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Marriage in shakespeare's time
Theme of love in literature
Marriage in shakespeare's time
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Marriage and love played a critical role in human society. Societies consider marriage as a social institution that ensures continuity of values, beliefs, practices, and behaviors of individuals in the society. However, values, beliefs, practices, and behaviors attributed to marriage are subject to change. Evidence shows that marriage changes with time, the same way cultural values and beliefs of human beings do. For instance, Tavares (289) asserts that marriage practices, values, and customs of the past century vary significantly from the marriage value of the present time. The play Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice by Shakespeare shows a different perspective of marriage than how it is depicted in the Elizabethan England period (1158-1603 A.D.).
In the Elizabethian England years, it was considered a foolish act to marry for love; people believed that love might occur in a marriage. When a man wanted to marry, he had to tell his parents since they had wisdom on how to marry. A young man was supposed to let them look out for the one 's best interest, negotiate, and then recommend a marriage
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For instance, Queen Elizabeth gave the Duc d’ Alencon a diamond ring with the promise of her hand in marriage. The ring goes to the third finger of the left hand otherwise commonly referred to as the ring finger also used presently. This was done under the premise that women have a vein in their third finger that leads directly to the heart (Lualdi 73). Alternatively, we see a Desdemona’s handkerchief as a symbol of love in the play. The handkerchief is well embodied with strawberries and a magic web to symbolize love. In the play, love exists where people first fall in love, then take the next decision to get married. As opposed to the Elizabethan England, where people make contractual wedding based on their parents and friend 's choice (Applo
" 'As Marriage Binds, and Blood Breaks': English Marriage and Shakespeare" Shakespeare Quarterly 30, (1979):
be easily manipulated and influenced by love can take a toll on the weakest and the strongest people living on earth. Manipulation fueled by love is something that is invariably unrecoverable from. Like the rest of society, Othello, a fictional and heart-struck character in the play Othello, let his heart and the people around him manipulate his mind and take advantage of his authority. Dependent on the thoughts of others, Othello is a gullible person with an emotionally unstable nature that would shatter his love for the innocent and graceful Desdemona.
Both the Taming of the Schrew and The Odyssey handle marriage in very different ways, but both ways have their flaws. In the book, The Odyssey, Odysseus goes out on a journey that lasts him years. When making his trip home Odysseus is unfaithful to his wife Penelope who is waiting for him at home. This is a theme you never see Taming of the Shrew. In Taming of the Schrew Petruchio never cheats on his wife Katherine, but their marriage is far from perfect.
Centuries ago in Elizabethan England there were many traditions about marriage and the treatment of women. One strong tradition of these times was the practice of marriage between races. Interracial marriages were considered extremely taboo. (High Beam). In this era marriages were arranged by the parents with strong help from the local church. The individuals had little choice as to who they would marry. (Elizabethan England Life). Yet another example of these traditions was the respectable treatment of women. While the husband was in charge of his wife, as was the father, the husband were expected to treat the women right (Elizbethi). In spurning all of these traditions, Shakespeare demonstrates a view of marriage far different from that of Elizabethan England, in doing this he is trying to plant new ideas in the people who read or view the play.
The Manipulation of Gender Roles in Shakespeare’s Othello. Of Shakespeare’s great tragedies, the story of the rise and fall of the Moor of Venice arguably elicits the most intensely personal and emotional responses from its English-speaking audiences over the centuries. Treating the subject of personal human relationships, the tragedy, which should have been a love story, speaks to both reading and viewing audiences by exploring the archetypal dramatic values of love and betrayal. The final source of the tragic action in Shakespeare’s
Love is defined as a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person. Faithfulness is often defined as true to one's word, promises, vows, or being loyal. In Homer’s famous story, The Odyssey, Odysseus and Penelope show their true love for one another, and how a good marriage can stay together. In “Bound by Love and Disability, and Keeping a Vow Until the End” you can take away that Edwin and Noemi love each other dearly. Marriages do not always turn out the way you want, but true love can make good things happen.
Though not the first relationship that is brought to light in Othello, familial relationships - the relationship shared between family members - are the ones that people are first exposed to in their own personal lives. In Shakespeare’s tragedy, there is only one depiction of a familial relationship: the one between Desdemona and her father, Brabantio. Most of the interaction the audience sees from the two is during the time when the legitimacy of Desdemona and Othello’s marriage is called into question. Similar to what is expressed in other families, it is suggested that, prior to the start of the play, Desdemona and Brabantio shared a companionate love, one characterized by intimacy and commitment (Sternberg). This explains his shock when
“The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice” is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, roughly around 1603. “Othello” is said to based on the story “Un Capitano Moro” which translates to A Moorish Captain by Cinthio. Both the concept of the courtier and courtly love were firmly established in literature and etiquette in and around Shakespeare 's time which he uses to great effect in his play “Othello.” In Othello, a major part of the story is the concept of the courtier and of courtly love. The concept of the courtier and courtly love plays a strong role in the Shakespeare 's play “Othello” as it describes interactions between Cassio, Desdemona, and Othello; the unfamiliarity of Othello to such customs created animosity within him and
It is well known that Shakespeare’s comedies contain many marriages, some arranged, some spontaneous. During Queen Elizabeth's time, it was considered foolish to marry for love. However, in Shakespeare’s plays, people often marry for love. With a closer look into two of his most famous plays As You Like It and Twelfth Night or What You Will, I found that while marriages are defined and approached differently in these two plays, Shakespeare’s attitudes toward love in both plays share similarities. The marriages in As You Like It’s conform to social expectation, while the marriages are more rebellious in Twelfth Night. Love, in both plays, was defined as
In the Shakespear’s play “Othello” it is clear to see that the relationship between him and Desdemona is a complicated one wrought with passion and confusion which leads to emotional trauma and physical abuse. At point and times in the story of “Othello” love was transmuted different. Othello was not as gentle and kind as Desdemona when it came to his lover he a times exhibited symptoms of insanity. He also at times exhibited lack of confidence that is found in the perceived unity of marriage. This was apparent that the two lover on loves battlefield were on two opposing sides, Desdemona was honest and faithful to Othello until their tragic end.
Courtly love is extremely evident throughout “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” and allows the development of each character within the plot. Courtly love was believed to be originated in France during the 12th century and eventually spreading to other countries in Europe, influencing authors, such as Geoffrey Chaucer, throughout. English courts, which handled marriages, practiced the art of courtly love from the 12th century to the 14th century, during which marriages were pre-arranged and had little to do with love. A marriage was not based on love, rather on what each participant brought to his or her spouse and families. As love and romance was not a portion of marriage, it became an acceptable practice to seek another romancer outside of the marriage, as long as the spouse adhered to the strict rules of chastity and fidelity (http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/courtly-love.htm). Furthermore, courtly love was only practiced between a man and woman of some sort of noble status, typically between...
The most important relationship displayed in the story is between Othello and Desdimona. Shakespeare uses many examples to illustrate how the bond between them shines in the beginning and then fades as the play progresses. At the opening of the play they are being married without Desdimona's father's consent. In this time period a father owned his daughter in a way, and held the right to choose her husband. When her father ( Brabantio) learns of the news he is furious.
A.C. Bradley describes Othello as "by far the most romantic figure among Shakespeare's heroes"(Shakespearean Tragedy, 1). This is an unusual description of a man who murders his own wife. However, Othello's feelings of hate for Desdemona started as an overwhelming love for her when their relationship began. This transformation from love to hate also inflicted the characters Iago and Roderigo and like Othello their hatred resulted in the murder of innocent people. Roderigo's love for Desdemona was transformed into hate towards any man that he thought was loved by her. Iago's love for his job and his wife, Emilia changed into a destructive hatred of Cassio and Othello. As a result of their hatred Cassio, Emilia, and at the end themselves were killed. The connection between love and hate in William Shakespeare's "Othello" is the ugly feeling of jealousy that caused such transformations. Jealousy can be described as a fear of losing something or someone that is valuable (Godfrey 2). As minor as this feeling appears to be by that definition, it can take on varying degrees of damaging behavior. Othello, Roderigo, and Iago became paralyzed by jealousy. Their thoughts, actions, and behaviors were ruled by it. Jealousy caused their inability to the act rationally. They became paranoid and unable to love. This paper will examine the jealousy that caused love to turn into hate for Roderigo, Othello, and Iago.
What is love? Love is the pinnacle of all emotions, it is the epicenter for life, what is the point of living if there is no love, ironically love is the cause of many a down fall. William Shakespeare has single handedly captured and embraced this necessary feeling and has allowed us to view in on it through the characters in his two masterpieces, Othello and King Lear. Three different kinds of loves explored in both Othello and King Lear, sharing both similarities and differences are a love for a significant other, the love a father holds to his children, and the love a daughter holds for her father. By looking at the outcomes of these loves one may draw a sense of loves negative and positive effects, and how the different traits of loves play into the outcomes in the fate of Shakespeare's characters. Through the analysis of love in these two plays one will become a more knowledgeable student of literature.
In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen shows examples of how most marriages were not always for love but more as a formal agreement arranged by the two families. Marriage was seen a holy matrimony for two people but living happil...