The shared purpose of both the fable by Aesop and the excerpt from Act 1, Scene 4 of Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet" is to instruct with a moral lesson.
In Aesop's fable, the underlying message concerns the dangers of trying to avoid fate or destiny, as the prince's attempts to escape his foretold demise ironically lead to his untimely death. In Shakespeare’s text, Romeo expresses a foreboding sense that something bad is destined to happen due to the stars, highlighting the theme of fate and the inevitable consequences of actions. Both texts ultimately convey the idea that one cannot escape fate, and that attempting to do so can lead to unforeseen and tragic outcomes.