believe in fate but not that my whole life is mapped out in the stars and was made before i was born. I believe that people make choices for a reason and that people choose their own destiny.
- Cassie Scanlan
In the Renaissance days people did not get to choose their own fate. People in the Elizabethen times beleived in predestination. Predestination means that everyones lives were mapped out before they were born. Everyones lives were mapped out in the stars. If you did not follow the stars then a tradgedy would surely happen.Romeo and Juliet were star-crossed lovers which means that they went against their fate and fell in love with each other. Now a days it is not a popular belief, predestination or that peoples lives are mapped out in the stars. Most people believe in fate, destiny, and god. If peoples fates are crossed today it is not that big of a deal than if it happened in the Elizabethan times.
Predestination goes against the "American Dream". Us Ameicans like to believe that if people ty hard and accomplish alot good things will happen to them. Predestination goes against all that Americans are. In an American's daily life we make our own drastic decisions and decide our fates from day to day. If predestination was still around people would not be as diverse as they are today. People would have mostly the same religions, and goals as everyone else. Since people have different religions people have different beliefs. That is why some people today still believe in predestination. i do not believe in predestination. i do believe in fate but not that my whole life is mapped out in the stars and was made before i was born. I believe that people make choices for a reason and that people choose their own destiny.
- Cassie Scanlan
Alex Devolve
Sept. 19, 2008
Predestination Essay
In the Middle Ages people believed in a philosophy called predestination. Predestination is a religious concept which means that your life is already planned out before you’re even alive. If anything happened which wasn’t what god planned out then chaos would occur. So if you lived in the Middle Ages and your mom and dad were farmers, you would follow in there foot steps. No matter what you did you couldn’t change fate. In today’s time we don’t follow predestination.
Today we don’t believe in predestination, we believe that if you want something you have to try your absolute hardest to get there. Only then will you reach what you wanted. So many people today say things like, “Never give up, try your hardest, and work for your dream.” Back in the Middle Ages you would never say things like that, because they believed no matter what anyone did you couldn’t change fate. Most Americans believe that if you work hard towards your goal you can achieve it.
I believe in predestination to an extent. The reason I feel that way is because I believe that god knows all, so no matter what I do god is always one step ahead of me. For example if I really wanted to get and A in math an I worked hard and eventually got it, god would already know that I was going to get an A. But I do believe that if you work hard towards something that you can get it.
We have choices in life, many obstacles are thrown our way and we have to make a decision. Depending on that decision your life will change depending on what path you take. So today’s philosophy is much different from predestination because we can change our life. All in all that is what I think about predestination compared to our life today.
In Shakespeare’s time, a lot of people’s lives were influenced by predestination. Predestination is the belief that everybody’s lives are planned before birth. They said people’s fates were mapped out in the stars. Life today is clearly much different. Today, many people barely think about religion or fate or anything that extreme. People these days are more interested in facts than belief. However, predestination does still exist in some places and in different forms today. In this essay, I will tell you about beliefs today, how predestination ties into our beliefs today, and my own beliefs.
Even though most people do not believe in predestination anymore and believe in big religions, such as Christianity, predestination does still exist in some forms today. Some people even believe in the same predestination of Shakespeare’s time. They believe that you have a plan, and you can’t try to change anything. If you did, terrible things would happen. Then in addition to that, predestination is a small part of many other people’s lives. If you are a Christian, which many men, women, and children can say they are, then you may not realize it, but you believe in a small form of predestination too. Some Christian’s believe that God puts your soul into a body, plans what kind of person you will be, and you move on to the afterlife after you die. That is not extreme, but it is a form of predestination. Also, people talk about predestination when not even dealing with a philosophy or religion. It is often used when talking about love. If you ever heard anybody say, “They were meant to be together,” you have heard a reference to predestination. When they say this, they are saying that two people are such a loving, good couple, that they were planned to meet and fall in love since they were born. This concept of predetermined love and fate is used and has been used in many stories ever since stories were written. A lot of these love stories are bedtime stories for millions of children every night. A good example of one of these love stories is the story of Romeo and Juliet, which was written by the great William Shakespeare. However, this is a classic love story about a couple that was not meant to be. It was not written in the stars for them together. This is a little unusual, but it is still a story about predestination. Other references like this are when people talk about a boy being born to play sports, or a girl being born to sing, or somebody being born to be a rock star. These are all references to predestination.
Although predestination is still a small part of our lives, most people these days do not really have a strong belief in it. The three largest religions today are Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. These religions all believe in the soul and an afterlife. However, most believe that you control your life in between birth and death. Like I said earlier, there are some aspects of the religions that have to do with predestination, but that is not what most followers focus on. Now, in the United States of America, citizens believe in the “American Dream.” This philosophy, as you could call it, is very different from predestination. The American Dream is the belief that through hard work and determination, anybody can achieve anything they desire. This is pretty much the exact opposite of the belief in predestination. According to the American Dream, a poor boy with no money, no education, and no family could grow to become the wealthiest, most successful, most famous man in the world if he wanted it bad enough and worked hard enough. Back in Shakespeare’s time, where the philosophy of predestination ruled everyone’s lives, nobody would have ever believed this. Even the young, determined, poor boy would not have believed this. Most would have expected him to grow up poor and remain poor for the rest of his life. Everybody believed that if he tried to alter this route of life, then something bad would happen. These two beliefs are clearly different and shows how predestination conflicts with the new, different beliefs of today.
I have mixed beliefs and feelings about everything. It seems that no matter what the subject is, I never totally agree with one side alone. Therefor, I have mixed beliefs about predestination as well. I do not believe that anyone’s life is completely mapped out before birth. I do believe that everybody has control over their own fate. However, I do believe that the type of person someone will be is decided before birth. I do not believe that anybody’s occupation, friends, success, wife, or death is planned though. As you can see, I do not strongly believe in predestination. However, I have never had somebody give me an argument supporting predestination, so I do not know how strong my beliefs would be if somebody tried to convince me that predestination was real.
As you can see, predestination is a very interesting topic that can spark a lot of discussion. It also makes you notice how different our philosophy today is. I would categorize our belief systems today as a more lenient version of the old philosophies with more freedom. That freedom does make a big difference though. There really is a lot more to predestination than just a meaning.
Alex Devolve
Sept. 19, 2008
Predestination Essay
In the Middle Ages people believed in a philosophy called predestination. Predestination is a religious concept which means that your life is already planned out before you’re even alive. If anything happened which wasn’t what god planned out then chaos would occur. So if you lived in the Middle Ages and your mom and dad were farmers, you would follow in there foot steps. No matter what you did you couldn’t change fate. In today’s time we don’t follow predestination.
Today we don’t believe in predestination, we believe that if you want something you have to try your absolute hardest to get there. Only then will you reach what you wanted. So many people today say things like, “Never give up, try your hardest, and work for your dream.” Back in the Middle Ages you would never say things like that, because they believed no matter what anyone did you couldn’t change fate. Most Americans believe that if you work hard towards your goal you can achieve it.
I believe in predestination to an extent. The reason I feel that way is because I believe that god knows all, so no matter what I do god is always one step ahead of me. For example if I really wanted to get and A in math an I worked hard and eventually got it, god would already know that I was going to get an A. But I do believe that if you work hard towards something that you can get it.
We have choices in life, many obstacles are thrown our way and we have to make a decision. Depending on that decision your life will change depending on what path you take. So today’s philosophy is much different from predestination because we can change our life. All in all that is what I think about predestination compared to our life today.
Kolin Campbell
Block F
Shakespeare’s Predestination into Modern time
The belief of predestination back in the time of Shakespeare was the ruler of everyone’s different future. Predestination was the idea that god had already mapped out the lives of everyone before they were born. The chose from god could not be changed. God controlled the destiny of each person, either great or terrible. In Shakespeare’s plays, predestination is a dramatic part. In “Romeo and Juliet” the two who fell in love were not chosen to end up together. Their lives did not involve each other, and the fact would create a romantic, thrilling piece of literature.
Today though, some people may believe in predestination, but I think that everyone can choose their own life, and how it is going to end up in the future. The philosophy in modern time is that if enough effort is put in to a person’s future, they will control their own fate and achieve what they want to. I believe that the philosophy for modern time makes more sense than the belief of predestination. The concept of predestination is the opposite of the belief today of the “American Dream.” As predestination states, there is no control of the future, but as the “American Dream” states, everyone controls their own lives and the future is a mystery.
The concept of life has changed over the period of Shakespeare and today’s life. I still believe I control my fate. I think that if try hard enough my options in the future are mine to choose from and that I am not only limited to the fate I was given before I was even born. No one controls their fate except themselves.
Kolin Campbell
Block F
Shakespeare’s Predestination into Modern time
The belief of predestination back in the time of Shakespeare was the ruler of everyone’s different future. Predestination was the idea that god had already mapped out the lives of everyone before they were born. The chose from god could not be changed. God controlled the destiny of each person, either great or terrible. In Shakespeare’s plays, predestination is a dramatic part. In “Romeo and Juliet” the two who fell in love were not chosen to end up together. Their lives did not involve each other, and the fact would create a romantic, thrilling piece of literature.
Today though, some people may believe in predestination, but I think that everyone can choose their own life, and how it is going to end up in the future. The philosophy in modern time is that if enough effort is put in to a person’s future, they will control their own fate and achieve what they want to. I believe that the philosophy for modern time makes more sense than the belief of predestination. The concept of predestination is the opposite of the belief today of the “American Dream.” As predestination states, there is no control of the future, but as the “American Dream” states, everyone controls their own lives and the future is a mystery.
The concept of life has changed over the period of Shakespeare and today’s life. I still believe I control my fate. I think that if try hard enough my options in the future are mine to choose from and that I am not only limited to the fate I was given before I was even born. No one controls their fate except themselves.
Ian Mallor
Predestination does still exist in some cases around the world, though it depends on your outlook on life. Many religions still believe in predestination. Millions of people worldwide call themselves Catholic, but not all of them believe in the same things. I know for a fact that most of my friends are Catholic, but I also know that most of them probably laugh at the idea of predestination. But there are some hardcore Catholics that believe that everything they do is all part of the plan. That god already has their life all mapped out and has moved on to some other project. Today you can choose to believe in predestination, or not to believe in it. In the time of Shakespeare, everyone believed in predestination. To go against predestination meant some form of misfortune.
In this day and age, we basically do whatever we want without a thought towards how it will affect the rest of our lives, because we view most of our daily choices as irrelevant to our overall lives. This is a small idea of the “American Dream”. The American Dream basically means that if we start off as the lowest of the low in society, if we try hard enough we can do what we want to do, go where we want to go, and be who we want to be. Everyone seems to love the movie “The Pursuit of Happiness” because it is the story of someone who did just that. But then again, how can we really know that the American Dream isn’t just predestination? How can we know that it wasn’t mapped out in the stars that this man would rise up through the ranks of society to become a wealthy man. For all we know, the American Dream is completely nonexistent and is really just another piece of the puzzle that is predestination?
In general, the world today believes mostly in free will. Back in Shakespeare’s time, the Catholic Church held enormous sway over the daily lives over most of Europe. Predestination was part of the religious belief system. To not believe in predestination was viewed as defiance of the Pope and god himself. I for one do not believe in predestination. I am not Catholic and I do not believe in god, therefore I am free to not believe in it. To me the idea that a supreme being has my entire life mapped out is completely ridiculous. You do what you want in life, and when your time runs out, you become worm food. That’s it. The lights go out and the curtains close. End of story.
In Shakespeare’s time, predestination was the concept that the lives of men and women were mapped out in the stars. The belief in predestination does still exist in some form today. There are many things that happen for no reason that leads me to believe that no matter what you do you are destined for what has already been planned for you. Like so many people play the lottery yet only a few win because they were destined to win. Yet, some people just pick the right numbers.
I am not sure if we subscribe to the same or different philosophy today. We have many different philosophies in today’s world where all views are accepted. We also have many different philosophies where they are criticized. So, I feel that where we are not so strict with our philosophies now, some of this still exists.
Predestination relates to the “American Dream” because many people think that just because people are successful and live the “American Dream” they were predestined for it. However, I believe that you must try in order to become successful or the American Dream or it could pass you by.
The belief system in our world today is varied. I believe that many people think that life is predestined and many think that you can control your own destiny. When you look at how many people end up where they are today I can only say that I think both play a role in our destiny.
I do believe that destiny is mapped out however I believe that you must be able to have the courage to go after what you want in order to reach the destination or you may not reach your fullest potential. How you handle the roadblocks along the way will also play a role in your destination. So, even though the destiny is basically there, it is important to work towards your goals and then you will realize that destiny will find you.
Matt Pelletier
Back in Shakespeare’s day, predestination was a belief system that many people had. The idea of predestination is that your destiny has already been mapped out, it has been, shall we say, “Written in the stars”.
Shakespeare used the idea of predestination in many of his plays. The most famous example is Romeo and Juliet. In this play Romeo and Juliet went against society to be together and ended up having to end their lives to continue to be together; a classic Shakespeare tragedy. Romeo and Juliet were said to be star cross’d lovers, which meant they were not meant to be and they were going against fate.
Today there are people that still believe in some form of predestination. This belief usually comes from a religious base. Some people believe God has already chosen the path for them and there’s nothing they can do to change it. Some religions are stronger than others in this belief. For instance there are some religions that tell there followers not to go to a doctor if they are sick. They feel their healing is in God’s hands some people have endangered there own children in this belief.
Most people believe that they control their own destiny. They believe in the “American dream” that you can be whoever you want to be, and do whatever you want to do. Even in advertising companies use the American dream. Gieco for example states “You can save hundreds of dollars on car insurance by switching to Gieco”. All these ads are saying you can take things into your own hands and change them.
Personally I believe that I control my own destiny and that I can change the path I’m on at any point. That’s part of what makes the American dream so enticing, that even if you are at the bottom of the social class you can move up and become anything you want to.
People today wonder if predestination still exists? Predestination is the concept that everyone’s life is planned out, by God, before their birth. In Shakespeare’s time, which was from 1564-1616 people had different believes than they did today. In those years the life that people lived was determined on the way their family lived. People never pursued more than what their family accomplished. But in today’s society there are many more opportunities that you can achieve, if you wish to. Whether it is pre-determined or not, is entirely up to the individual.
My grandfather, who just recently passed, came from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia to pursue a better life for himself and his family. His father was a coal miner and my grandfather started working out in the coal mines. He knew he wanted more, so he joined the United States Air force. And came into this country looking for a better life. The opportunities this country provided for him, made him able to determine his own fate.
In certain religious cultures, they believe that in order for them to be with God in the end, they have to follow the pre-determined life that is mapped out for them. But in our culture, along with many others your life is not planned out, but is what you make of it. People today want to live the “American Dream” which is Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Due to the many opportunities you can choose your path that you want to follow, whether it be good nor bad.
Overall, I think that I choose my destiny, my fate and my life. That it is not pre-determined by God. However, I believe based on my religion that God is always watching over me, helping me make the right decisions. In the end, God will judge me on how I lived my life.
By Kim Schubert
Ryan Consentino
F Block
Predestination
I think that some people today still do believe in predestination. I think this because there are many people who are very religious. They may believe that God maps out their lives for them because of their religion. But for the most part I think people believe in a different philosophy. I don’t think that there are many people who believe their lives are chosen for them because they want to do what they want with their lives. This is why I think that some people believe in and some people don’t believe in predestination.
The idea of predestination conflicts greatly with the American Dream. Most people believe that you can do what you want with your live. If predestination is real this is not the case. This would make it so that nobody could do what they wanted to in life and they would get stuck with doing something for their whole life even if they didn’t like it. That is how predestination conflicts with the American Dream.
The belief systems of the world today are very different. There are many people who have the same beliefs due to religion or the way they were taught by their families. There are many different belief groups though. Some people believe in different religions and some people believe in the same religions. The belief systems can be categorized into two groups, religious and non-religious people. I do not believe that my life is mapped out for me. I think that I have the ability to do what I want with my life. I think this because I have the ability to control my life as far as I know. That is what I think about the theory of predestination.
In today's society, there are few that believe of predestination, especially in the America. The main reason for this is because our entire culture is based on the idea of "The American Dream" which basically says that anyone, no matter where they came from or who they are, can choose their own life and their own destiny based on what they do with their life. In America, no one gets a job or an amount of wealth because of the class that they're in, everyone has to work hard. Predestination may be the belief of some, but it is not taught to us and enforced because some people think so. Our philosophy is very different. The world is has many different beliefs, although predestination is not one that is thought of that greatly in America, some cultures do like the idea. Other civilizations and cities and countries believe other things like God, or many gods, or even reincarnation. My personal opinion is that our life is chosen based on what we do with it, so yes I am a believer of the "American Dream"
mr. kefor i think that i didnt put my name on the essay i just posted. this is cam hale
Rachel Burgess Block: E
In England during Shakespeare's time, the English believed in predestination. Predestination is the belief that a persons life is planned out from the time they were born until the day they die. If a person disturbs this plan then some sort of tragedy will happen.
The belief of predestination does exsist today for some people. Some people believe that things happen for a reason. An example of this is that a person might lose their job. This may seem really bad at the time it happens, however it is probably because they are going to find something better. Time will show this person why this happened. Predestination conflicts with the "American Dream" because it is based on people making certain decisions for themselves so they can live life the way they choose. Predestination takes away the control over their life. The belief systems of our world today are based on a persons values.
I believe that everything happens for a reason. Even if something bad happens I still think it happens for a reason because it helps you to move in the direction of your lifes plan. I think you are born with a plan for your life. For example, the job you are going to do. The things you experience in life will lead you to eventually find what it is. However, we all have the freedom to do whatever we want which might change the plan, but I just think there is always something that tries to help us get back on our planned path.
Well in shakespears day,predestination is the life of english.Predestination is when people thought that god planned out there life and there fate before they were even born.
Now in our day people pave there own path you be who u wanna be nobodyelse dont ever let someone else tell you how to run your life.If you work hard every single day for the dream you had of becoming something famous like a nba,nfl,mlb all star dont let god make you think your going to become it just work hard every day and your dream could come really succesful.
I think this because i hate the damn laws there so reatarded like oh u cant use cellphones in school is so stupid you cant buy tobbaco unless ur 18 even though every kid under 18 does some kind of tobbacco even if its smoking or dipping.Or how you have to be 21 to buy liqour is stupid because again everyone under 21 drinks it doesnt matta everyone does.
Well in shakespears day,predestination is the life of english.Predestination is when people thought that god planned out there life and there fate before they were even born.
Now in our day people pave there own path you be who u wanna be nobodyelse dont ever let someone else tell you how to run your life.If you work hard every single day for the dream you had of becoming something famous like a nba,nfl,mlb all star dont let god make you think your going to become it just work hard every day and your dream could come really succesful.
I think this because i hate the damn laws there so reatarded like oh u cant use cellphones in school is so stupid you cant buy tobbaco unless ur 18 even though every kid under 18 does some kind of tobbacco even if its smoking or dipping.Or how you have to be 21 to buy liqour is stupid because again everyone under 21 drinks it doesnt matta everyone does.
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