Love can be presented very differently in literature, depending on the context and time that the text is set in. Across the three extracts, taken from ‘The Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ by Margaret Atwood, love is seen to be interpreted in various ways. It is portrayed that whilst love is strong, lovers must be patient, dedicated and selfless for their relationships to be functional. It can also be seen that love is a choice, but that the choice is manipulated by the society in which we live.
The first extract from ‘The Merchant of Venice’, presents idea that love must not be rushed, as it is very important that Brassanio chooses the casket with Portia’s picture inside so that the two of them may be together. This is emphasised in Portia’s lines “yet a maiden hath no tongue but thought – / […] I could teach you/ how to choose right, but then I am forsworn” which is a metaphor that suggests that she knows, without her help, Brassanio may …show more content…
When the narrator declares “I’ll empty myself, truly, become a chalice. I’ll give up Nick, I’ll forget about the others. I’ll stop complaining. I’ll accept my lot. I’ll sacrifice. I’ll repent. I’ll abdicate. I’ll renounce”, it can be argued as being a selfless move – the narrator is willing to do all of these things to protect the person she loves. It is assumed that the narrator loves the person she refers to as ‘Nick’ but that she must sacrifice this love for their survival. Through the use of anaphora and listing, the author emphasises that the narrator has many things that she is prepared to do in order to survive, and arguably to keep Nick from harm too. However the repetition of “I” reflects selfishness and it can be argued that although she loves Nick, she is willing to give it all up to keep herself from
The first extract from ‘The Merchant of Venice’, presents idea that love must not be rushed, as it is very important that Brassanio chooses the casket with Portia’s picture inside so that the two of them may be together. This is emphasised in Portia’s lines “yet a maiden hath no tongue but thought – / […] I could teach you/ how to choose right, but then I am forsworn” which is a metaphor that suggests that she knows, without her help, Brassanio may …show more content…
When the narrator declares “I’ll empty myself, truly, become a chalice. I’ll give up Nick, I’ll forget about the others. I’ll stop complaining. I’ll accept my lot. I’ll sacrifice. I’ll repent. I’ll abdicate. I’ll renounce”, it can be argued as being a selfless move – the narrator is willing to do all of these things to protect the person she loves. It is assumed that the narrator loves the person she refers to as ‘Nick’ but that she must sacrifice this love for their survival. Through the use of anaphora and listing, the author emphasises that the narrator has many things that she is prepared to do in order to survive, and arguably to keep Nick from harm too. However the repetition of “I” reflects selfishness and it can be argued that although she loves Nick, she is willing to give it all up to keep herself from