Star-crossed lovers?
Fate, Fortune, and the influence of the stars; how seriously did Shakespeare's audience take them? As in so many things, the plays offer a dynamic debate on the subject. There was certainly a widespread belief in astrology, though Shakespeare's own views, as usual, are impossible to pin down.
Then there is Queen Mab, the magical creation of Mercutio. Is this wonderful poetic outburst a simple decoration, or does it in some way echo the movement of the play from a comic to a darker world?