Theme or Love and Its Ills
In his opening remarks, Bacon claims that Love displayed on the stage, plays, and theater shows is entirely unrealistic and far from the true sense (Bacon, np). Love on stage is portrayed as a noble trait causing joy and excitement to its partakers; often, as illustrated, Love brings tragedy and sorrow to those it has aroused. Love presents the absolute disaster by bringing dark and foreboding in real life. In his writing, Bacon argues that Love from time in memory has held a record that all great, noble, and men of great worth who have met and accomplished various objectives in life have ignored and refused to be distracted by the weak passion (Love) and keep themselves and their business away from love encounters (Bacon, np). Love as presented in the work, can be attributed to cause failure in the lives of many individuals and success to those that refuse to be trapped by it.
In the literal work, the destructing effect and nature of Love is extensively illustrated. An example of Marcus Antonius, who was a member of a Roman royal given an opportunity to rule more than 1/3 of the roman empire, and Appius Claudius, the second member of the empire who was also given 1/3 to administer over is illustrated (Dawkins, np). To bring out the theme of Love being destructive, Marcus is presented as a man whose character traits can be deduced as very ambitious, powerful, amorous, impulsive and restrained by nothing (Bacon, np). However, and of disgrace he wondered in the pursuit for love and lustful encounters and had no control over his heart, leading to his downfall and disgracing outcomes, he accomplished less than he could have done had he stayed visionary and purposeful to his motives, goals and the delegated duties and obligations (Reno, 64). Claudius, on the contrary, remained a sober man, sage, put and wise, and a leader of great wisdom; he refused to be lured by Love and lust and stayed shunned from the desires. As a result, he never brought himself disgrace was the case with Marcus (Bacon, np).
In addressing the audience, Bacon mentions a Greek philosopher Epicurus who held significant aspects of self-control, self-discipline, composed and retained in personal life, conduct and behavior. He warned his followers against chasing the world’s desires and emphasized that humans are adequate for one another. Every human ought to live his life fully without conflict with others (Bacon, np). Love in its real sense need to be embraced and not a source of conflict or disgrace to one’s honor. Misdeeds that might arise from love encounters need to be eradicated to enhance society’s peaceful existence and well-being. While addressing the need to remain focused on one goal and refusal to be destructed by love motives, Bacon emphasized his ideas that a man of great worth ought not to bow before a woman he loves lest they make themselves small and miserable (Bacon, np).
Unfettered Love in the literal work is found to destroy a man. Unfettered Love devalues a man and makes them insignificant before other people. This kind of Love leads to disrespect as it corrodes moral values within the society and the norms that people hold and perceive that they must be adhered to (Bacon, np). Furthermore, in romantic poetry, writers are found to exaggerate the qualities and aspects of their loved ones. The beauty of a lover and other personal attitudes of the beloved are misrepresented unnecessary to win attention (Bacon, np). Such romance can only be successfully applied for romance and writings and cannot be exercised in real life. A paramour who detriments his discriminating influence to elude flattering words to his woman compromises his intellect and judging power (Reno, 63). A proud man cannot allow the woman he loves o rule over him by uttering sugarcoating words to her. According to Bacon, a wise man must not love as it is impossible to love and still be intelligent. These illustrations expound on the relation between Love and wisdom. To be smart, Love should not take precedence or rule over his life (Bacon, np).
Love, as illustrated to the audience, harms man’s self-esteem. When a man is in unrequited Love, the words of praises and compliments that he gives to the woman he is in Love with appear to be a weakness of his character (Dawkins, np). Moreover, when a woman does not respond appropriately, the man’s character is pitiable and worthless. The Love of a man can result into two things, it is either a woman will reciprocate and respond as she ought to create a sense of odorous and respect or an inward feeling of man’s insignificant in the woman inner person (Reno, 63). A man should be aware of his self-esteem before falling in Love with a woman; protecting one’s self-esteem is of the essence and highly emphasized in Bacon’s work (Bacon, np). In its educative aspect, where the essay plants morals and ethics in the society, Bacon’s literature emphasizes that the world is a beautiful place to dwell if one can take ultimate control over his desires. Those who perceive the world as a place to experience their carnal desires destroy themselves (Reno, 62). They lose both prosperity and wisdom in search of sexual arousal and pleasures in the world.