1. Unexpected events: Shakespeare's tragedies often feature unexpected twist of fate or sudden occurrences that set the chain of tragic events in motion. For example, In Romeo and Juliet, the tragic feud between the Montague and Capulet families leads to a series of unfortunate events, including the death of Tybalt and the banishment of Romeo.
2. Coincidence: Coincidental happening and chance encounters frequently contribute to the tragic outcomes. In Hamlet, the accidental death of Hamlet's father, King Hamlet, sets off the series of tragedies that follows, including Hamlet's madness and the death of several characters.
3. Miscommunication and misunderstanding: Miscommunication and misunderstanding are also common elements of Shakespearean tragedies. These often arise due to chance encounters or mistaken assumptions. In Othello, for instance, Iago's cunning manipulation and Desdemona's misplaced handkerchief leads to the tragic misunderstandings that ultimately causes Othello's downfall.
4. Fate and prophecy: Shakespeare sometimes introduces a sense of predetermined destiny or prophecy, suggesting that characters are subject to forces beyond their control. In Macbeth, the three witches' prophecies foretell Macbeth's rise to power and his eventual downfall. This sense of fate adds tragic dimension to the play, implying characters' limited agency in shaping their own destiny.
5. Irony and reversal of fortune: Shakespearean tragedies often employ dramatic irony, where the characters' actions and intentions tragically backfire due to chance occurrences. This reversal of fortune adds poignancy to the plays and highlights the unpredictable nature of life. In King Lear, Lear's decision to divide his kingdom among his daughter unleashes a series of ironic turns, leading to his tragic downfall.
By emphasizing the role of chance ,Shakespeare heightens the sense of uncertainty and unpredictability in his tragedies. This underscores the vulnerability human being and the fragility of their fortunes. Chance forces become part of the tragic interplay between human actions, emotions and external circumstances, leading characters towards their inexorable down fall.