Love
‹ 4 · Outline · 6 ›
5.Illicit and tragic passion
5a.Adulterous and forbidden loves
See also: Honor 8a · Madness 5a
Homer, The OdysseyVol. 22
- p. 106Ares and Aphrodite lie together, eager for love, in the absent Hephaestus's house.read · scan
Aeschylus, AgamemnonVol. 8
- p. 34–35Helen as love's rose whose thorn pierces the soul, bringing ruin to Troy.read · scan
Euripides, HippolytusVol. 8
- p. 303Aphrodite makes Phaedra fall in love with Hippolytus as an instrument of vengeance; Phaedra's secret love wastes her.read · scan
- p. 317–320Phaedra confesses her fatal passion for Hippolytus, obliquely through her mother's and sister's doomed loves; Nurse calls love sweet yet dolorous.read · scan
Virgil, The AeneidVol. 13
- p. 152Dido confesses her rekindled passion for Aeneas yet vows fidelity to dead Sichaeus, whom she worships in the grave.read · scan
- p. 152Dido and Aeneas unite in the cave; she calls it marriage to sanctify what is shame.read · scan
- p. 207Pasiphae's mad passion and its monstrous offspring are shown in sculpture.read · scan
- p. 210Souls of unhappy lovers moan in the Mournful Fields; Aeneas pleads with Dido, who scornfully turns to her loyal Sichaeus.read · scan
Plutarch, CiceroVol. 12
- p. 240–241Clodius, in love with Caesar's wife Pompeia, disguises himself to reach her.read · scan
Plutarch, CaesarVol. 12
- p. 270Clodius, a profligate, loves Caesar's wife Pompeia, who is not unwilling; watched by Aurelia.read · scan
Songs from the Elder EddaVol. 49
- p. 431–433Borgny's lover Vilmund and Oddrun's past love for Gunnar frame the story.read · scan
- p. 433–436Oddrun recounts her forbidden love for Gunnar, which she and he could not withstand.read · scan
- p. 436–438Oddrun tells of her lasting love for Gunnar, whom she could not save, and wonders that she still lives.read · scan
The Story of the Volsungs and NiblungsVol. 49
- p. 354–355Randver and Swanhild fall in love on the voyage, which Bikki turns into a charge of betrayal.read · scan
Dante Alighieri, HellVol. 20
- p. 21Francesca tells how love quickly seizes gentle hearts, is not denied to the beloved, and brought her and Paolo to one death.read · scan
- p. 21Francesca recounts how reading of Lancelot drew them together and led to their first kiss.read · scan
Dante Alighieri, ParadiseVol. 20
- p. 323Folco confesses his youthful ardour, greater than Dido's or Hercules's for Iole, yet in Heaven no repentance remains, only joy.read · scan
Sir Thomas Malory, The Holy GrailVol. 35
- p. 131–132Launcelot loved the queen unmeasurably and did great deeds for her; the hermit demands he forbear her fellowship.read · scan
William Caxton, Prefaces and EpiloguesVol. 39
- p. 20The book shows love, friendship, hate and murder among knights.read · scan
Miguel de Cervantes, The History of Don Quixote of the Mancha, Part IVol. 14
- p. 328Amorous passion is vanquished only by shunning it; Lothario's siege overcomes Camilla and destroys friendship.read · scan
- p. 331–332Lover's sighs, cruelty and devotion in the sonnets; Camilla is enamoured of Lothario.read · scan
- p. 341Lothario pleads that love excuses greater errors and broke the holy laws of amity; Camilla denounces him as enemy of what deserves love.read · scan
- p. 351Leonela's secret affair and promise of marriage mirrors the illicit love of Camilla and Lothario.read · scan
Christopher Marlowe, Edward the SecondVol. 46
- p. 73–74Isabella professes love for Mortimer and would conclude against her husband.read · scan
Molière, Tartuffe, or The HypocriteVol. 26
- p. 250–251Tartuffe declares his passion, arguing love of eternal beauty does not destroy love of earthly beauty.read · scan
- p. 251–253Tartuffe presses his suit, promising discreet love without scandal and contrasting himself with boastful court gallants.read · scan
- p. 269–271Elmire feigns sharing Tartuffe's passion to expose him.read · scan
- p. 271–272Elmire feigns love, describing woman's modest resistance; Tartuffe demands proof of it.read · scan
John Dryden, Dedication of the AeneisVol. 13
- p. 29–30Dido's love and generosity; Aeneas bound to constancy after the cave.read · scan
- p. 32Virgil's Book IV depicts the whole process of passion from beginning through jealousy, rage and despair.read · scan
- p. 35–36Ovid's charge that showing unlawful love in action is no lesser fault than teaching it.read · scan
- p. 37Dido's passion and its violent effects surpass Calypso's languishing tears in Homer.read · scan
John Dryden, All for Love; or, The World Well LostVol. 18
- p. 11–13Antony and Cleopatra as patterns of unlawful love whose end was unfortunate.read · scan
Jean Racine, PhaedraVol. 26
- p. 142Phaedra confesses her fevered, shameful love for Hippolytus, a passion sent by Venus and inherited in her doomed family.read · scan
- p. 142–146Phaedra's guilty passion revives when Hippolytus returns; she hates her life and holds her love in horror.read · scan
- p. 157–158Phaedra's unruly passion for her stepson breaks out, confusing him with the dead Theseus; Hippolytus sees love's strange effects.read · scan
- p. 160–161Phaedra confesses her love for Hippolytus, a passion she tried to fight by banishing him.read · scan
- p. 172–174Hippolytus observes that love has spread fatal poison through the house.read · scan
- p. 181–182Her illicit passion for Hippolytus and jealousy of Aricia and Hippolytus's mutual love.read · scan
Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for ScandalVol. 18
- p. 138–139Joseph schemes to become Lady Teazle's lover despite meaning only to ingratiate himself.read · scan
Robert Burns, Poems and SongsVol. 6
- p. 202–204Love's sacred flame may be indulged, but illicit love hardens the feelingread · scan
- p. 461–463Hopeless guilty love for Maria; a wife's longing for husband away at war.read · scan
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Household TalesVol. 17
- p. 162The king's violent love for his daughter is a perverse passion born of grief for his wife.read · scan
Lord Byron, ManfredVol. 18
- p. 423He recalls Astarte, so like himself, her pity and tenderness, and his love for her.read · scan
- p. 423Loving Astarte, he broke her heart; his love proved fatal.read · scan
William Morris, PoemsVol. 42
- p. 1185–1187Guenevere tells how love for Launcelot grew through the seasons, unhappy in Arthur's loveless marriage.read · scan
- p. 1187–1188The garden meeting and kiss with Launcelot recalled as remembered bliss.read · scan
- p. 1190–1192She recalls inviting Launcelot to her chamber, longing for companionship like children.read · scan
- p. 1192–1193Launcelot comforts Guenevere and arrives as champion at need.read · scan
5b.Seduction and betrayed women
Homer, The OdysseyVol. 22
- p. 210Love beguiles the minds of women, even the upright, as the Phoenician sailor seduces the woman.read · scan
Miguel de Cervantes, The History of Don Quixote of the Mancha, Part IVol. 14
- p. 203Don Fernando's intimate friendship with Cardenio, and his love for a farmer's daughter, whom he plans to win with a promise of marriage.read · scan
- p. 255–257Don Fernando's affection was drawn by idleness's lynx eyes; the source of her fall from happiness.read · scan
- p. 257Don Fernando wooes her with gifts, music and letters; she calls his motive appetite rather than true love.read · scan
- p. 260Fernando takes an image as witness of contract with unusual oaths of marriage; she pleads by the love he bears her.read · scan
- p. 262Betrayed, she resolves to pursue Fernando in disguise.read · scan
- p. 359Dorothea, abandoned, appeals to her matchless affection for Fernando, who seduced her with amorous requests and then forgot her.read · scan
Balow; The Old Cloak; Jolly Good Ale and OldVol. 40
- p. 186–188She keeps loving the false lover, warns against men's flattering courtship, and cherishes her babe.read · scan
A Sweet Lullaby; Preparations; The Unfaithful ShepherdessVol. 40
- p. 197–199By love she purchased blame; she still speaks well of the father's noble mind.read · scan
William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of DenmarkVol. 46
- p. 177–178Ophelia's ballad of Valentine's day tells of a maid seduced and abandoned by promise of marriage.read · scan
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, The Tragedy of Faust, Part IVol. 19
- p. 45–46Dance song warns of maids betrothed and then betrayed.read · scan
- p. 180–182Faust sees a vision resembling Gretchen, her corpse-like eyes and his fond remembrance of her.read · scan
Robert Burns, Poems and SongsVol. 6
- p. 194–196A friend's abandoned lover laments plighted faith and mutual flame, with promised fatherhood, now lost.read · scan
- p. 295–297Weaver lad wins a maid's heart; seduction and its shame.read · scan
Alessandro Manzoni, I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed)Vol. 21
- p. 323–324Lucia returns Gertrude's caresses with affection, like a lamb licking the hand of the shepherd who has sold it.read · scan
5c.Love turned to hatred or vengeance
Virgil, The AeneidVol. 13
- p. 243–245Circe's love for Picus, refused, turns to disdain and she transforms him into a bird.read · scan
- p. 260Stepmother's lust turns to hate when Hippolytus rejects her, leading to his death.read · scan
Songs from the Elder EddaVol. 49
- p. 371–374Brynhild longs for Sigurd, wed to Gunnar, and is driven by thwarted love toward murder.read · scan
- p. 377–380Brynhild declares she loved Sigurd alone and could love no other; her love turns to vengeanceread · scan
The Story of the Volsungs and NiblungsVol. 49
- p. 323–324Brynhild's thwarted love for Sigurd turns to hatred; she cannot love Gunnar, though Sigurd says his love should outweigh gold.read · scan
Benvenuto Cellini, The Autobiography of Benvenuto CelliniVol. 31
- p. 99Cecchino's unbounded love for his pupil Bertino drives him to avenge Bertino's supposed death.read · scan
Miguel de Cervantes, The History of Don Quixote of the Mancha, Part IVol. 14
- p. 155Tale of the shepherd's love turned to hatred through jealousy while the scorned shepherdess loves him more.read · scan
John Milton, Paradise LostVol. 4
- p. 261Satan plans hate under feigned show of love.read · scan
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