“The course of true love never did run smooth” – this statement, made by the male protagonist Lysander in I,1 of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is arguably one of the most well-known lines from the play. In a nutshell, it represents its: the trials and tribulations of love; the obstacles young love has to overcome, the intrinsic complexities of established love, and the victory of true love in the end.
This paper aims to take a look at the way, how different stages of love and love concepts are represented in AMD. As Shakespeare is said to have written this particular early play between 1594 - 1596 , a closer look will be taken at the conventions of love poetry in the literature of the Elizabethan age. The influence of the Italian Renaissance poet Petrarch’s love poetry concept on Elizabethan love poetry conventions will be of special interest at this point.
Further on, Shakespeare’s very own love concept in his romantic comedies will be compared and contrasted to the love poetry of his age. The late 16th century and early 17th century, from the 1690ies and particularly with the onset of the reign of King James I, brought about a change in the perception and creation of conventional Elizabethan love poetry: from the commonplace Petrarchan conceits to a more individual, realistic yet Puritan depiction of the praised woman . With AMD being conceived in this particular time frame, possible reflections of this literary change of mind in the discussed play will be outlined in the analysis of this play.
Scholars argue, that AMD originally might have been written by Shakespeare for a noble wedding celebration , because of its lenght, the marriages at the end of the play and the different aspects of married life the play offers. The aspect of marriage and marital conventions in the Elizabethan age will be another point of analysis in this paper, determining whether Shakespeare stayed true or subverted common assumptions of married life at his age. The final analysis will try to apply the aforementioned theoretical points to AMD and take a look at how marriage, love, and literary love concepts are represented by the respective couples in the play.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Love in Elizabethan Literature and Society
2.1 The Petrarchan Love Concept in Elizabethan Poetry
2.2 Marital Conventions in Elizabethan Society
3. Shakespeare’s Depiction of Marriage and Love in his Romantic Comedies
4. Representations of Love and Marriage in A Midsummer Night’s Dream
5. Conclusion
6. Works Cited
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines how different stages and concepts of love are represented in William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, specifically contrasting Elizabethan literary conventions—such as Petrarchism—with Shakespeare’s own evolving depiction of love and marriage within his romantic comedies.
- The influence of Petrarchan love poetry on Elizabethan society and literature.
- Marital conventions and patriarchal power structures in the Elizabethan era.
- Shakespeare’s subversion of traditional love tropes through satire and realistic portrayals.
- The role of the "green world" as a space for re-evaluating relationships and gender roles.
- The interplay between mature love and the youthful, fickle nature of inexperienced love.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 The Petrarchan Love Concept in Elizabethan Poetry
Elizabethan love poetry originated from several sources, among them “Chaucer’s study of courtly love”. The most significant influence, however, can be traced back to the Italian love poetry of the 16th century, most notably the doctrine of the Italian Renaissance poet Petrarch. Petrarchism and its religious reverence of love and beauty that existed in 14th century Italy, has its origins in “medieval love poetry”: love of God and the love of a lady were the major themes of medieval Provencal love poetry. In those poems, the worship of the holy virgin was allegorically expressed by the love for a human woman, who was adorned with the pure beauty of nature and worshipped like a saint:”Petrarch effected the first major change in the spiritualization of love and beauty through his insistence upon the spiritual nature of woman’s beauty.” She had to be pure, innocent and resistant to her lover’s laments as consummation would actually ruin the ideal love; thus, the stereotypical refusal of the subservient, noble lover is a quintessential part of the love poem. Petrarch’s archetypal object of affection, Laura, is “kind in cruelty, quiet in scorn, chaste in anger, proud in humility”; unapproachable, just as the Virgin Mary, forcing the lover to contain and sublimate his passion and feelings for her. The love for the saint-like woman was for Petrarch nevertheless no way to God, which is shown in Petrarch’s repenting after Laura’s death.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the paper's aim to analyze the representation of love concepts in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and explains the connection to Elizabethan societal and literary norms.
2. Love in Elizabethan Literature and Society: This section explores the origins of Petrarchan poetry and the strict social regulations governing marriage and gender roles in Elizabethan England.
3. Shakespeare’s Depiction of Marriage and Love in his Romantic Comedies: This chapter discusses how Shakespeare utilized and satirized contemporary love conventions, emphasizing the journey to maturity and the restoration of harmony in his comedies.
4. Representations of Love and Marriage in A Midsummer Night’s Dream: This section analyzes specific relationships in the play, highlighting how the characters represent different facets of love while subverting patriarchal and Petrarchan expectations.
5. Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes how A Midsummer Night’s Dream mirrors the complexity of human behavior and argues that the play rejects static rules for love in favor of individual experiences.
6. Works Cited: This section lists the primary and secondary sources used in the research.
Keywords
Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Petrarchism, Elizabethan society, marriage, romantic comedy, patriarchal power, gender roles, literary conventions, love poetry, satire, green world, mature love, young love, subversion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this academic paper?
The paper examines how William Shakespeare represents various concepts of love and marriage in A Midsummer Night’s Dream against the backdrop of Elizabethan societal and literary conventions.
Which historical literary movement is central to the analysis of love poetry?
The Petrarchan love concept, which emphasized the idealization of the beloved and the spiritualization of beauty, is the primary literary framework analyzed in relation to Elizabethan poetry.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to determine whether Shakespeare adhered to or subverted common assumptions about marriage and romance during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
What methodology is employed in this research?
The author uses a comparative literary analysis, contrasting Elizabethan cultural and social norms (such as parental authority and arranged marriages) with Shakespeare’s dramatic representations.
What topics are covered in the main body of the work?
The work covers the history of Petrarchism, the reality of marital conventions in the Elizabethan era, and an in-depth analysis of character dynamics in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Shakespeare, Petrarchism, Elizabethan marriage, romantic comedy, and the subversion of gender roles.
How does the play depict the "green world"?
The "green world" is analyzed as a symbolic space—the fairy woods—where societal and patriarchal rules are suspended, allowing for a healthy re-evaluation of values and relationships.
What does the author conclude about the relationship between Theseus and Hippolyta?
The author posits that while they represent "mature love," their relationship is also tainted by a history of coercion, functioning as an allegory for patriarchal control over women.
- Citation du texte
- Sema Kara (Auteur), 2012, Love Concepts in William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/209306
