In act three, scene one, Tybalt seeks revenge on Romeo for infiltrating his uncle's ball and challenges him to a duel. However, Romeo has secretly married Tybalt's cousin Juliet and does not desire to fight him. Romeo's close friend Mercutio comes to his defense and challenges Tybalt to a duel instead. During their fight, Romeo intervenes by throwing himself between the two men, and Tybalt manages to fatally wound Mercutio while he is distracted by Romeo. Following Mercutio's death, Romeo seeks revenge on Tybalt and eventually kills him. Immediately after Tybalt dies, Benvolio instructs Romeo to run away in order to avoid the prince's decree. Romeo responds to Benvolio's instructions by saying,

"O, I am fortune's fool" (Shakespeare, 3.1.135).

Essentially, Romeo does not take responsibility for his violent actions and blames fate for his bad luck. Romeo believes that he is controlled by fortune and has been manipulated by destiny to commit the crime. His response suggests that humans are not likely to accept full responsibility for their actions and tend to believe that there are underlying supernatural forces controlling their separate paths in life.

Similarly to Romeo, many humans believe that their fate is irreversible and their experiences in life are predestined. Romeo completely dismisses his impetuous, brash nature as a source of his problems and considers himself a fool for not following his conscience. Earlier in the play, Romeo received a premonition that entering the Capulet ball would somehow lead to his demise, which is exactly what happens after he murders Tybalt. By blaming fortune for his irrational actions, Romeo exonerates himself from all wrongdoing and is convinced that his destiny has doomed him.