Some things never cease to amaze me. Is it not strange that, in Western culture, the story of Romeo and Juliet, a couple of naive, confused children, serves as a model for the type of sublime love that's greater than life itself?
Let's take a good look at what happens. The story begins like this: Romeo is madly in love with... Rosaline. Yes, Rosaline.
Rosaline? Who is that? Many people forget this detail, but at the beginning of the story Romeo is in love with Rosaline, Juliet's cousin. Here's what Romeo says about her:
Moments before he meets Juliet, Rosaline is the one who has captured Romeo's heart, the one he cannot live without. He is willing to sacrifice everything for her love.
In fact, the main reason Romeo's friends drag him to the big ball thrown by the head of the Capulet family, where he first lays eyes on Juliet, is to contrive a meeting with Rosaline. They've seen their friend wandering the streets of Verona, sighing endlessly because of his unrequited love for her. They had no choice but to intervene, for they feared the young lover would lose his sanity. It seems that Romeo's friends knew about the boy's problematic character.
A split-second before Romeo falls in love with Juliet to the depths of his soul, he actually loves Rosaline to similar depths of the same soul. But then, at the Capulet ball, he notices that Juliet is slightly fairer than Rosaline, and immediately transfers his full measure of love to her.
Here's what Romeo says when he first sees Juliet:
What happened to Rosaline? Where has it gone, this great love he felt towards her?
By the way, we must ask this question: if what we have here is supposed to be a play about the (apparently) pure, exalted love between Romeo and Juliet, why did Shakespeare need the presence of another beloved within the narrative? That's pretty confusing, isn't it?
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 2023 من Psychologies UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 2023 من Psychologies UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Why Are We So Sensitive About Being Sensitive? - Feeling empathy, energy and emotion keenly is not a failing - it can be your strength and your superpower, discovers Yasmina Floyer
All of us are sensitive - it is the very nature of being human. However, as with most behavioural characteristics, it exists on a scale. Jenn Granneman, founder of the world's largest community for introverts and co-author, along with Andre Sólo, of Sensitive (Penguin, £10.99), tells me about the characteristics of someone who is highly sensitive: 'Simply put, if you're a highly sensitive person, your body and mind respond more to the world around you. You respond more to heartbreak, pain, and loss - but you also respond more to beauty, new ideas, and joy. You're more affected by everything around you, but you also draw more from these experiences.
Try a Little Kindfulness - Make kindness a conscious practice and infuse your life with everyday abundance, writes Dr David Hamilton
The more we care about others, the more we realise that most people are just like us - trying to figure things out and hoping for a good day. It's easier to fear what you don't know, but once you get to know people, the world seems a lot smaller and cosier. So next time you're tempted to scroll past someone's problem, dismiss someone's feelings, or just be in your own little bubble, remember: the world's a better place when we all give a little f*ck. Let's sprinkle that stuff everywhere like it's magical kindness glitter!
There's No Excuse to Slow Down! - Presenter, podcaster and author Gabby Logan talks to Psychologies about health, happiness, and overcoming hurdles in midlife...
Presenter, podcaster and author Gabby Logan talks to Psychologies about health, happiness, and overcoming hurdles in midlife...When TV presenter Gabby Logan started to experience brain fog in her late 40s, struggling to recall the correct word or name on live TV, she initially put it down to tiredness. 'I couldn't quite get that name or articulate in the way I had previously been able to, so I was concerned, but it coincided with lockdown and not doing any telly for a while. I remember feeling quite nervous going back to live TV.' But the former international gymnast soon realised that it was a symptom of perimenopause and promptly went onto HRT, which she says has balanced her hormones.
Kindle your creativity
Increase your sense of connection and support your self-expression, urges Caroline Butterwick
Fast and filling!
Join the high-protein revolution and eat better everyday, with these full-of-flavour recipes from nutritionist Scott Baptie's new cookbook
What's your optimum?
Eating well can cure what ails us, so why is it so hard? Anna Blewett discovers the secrets to a more resolved relationship with food...
"FRIENDSHIP DELIVERED SO MUCH OF WHAT ROMANTIC LOVE HAD PROMISED"
Author Marianne Power talks to Psychologies about self-love and the sisterhood...
Summer break or make!
Hello, lovers! September is here, and the lazy holiday season is behind us. And for many-me included - now feels like the perfect opportunity for a personal kick up the backside, and to embark on a relationship reset. In my work, it's typically women who take the first steps accessing couples' help, but recently (and encouragingly) I've noticed an uptick in men reaching out to get relationship advice and wanting to put the work in.
Time to spread their wings
As the seasons shift and shudder, threatening rhythm and routine, Heidi Scrimgeour embraces September in all its bittersweetness...
Big wild world
Caro Giles fills up her cup with summer colour and awaits autumn wonder...
