Question

Suppose you were asked to revise the following sentence using academic vocabulary.

Shakespeare seems to say the stars are to blame for what happens to Romeo and Juliet.

Which answer would work best for this task?

Shakespeare’s use of foreshadowing conveys the theme that we are all victims of fate.

Shakespeare made everything uncertain to make us want to keep reading.

Romeo and Juliet can’t help what happens to them in the end.

Shakespeare threw in all sorts of roadblocks in front of Romeo and Juliet.

Answer 1

The first option is best:

"Shakespeare’s use of foreshadowing conveys the theme that we are all victims of fate."

Reason: it uses academic vocabulary and concepts ("use of foreshadowing," "conveys," "theme," "fate") and avoids colloquial phrasing. If you want the sentence to stick more closely to the original (about Romeo and Juliet specifically), you could revise it to: "Shakespeare’s use of foreshadowing conveys the theme that Romeo and Juliet are victims of fate."