Love and Marriage in Renaissance Literature Essay - 973 Words

Love and Marriage in Renaissance Literature In medieval Europe, the troubadours (poets of the southern part of France), like Guilhem IX, or Cercamon, first began to write poems about humble men falling in love with women who were admirer and adored by their lovers. Furthermore, intense love between men and women became a central subject in European literature, like between Tristan and Iseult, Lancelot and Guinevere, or Aeneas and Dido. But it was not question of marriage. Actually, marriage and love did not match very well together but then Renaissance literature developed the concepts of love and marriage and recorded the evolution of the relation between them. In the Renaissance poetry, Donne, in†¦show more content†¦Besides, the widows had a large common law right which became very well protected in the 16th century. So the financial need to marry was present, it meant that the alliance was a possibility to increase the families richness. However, a certain link between marriage and love began to appear in the Renaissance period, with the great William Shakespeare, for example. Indeed Shakespeare created lovers whose main concern was not what they would inherit, but rather the love thy felt for each other. In many of his plays, Shakespeare created couple who sometimes were not allowed to love each other and above all whose main concern was not the well being of their families. Thus, Lysander and Helena (in A Midsummer Nights Dream) Romeo and Juliet, or Othello and Desdemona, married for love rather than financial conveniences and inheritances. In Shakespeares plots, there were usually two forms, but the lovers were always disapproved by their families and societies. Anyway, in one of these two forms, the families tried to select the future wife thanks to economic features mainly. It did not represent a forced marriage because the family wanted them to be well together that was why they brought the couple together. And the concept of freedom of choice was developing. However it was not equally dispensedShow MoreRelatedLove and Marriage in Renaissance Literature1228 Words   |  5 Pagesfalling in love with women who were admirer and adored by their lovers. Furthermore, intense love between men and women became a central subject in European literature, like between Tristan and Iseult, Lancelot and Guinevere, or Aeneas and Dido. But it was not question of marriage. Actually, marriage and love did not match very well together but then Renaissance literature developed the concepts of love and marriage and recorded the evolu tion of the relation between them. In the Renaissance poetry,Read MoreThe Reflection of Life During the Renaissance in Literature1601 Words   |  7 PagesLife in the Renaissance has been greatly reflected through the literature of its time. Many authors from this time reflected life in the Renaissance through their works. 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OnRead MoreDifferences Of Shakespeare And Much Ado About Nothing By William Shakespeare1668 Words   |  7 PagesShakespeare is regarded as a very influential writer in British literature and has been an inspiration for literature beyond his time. This play has been recreated for the cinema in many versions of film. One version of film in particular is by the director Kenneth Branagh in 1993 (IMDb). Both the Much Ado About Nothing play and the Much Ado About Nothing film have differences, updates, and similarities that relates back to Renaissance time or to current 21st century culture. The original text that