TheErosinShakespeare’sPlays:ItsEssence,ConsequencesandMoreLoveisaveryimportantaspectofhumanlife.TherearefourGreekwordsforlove:storge(thefamiliallove),phileo(friendship),agape(charity)anderos(romance)(Lewis,ascitedinWikipedia,1960).AndthisresearchfocusesprimarilyonerosbetweenyoungloversinShakespeare’sRomeoandJuliet,TheMerchantofVeniceandAMidsummer-Night’sDream.Fromtheplotintheseplays,IwilldiscussShakespeare’sperspectiveofromanticloveandcompareitwiththemodernconceptsoflove.Inmyopinion,theErosdepictedbyShakespeareisverycomplexandquitedifferentfromwhatwenowconsiderastruelove.FromRomeotoPortia,theprotagonistsseemedtobeguidedbysomeimmortalpowerandwereimmediatelyattractedjustatthefirstsightoftheirMr.orMs.Right.Romeo,forexample,forgothisloveforRosaline,whomhehadbeenlongingfor,assoonashesawJuliet’sface:Didmyheartlovetillnow?forswearit,sight!ForIne'ersawtruebeautytillthisnight.(RomeoandJuliet,act1,scene5)Atthesametime,JulietwasintendedtofallinlovewithandmarryParis,andwas,infact,quiterestrained.Butthatdidnotseemtohaveanyeffectonher.Andfollowingthatseemedtobethecommonmerrymakingamongadolescentboysandgirls,althoughthewayRomeodiditwasquitebold.Butshortlyafterwards,JulietalsofellinloveirredeemablywithRomeo:Goaskhisname:ifhebemarried.Mygraveisliketobemyweddingbed.(RomeoandJuliet,act1,scene5)Thisseemedalltoorash,especiallyforayoungladywhowasonly14yearsold.IfRomeo’ssharpturninattitudeindicatedJuliet’sextraordinarybeautyandcharm,thenJuliet’schangewasbeyondexplanation,asRomeowasnotacharmingwooer.
AndPortia’sfallinginlovewithBassanioinTheMerchantofVenicewasevenmoresurprising.BeforeBassaniohadbeguntowooherorevenmether,thatlovefelluponPortia:Come,come,Nerissa;forIlongtoseeQuickCupid'spostthatcomessomannerly.(TheMerchantofVenice,act2,scene7)Infact,Portiaseemedtohavelostallherwisdomthistime,trustingtheglitteringappearanceofapieceoffool’sgold.WhenitcametoAMidsummer-Night’sDream,ShakespearesimplyborrowedaspritefromthelegendcalledPuckinordertoarrangesome“love-at-one-sight”situationsfortheyounglovers,whichwasamusingfortheaudiencebutprobablyalittleannoyingfortheyoungpeopleintheplay.AlthoughneitherLysandernorDemetriusfellinlovewithHelena“atfirstsight”,thelovepotiondidnottakeeffectuntiltheimageofthegirlwascastintothemen’seyes.However,theproblemwiththe“loveatfirstsight”isthatthisloveisverylikelytobesuperficialratherthansincereasloversarenotabletogettoknoweachotherwell,thereforeitismorepossibletoendupingriefordisappointment.Forinstance,whenJulietfoundthatherhusbandhadkilledhercousin,shewasinterribledilemma:ShallIspeakillofhimthatismyhusband?Ah,poormylord,whattongueshallsmooththyname,WhenI,thythree-hourswife,havemangledit?But,wherefore,villain,didstthoukillmycousin?Thatvillaincousinwouldhavekill'dmyhusband:Back,foolishtears,backtoyournativespring;……(RomeoandJuliet,act3,scene2)Ontheonehand,shecouldnotspeakillofherloverandwasworriedabouthissafety,ontheotherhand,shewasingreatpaintohadlostherbelovedcousin.Thatlovedidcausegreatermiseryforthelovers.
AndasforPortia,shedidnotknowthatBassaniowasverypooruntiltheygotmarried.AndwhetherBassaniotrulylovedherisnotundoubtable,sinceitwaspossiblethatBassanioatleastpartlyconsideredPortia’swealthwhenhedecidedtotryhisluck:AndfromyourloveIhaveawarrantyTounburdenallmyplotsandpurposesHowtogetclearofallthedebtsIowe.……OmyAntonio,hadIbutthemeansToholdarivalplacewithoneofthem,Ihaveamindpresagesmesuchthrift,ThatIshouldquestionlessbefortunate!(TheMerchantofVenice,act1,scene1)TheconsequenceofthatlovewasthatPortiahadtotrytoinsertsomecontroloverherhusbandbyplayingthetricktoteachhimalesson.Consideringthattheywerejustnewly-wed,PortiacouldbeagoodtamerforthecarefreeBassaniointhefuture.Anyway,theideaofusingthethreeboxestotestwhowasthetrueloverwasquiteanovelone,whichIbelievenoexpertonmarriagewillsincerelyrecommend.AlthoughtheGreekphilosophersdidwriteabout“loveatfirstsight”,theyalsomentionedsomecasesinwhichpassionoccurredaftertheinitialmeeting(Wikipedia,2013).However,Shakespeareseemedtohaveignoredthesesituations.Maybeitwasnotjustbecausehewaswith“smallLatine,andlesseGreeke”(Jonson,1618).Thereasonliesinmanyaspects.Firstofall,thearrangementisofbetterdramaticeffects.Becausetheloversintheplaysfellinlovesoquickly,theywouldinevitablyleavesomethingunrevealed,whichcouldintheendbethekeyoftheplot.Also,therearemoretwistandturnsandconflictsinthekindofplot.Secondly,thismighthavesomethingtodowiththestatusofwomenatthattime.Aswecanseefromthescripts,womenatShakespeare’stimewereataninferior
status.InRomeoandJuliet,althoughtheoldCapuletexpressedthathisconsentwasonlypartofJuliet’schoiceoflove,LadyCapuletstillurgedherdaughterJuliettoobeyherparents’will.AndyoungJulietdidpromisetotry:I'lllooktolike,iflookinglikingmove:ButnomoredeepwillIendartmineeyeThanyourconsentgivesstrengthtomakeitfly.(RomeoandJuliet,act1,scene3)Andsuchlinesexpressingwomen’saffiliationwiththeirlovers,husbands,orfatherswerealsofoundinTheMerchantofVeniceandAMidsummer-Night’sDream.Forexample,inAMidsummer-Night’sDream,TheseuswarnedHermiaofrebellingherfather,andexpressedthatshewasinthehandofherfather:Toyouyourfathershouldbeasagod;Onethatcomposedyourbeauties,yea,andoneTowhomyouarebutasaforminwaxByhimimprintedandwithinhispowerToleavethefigureordisfigureit.(AMidsummer-Night’sDream,act1,scene1)ItthenseemsthatthechoiceofyounggirlslikeJuliet,HermiaandPortiawasarebelliontowardsthemale-dominantsociety.AsbothJuliet’sandHermia’smarriageweredeterminedbytheirparents,theyounggirlsmightchoosetheirownloverswithhastesothattheywouldatleastspendtheirliveswithsomeoneoftheirownchoice.AndthoughPortia’sparentshadalreadypassedaway,herdestinywasstillcontrolledbyherfather’swill.Forallofthem,thewaytoresististochoosealoveroftheirownfast(oratonesight)andbreakawaywithherloverassoonaspossible.Nonetheless,formostoftheyounggirlswhodarednotstandagainsttheirfamilies,itwasbettertolovewhomevertheybelongto.Thereforetheywouldtryorpretendtolovewhoevercameatthem.Forexample,Juliet,beforemeetingRomeo,triedto“love”Paris“atonesight”,thoughsheeventuallyfellinlovewithRomeo:I'lllooktolike,iflookinglikingmove:
ButnomoredeepwillIendartmineeyeThanyourconsentgivesstrengthtomakeitfly.(RomeoandJuliet,act1,scene3)Formen’spart,mendidnothavetosacrificeasmuchaswomendidinonerelationshipwhenmenweresuperior.ThereforeRomeocouldwoothegirlhepreferredatfirstsightwithoutmuchconsideration,andLysandercouldchangehismindeasily.However,Ihavepicturedtoosolemnapictureofthelovementioned.Infact,wecanhardlydenythefaithofRomeoandJuliet,andthelovebetweenLysanderandHermiaseemedtogrowmatureafteralltheobstacles.Ithink,thisloveisalsotruelove,becauseloversovercomedifficultiesinthepursuitoflove.Andthisloveliesinthehumanmind.Sothethirdreasonisthatthiskindofloveisalwayspartofhumanaffection.Suchclichéoffallinginloveatfirstsightandremaininginloveforeverdespiteallobstaclesalsoappearedinmodernliteratures.Zweig’sLetterFromAnUnknownWomenalsodepictsthepsychologyofallJulietsandHelenasofalltime.AndDuras’sHiroshimamonamourremindsmeofRomeoandJulietinthatthefemaleprotagonistinthemoviealsofellinlovewithoneoftheenemiesofhernation.Itseemsalwaysattractivetolovesomeoneofaliencharacters,forinstancethefoeswhomonehasknownlittle(May.1969).Thepointissimple:theinclinationtobeirrationalalwaysexists.AndthatmightbethebasicviewoflovebyShakespeare.However,therationalmodernconceptoflovefocusesmoreonthemutualtrustandrespectside,whichisprobablyduetotheemphasisonequality.ErichFromm(1956)“presentedloveasaskillthatcanbetaughtanddeveloped,andrejectedtheideaoflovingassomethingmysterious.”HearguedinTheArtofLovingthattheactivecharacteroftrueloveinvolvesfourelements:care,responsibility,respect,andknowledge(1956,p.24).Itcanbeconcludedthattherationalmodernconceptandtheperspectiveheldby
Shakespearebothhavetheirstrengthandweakness.Therationalonehasrealizedtheimportanceofrespect,whichishardforpeopleofShakespeare’stimetorealizebecauseofthefactofwomen’sbeinginferioratthattime.ButShakespearedidperceivethesubtleaspectoflove,whichwasinterpretedbyancientGreekandMedievalEuropeanliteratureassomedivinepower.Inaword,loveisdifficulttoperceiveandunderstandunlessonehasbeenthroughitonhisorherown.Reference[1]Duras,M.(2010).广岛之恋.(L.D.Tan,trans.).上海：上海译文出版社.(Originalworkpublished1960)[2]Eros(concept).(2013,May31).RetrievedJul.27,2013,fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eros_(concept)[3]Jonson,B.(2013,Jul.15).TotheMemoryofMyBeloved,theAuthor,Mr.WilliamShakespeare,line31.RetrievedJul.28,2013,fromhttp://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ben_Jonson#To_the_Memory_of_My_Beloved.2C_the_Author.2C_Mr._William_Shakespeare_.281618.29[4]May,R.(1969).LoveandWill.NewYork:W.W.Norton&Company.[5]Shakespeare,W.(1866).AMidsummer-Night'sDream.TheGlobeEdition.Cambridge:MacMillanandCo.[6]Shakespeare,W.(1866).RomeoandJuliet.TheGlobeEdition.Cambridge:MacMillanandCo.[7]Shakespeare,W.(1866).ThemerchantofVenice.TheGlobeEdition.Cambridge:MacMillanandCo.[8]TheArtofLoving.(2013,Jul.22).RetrievedJul.28,2013,fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Loving
[9]TheFourLoves.(2013,Jul.21).RetrievedJul.27,2013,fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Loves[10]Zweig,S.(2006).一个陌生女人的来信.斯·茨威格中短篇小说选（S.Y.Zhang,trans.).北京：人民文学出版社.(Originalworkpublished1922)
微信/支付宝扫码支付