Love Stories: The Discourses of Love Stories: The Discourses of Desire in Literature and Culture, Desire in Literature and Culture,

1800 – the Present1800 – the PresentSession TwoSession Two

AgendaAgenda

Summary of Session OneSummary of Session One Theorising and historicising desire: Theorising and historicising desire:

Catherine BelseyCatherine Belsey Tennyson, ”The Lady of Shalott”Tennyson, ”The Lady of Shalott”

Happy Valentine’s Day !!!Happy Valentine’s Day !!!

““For this was on seynt Volantynys day / For this was on seynt Volantynys day / Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.” (make.” (Parlement of FoulesParlement of Foules))

"Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's Day." "Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's Day." ((HamletHamlet))

” ” […] So now you're gone / And I was wrong […] So now you're gone / And I was wrong / I never knew what it was like/ To be alone / I never knew what it was like/ To be alone […]” (Linkin Park ”Valentine’s Day”)[…]” (Linkin Park ”Valentine’s Day”)

Love is a quotationLove is a quotation

””Every other night on TV someone says ’I Every other night on TV someone says ’I love you’” (Rolan Barthes)love you’” (Rolan Barthes)

Postmodern declarations of love: ”I love you Postmodern declarations of love: ”I love you as they say in the movies” (Umberto Eco)as they say in the movies” (Umberto Eco)

A Summary of Session OneA Summary of Session One: John : John Keats’ ”To Fanny Brawne”Keats’ ”To Fanny Brawne”

””You cannot conceive how I ache to be with You cannot conceive how I ache to be with you: how I would die for one hour – for what you: how I would die for one hour – for what is in the world? I say you cannot conceive; it is in the world? I say you cannot conceive; it is impossible you should look with such is impossible you should look with such eyes upon me as I have upon you: it cannot eyes upon me as I have upon you: it cannot be” (NE2be” (NE2: 900/ 952): 900/ 952)

A Summary of Session OneA Summary of Session One

Love = the desire or longing for merging or Love = the desire or longing for merging or uniting with an other,uniting with an other,

But union and fusion = death, i.e. the end of But union and fusion = death, i.e. the end of longing,longing,

So merging, uniting and fusing with the So merging, uniting and fusing with the other is staged as an impossibilityother is staged as an impossibility

A Summary of Session OneA Summary of Session One

Love is the love of loveLove is the love of love Love concerns that which threatens or Love concerns that which threatens or

prevents love: physical, social, prevents love: physical, social, pyschological obstaclespyschological obstacles

A Summary of Session OneA Summary of Session One

””La Belle Dame Sans Merci”La Belle Dame Sans Merci” The knight and the elfish lady: love is magic The knight and the elfish lady: love is magic

(enthralment, enrapture, captivation, (enthralment, enrapture, captivation, fascination, charm)fascination, charm)

The narrator and the knight-but-not-quiteThe narrator and the knight-but-not-quite The reader and Keat’s odd poem (ballad The reader and Keat’s odd poem (ballad

metre and frame structure)metre and frame structure)

La Belle Dame Sans MerciLa Belle Dame Sans Merci

La Belle Dame Sans MerciLa Belle Dame Sans Merci

Jean-Honore Fragonard, Jean-Honore Fragonard, The The ReaderReader (1769-72) (1769-72)

Jean-Baptiste Greuze, Jean-Baptiste Greuze, Lady Reading the Lady Reading the Letters of Heloise and AbelardLetters of Heloise and Abelard (1758-1759) (1758-1759)

Theorising Desire – According to Theorising Desire – According to Catherine Belsey. ”Reading Love Catherine Belsey. ”Reading Love

Stories”Stories”Two key assumptions of romance:Two key assumptions of romance: Human beings are divided into mind and Human beings are divided into mind and

bodybody Human beings are incomplete until united Human beings are incomplete until united

with their soul mateswith their soul mates

Theorising Desire – According to Theorising Desire – According to Catherine Belsey. ”Reading Love Catherine Belsey. ”Reading Love

Stories” (cont.)Stories” (cont.) In romances ”true love offers to unify mind and In romances ”true love offers to unify mind and

body” (23)body” (23) However, romances celebrate ”the elemental However, romances celebrate ”the elemental

otherness of desire as a constituent of true love” otherness of desire as a constituent of true love” (28) in metaphors of the destruction of subjectivity (28) in metaphors of the destruction of subjectivity [remember Keats!][remember Keats!]

””True love, then, is not so much a union of mind True love, then, is not so much a union of mind and body as an alternation of their dominance” and body as an alternation of their dominance” (30)(30)

Belsey, ”Adultery in King Arthur’s Belsey, ”Adultery in King Arthur’s Court”Court”

Arthurian legend: Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Arthurian legend: Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Elaine, Mark, Tristam, Iseult, etc.Elaine, Mark, Tristam, Iseult, etc.

Stories of adultery and homosocial desire: Stories of adultery and homosocial desire: triangular desire - rivalrytriangular desire - rivalry

Belsey, ”Adultery in King Arthur’s Belsey, ”Adultery in King Arthur’s Court”Court”

The literary and cultural history of Arthurian legend:The literary and cultural history of Arthurian legend: I: the 12th Century romance. ”Love is passionate, I: the 12th Century romance. ”Love is passionate,

extravagant, agonizing, and obsessional” (108). extravagant, agonizing, and obsessional” (108). Love is not related to marriage and familyLove is not related to marriage and family

II. The 15th Century romance. Adultery is II. The 15th Century romance. Adultery is tolerated.tolerated.

III. 19th century romance. Adultery in conflict with III. 19th century romance. Adultery in conflict with moral and spiritual (religious) dutymoral and spiritual (religious) duty

Romances in the 21st century: King Arthur Romances in the 21st century: King Arthur (2004), Tristan and Iseult (2006)(2004), Tristan and Iseult (2006)

Tennyson, ”The Lady of Shalott”Tennyson, ”The Lady of Shalott”

Summarise the poem. Find headings for Summarise the poem. Find headings for each of the four sections. What’s her each of the four sections. What’s her situation like? Why does it change?situation like? Why does it change?

Pay particular attention to the following: the Pay particular attention to the following: the lady, Camelot, weaving.lady, Camelot, weaving.

What’s the theme of the poem?What’s the theme of the poem?

John William Waterhouse 1888John William Waterhouse 1888

John William Waterhouse, 1894John William Waterhouse, 1894

John William Waterhouse, 1916John William Waterhouse, 1916”’I Am Half Sick of Shadows’”, Said ”’I Am Half Sick of Shadows’”, Said

The Lady of Shalott”The Lady of Shalott”

William Holman HuntWilliam Holman Hunt

John Sidney MeteyardJohn Sidney Meteyard

Arthur HugesArthur Huges

William More EgleyWilliam More Egley

John Atkinson GrimshawJohn Atkinson Grimshaw