Santana Sampier Eng 112 8/28/10 Interpretations of True Love In many different historic cultures marriage was considered

a tool for survival. The traditional process was getting married to benefit self or family and eventually fall in love. Deciding factors in choosing a spouse could depend on wealth, in-laws, or social class, but never love. According to Stephanie Coontzs article, The Radical Idea of Marrying for Love, two people marrying because they were in love was frowned upon and was considered an austere threat to social order (251), while William Shakespeare explains how everything is built around love the duties loved ones owe to each other to prove their feelings are real. During certain times and cultures love was believed to get in the way of more important priorities such as parents, siblings, cousins, God, and even neighbors. The Greeks considered love a sickness while the French considered it a derangement of the mind with the ability to be cured by sexual intercourse with hopes it will kill temptation and help the person move on (251). According to Coontz, In Europe, during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, adultery became idealized as the highest form of love among the aristocracy (251). Most people believed they were supposed to marry for security but fall in love with someone different, such as a mistress. Women in ancient China would bring their sisters home to their husband as backup wives, while women in Nepal may be married to more than one of their husbands brother (Coontz 254-55). These practices are dangerous and ridiculous because there wasnt any form of birth control during that time and it was most likely common for women to begin having babies with other men after

Santana Sampier Eng 112 8/28/10 she marries. There were also no cures for sexually transmitted diseases which posed a threat to all people of all ages. Shakespeare believed in feelings much stronger and deeper. Love is a bond between man and woman that binds them together for the rest of their life with or without marriage. Let me not to the marriage of true minds (1), wrote Shakespeare speaking about his true love and what he believes it really is. True lovers must join together as one mind with complete honestly. True love is considered unalterable by all means, but if sacrifices needed to be made for the well being of the spouse, the other should be flexible and willing to compromise to live happily together. Love never dies, even when someone attempts to kill it. Even though people and circumstances may change like physical beauty or youth, love is constant. Coontz refers to a man who wrote many loving letters to his wife throughout their thirty year marriage but he still divorced her when she was unable to care for him the way she previously did to due to her age (253). In todays society a man would be viewed as week and disrespectful for such actions, especially in America. Such practices are the stuff of trash TV, states Coontz (255). Shakespeare refers to love as the North Star in Sonnett 116, and two lovers as wandering bark (6). Lovers are supposed to use their North Star to navigate them through their life together permanently, because as Shakespeare writes, Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks (11). Its difficult to understand the minds and traditional ways of people throughout the years, especially about marriage and love because the concept in todays society is completely opposite. Youre supposed to fall in love before marriage because it assures a secure and meaningful future together. Being forced into a marriage that would benefit

Santana Sampier Eng 112 8/28/10 their place in society and only to try and fall in love with the partner afterwards seems so ridiculous in todays world. Adultery is a sin that seemed to be accepted and wellpracticed in the centuries before us. Considering all of the situations combined, it sounds like a very bleak life to lead. Shakespeare wraps up his conclusion by offering anyone to challenge his beliefs about love. He says, If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved (13-14). If he could be proved wrong he agreed to take back everything he said as if his words never existed and to never write again, proving that no man had ever loved. The greatest gift is to love and be loved in return, a marriage license should neither, strengthen, or void a partners love for each other or decide social class in society.

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Works Cited

Coontz, Stephanie. The Radical Idea of Marrying For Love. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. Eds. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. 10th ed. New York. Pearson Longman, 251-261. Shakespeare, William. Sonnett 116. Handout.