Shakespeare's "Henry IV" an "Twelfth Night."

Paper Summary:

The paper shows how Shakespeare links romantic love with power, greed and politics. It starts with an analysis of "Twelfth Night," discussing how the entire plot focuses on the love interests of the characters. It looks at Shakespeare's suggestion that love - only if politically feasible, is permitted. It looks at the character of Viola and the power issues raised by the fact that she is disguised as a man. The economic compatibility in the final twist of the plot is explored, as are Sebastian's unromantic motivations for marriage. The paper concludes by looking briefly at the theme of love motivated by politics in "Henry V."

From the Paper:

"Ah love. It appears to be a rather simple emotion at first glance. You find someone you are attracted to physically, then the attraction grows into affection, and the affection grows into love. The two of you marry, and live happily ever after. Right? It would seem that dear Shakespeare couldn't quite grasp the simpler aspects of love, and marriage, for most of his plays dealing with love are littered with unromantic things like politics, and economic gain. One obvious play is "Twelfth Night," and one less obvious play is "Henry V;" however both show Shakespeare's tendency to link romantic love with less romantic power, politics and greed."

More papers on Shakespeare's "Henry IV" an "Twelfth Night.":

• Analytical Essay # 23473 : "Twelfth Night"
• Analytical Essay # 49245 : "The Struggle towards Unity in "Henry IV"
• Analytical Essay # 130725 : "Comedy as Instruction in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night"

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