“Shall I compare you to a sommer day?”

“Shall I compare you to a sommer day?” Asked William Shakespeare – the greates Elizabethan bard, in one of his numerous love sonnets. One might if anybody today could afford such words. The truth is that, although love is a permanent element of human life, it is nature has been varying through ages.

First of all, during the Elizabethan era there was no equality between the sexes. Women were dependent on men and they didn’t have anything to say. Wives were the property of their husband. In one of Shakespeare’s plays “Taming of the Shrew” we read, “Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, the keep, the head, thy sovereign…” They were created by God only to give broth to children and look after them. And of course for the second reason – Adam was created first, and Eve from his body – she was made specifically to give him comfort. In contrast women became totally independent. There are a lots of single families or single women, because they don’t need men to face life problems. There is an equality between genders – women have got the right to Vote, they work they make their career and are allowed to do what they want to.
Secondly, the marriage in Elizabethan era was a very important thing. Every woman was expected to be married and marriage was her fulfillment. Moreover, marriage wasn’t connected with love. Love could occur in marriage but it wasn’t important. What mattered was status and money. Contrary to that society people very rarely get married without love. Marriage lost its own importance, it isn’t as important as centuries ago. It is very often caused by the children – when women is expecting a baby one and her partner decide to get married. In addition to that in Shakespeare’s days – girls were legal to marry at the age of twelve and boys in the age of fourteen. For example Romeo and Juliet were very young. These days however people usually don’t get marry before twenty-three or twenty-four years old and there is no limits. What is more, a lot of people wont to start their families not until they a proper social status.

Last but not least today’s methods and ways of showing love to each other are different from Shakespeare’s days. In XVI century people were more affectionate and romantic. The beauty of renaissance ladies was admitted by bards and minstrels on courts. Furthermore, contemporary readers may cherish the exellent stanzas admitting love. We all know the balcony scene from “Romeo and Juliet” and their eternal affection. In contrast, modern people are very busy and have got no time to show love to each other. Nowadays working and making career is the most important thing for us. People are often interested in short – term relation, not demanding and devotion like stable relationships for example marriages requiring sacrifices and patience.
Summing up, despite the fact that love of the Elizabethan Era and of our modern times is so much diversed, love will always be the most important components of life and inseparable part of it.


Bibliography:
1)http://www.active-fredsreiser.no/the_idea_of_love_through_ages.htm
2)http://www.wwnorton.com/neal/NTO/17thC/Family/familyfrm.htm