Romeo & Juliet: Phrase - "O, I am fortune's fool."?

Question

Can someone explain to me exactly what Romeo means when he says that? Thanks.

Answer 1

There is something you must know about Shakespeare; he likes to use fortune in his stories.  When he uses fortune however, he personifies it making it Fortune instead of fortune.  In King Lear, he refers to Fortune's wheel.  

Here in Romeo and Juliet, he has Romeo say "O, I am Fortune's fool" because Romeo realizes that regardless of the deeds he has done or the deeds he will do, none of his future is in his control, but in Fortune's control.  

As I mentioned above, Shakespeare has used this concept in other cases.  When he refered to Fortune's wheel in King Lear, he had a character say that Fortune's wheel had thus turned.  The character had originally believed that he controlled his destiny, but by the end of the story, he realized he had no control over it what so ever.  Here he used the personified version of fortune to show character development.

Answer 2

  Romeo is upset because he has just killed Tybalt, thus destroying his future with Juliet.  He realizes that he is the victim of his "fortune," or fate.  He no longer has control over his fortune, his fate.  He is a fool for destroying his future with Juliet.  This is the climax of the play.  What happens from this point on will change has been changed dramatically because of what he has done.