Florizel and Perdita are represented in The Winter's Tale as the epitome of young love. While the majority of the play is surrounded by sorrow, pessimism and paranoia, the relationship between Florizel and Perdita recalls hope and happiness as they are seen as a breath of fresh air against a backdrop of hatred and jealousy. In Shakespeare's play, it is clear that the two characters love each other deeply when they openly talk about it together and the audience can see how Florizel perceives Perdita through his endless, poetic compliments. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'?Get the original essay While Perdita is dressed in 'unusual weeds', adorned with flowers and dressed as the queen of the feast, Florizel, who is dressed as a young shepherd named Doricles, remarks that she looks like "no shepherdess, but Flora." So, even though both are fully aware of the class difference and the implications that a love like theirs could bring, Florizel tells him that she no longer looks like a shepherdess of a lower class but rather like a goddess. Interestingly, the goddess Flora, to whom it refers, in Roman mythology is the deity of flowers and the spring season. Thus, not only does Shakespeare show that in Florizel's eyes, Perdita is a goddess, but he also emphasizes their youth through the connotation of spring. . We have a feeling that the couple is truly a breath of fresh air as their innocent and youthful love is probably quite endearing to audiences. Additionally, Florizel continues his compliments associated with the deities by saying that "your shearing of sheep is like a gathering of little gods", so he is actually saying that she is so beautiful that even the gods are beneath her and are “petty” in itself. comparison. Although some might argue that complements are exaggerated and exaggerated, it shows an aspect of love that has to do with perception. The audience sees clearly from the beginning that Perdita is the light of his life and he views her as so beautiful that even divine beings cannot compete with her. Their youth and young love could be considered rather charming. Shakespeare continues to emphasize the charming and sympathetic nature through Perdita's responses, as she has a quality of humility so appealing that the audience begins to understand why Florizel fell in love with her in the first place. . After Florizel's poetic lines, Perdita responds by saying "to rebuke your extremes, it does not suit me: O, sorry, I name them", so she is not going to argue but tells him that she is much lower than what the complements give it. , she even goes so far as to call them "extreme", showing how modest she is. Her modesty is further emphasized by the way she calls him "my gracious lord", "your high self" and "the gracious mark on the earth" and in doing so she shows that she is aware of the fact that he is of a higher social class than she is, and of course there is dramatic irony because the audience knows that there would be no need for her to give him these titles if she only knew his origins. In fact, Perdita refuses to accept the praise thrown at her and even makes a joke about how Florizel is dressed in "a swain costume" and she "plays a very goddess-like prank", so it's as if they had swapped positions. Therefore, although she is obviously very aware of the situation, she feels no apprehension about taking it lightly and further shows how comfortable she feels with Florizel. However, all of hisSelf-deprecating comments clearly show how her perception of herself as a "poor and humble servant" is juxtaposed with Florizel's view that she is better than the goddesses, especially as she becomes embarrassed by the constant praise from anyone she thinks. is above paying such pretty compliments by saying "I should blush to see you dressed like that". Despite their sweet exchange of compliments, they also show the side of love that involves fear because Perdita is petrified of what Polixenes would think if he caught his "noble" son "vilely bound" to someone so humble that she, in fact she even says “I’m trembling” showing the extent of her fear. This fear was not at all unfounded because in Shakespearean times, a noble person marrying a commoner for love was completely unheard of. The majority of royal marriages were arranged and it was not uncommon for people of noble rank to be engaged very early in their childhood, as royal marriages were not about love but rather for economic reasons, social and political. That's why someone like Perdita, who is completely unaware of her nobility, is very afraid of them being together because she feels like she doesn't fit the role of a princess, instead she refers to her clothes as "borrowed displays" as if they were a facade to hide her reality of not being a noble person and that even if she looks beautiful in them, it does not change the fact that others will not consider her as good enough to marry the prince. Later, she shows how afraid she is of the consequences of this relationship when she considers the sacrifices they might have to make. Florizel "needs to change her position" and possibly abdicate as heir to the throne, or as she says, she should. pay with “my life”. Thus, his conclusions of abdication or even death are a good example of the complexity and uncertainty that comes from love. But Florizel also demonstrates the romanticism that comes from love by taking Perdita's cynical point of view and using it to reassure her by using the Roman gods as an example. He says that "the gods themselves, humbling their deities to love, took upon themselves the form of beasts", so if Jupiter, Neptune and Apollo (who were all very important and powerful gods in mythology) could change shape and adapt for love, so why can't he do the same, especially since he is much humbler than the deities. In fact, Florizel considers these transformations a “piece of beauty” because of the motivations behind them. He continues to try to instill confidence in Perdita by saying that they are better than these gods because he has better virtues, and that he is "so chaste" that he doesn't just want to sleep with her, on the contrary he says “my desires”. do not run before my honor, and my lusts are not hotter than my faith. What really shows the couple's romance is the fact that as a prince he could have any woman he wanted without marrying her because he is in a position of authority to do so , but in contrast, he shows that he is devoted to their relationship. and wants to marry her first even if it means making sacrifices. When considering the context we can see that Florizel views her somewhat as his equal and treats her with respect, which could be seen as a foil to Leontes as he did not give Hermione respect and dignity which she deserved and he also previously made a derogatory comment. comment about being a "linen girl", implying that all country women had loose morals. However, according to the lyricsfrom Florizel, we see that he looks beyond the class difference, treats the woman he loves well and promises to be "most constant" and faithful to her and, as a couple, they prove that the stereotype of Leontes is false. Towards the end of the passage, Florizel's hope and determination are seen further. After Perdita expresses her concerns and pessimistic conclusions, he says not to think about these "forced thoughts" that seem unnatural to him, so as not to spoil this happy occasion. He also states "I can't be mine or anyone's anything if I'm not yours", making it very clear to Perdita that she is the only one for him and that he is useless without her, which shows how humble he is (just like Perdité). He then leaves the conversation on an optimistic note when he tells Perdita to "lift up your face so to speak on the day of the celebration of this wedding that we too swore would come", in effect saying that she should look as happy as if it was their wedding day that he promised. This confidence and unwavering determination to make Perdita his wife is in fact very similar to Leontes' tenacious attitude, for both men were firmly committed to a certain path and refused to be persuaded to turn away from it. Thus, his desire to remain "constant" with Perdita, regardless of the obstacles they will inevitably face, makes the young lovers hopeful and quite resilient, thus bringing hope to the audience after the previously depressing and dramatic events . Some may say that their relationship serves as an idealized form of love, and that is what others aspire to. It's not hard to see why many would agree with this, as their relationship is like a breath of fresh air in the context of the rest of the play. This is clearly seen when the couple arrives in Sicily. Leontes says that they are like “spring on earth” after such a long “winter” of pain, suffering and regret. In fact, he goes even further to say that they are "purging all infection from our air" as if they are making everything new, ridding the history of hatred. They seem to have symbolic value because they are seen as the genesis of a new era of love and, at the very least; previous distress and misery can be partially put aside to make way for the hope of a new chapter. So, not only does their relationship make them and those around them happy, but it also serves as a symbol of hope, as if no harm can come from their marriage. This type of pure and innocent love that emanates from the couple makes their relationship idealized because in reality no relationship is ever perfect and the joy that spreads just by being in the presence of the couple could easily make the relationship seem fanciful and unachievable. a bigger point of view. pragmatic point of view. The other remarkable thing about their relationship is the constancy that comes from Florizel's unwavering determination to marry Perdita. We saw in the passage a demonstration of his passion for the woman he loves, but his steadfastness endures even when disaster strikes for the couple. When he is forced to reveal that they are not married and Leontes asks if she is "the daughter of a king", Florizel's firm determination to marry her is evident in his blunt response: "she l 'is, once she is my wife'. Showing once again how little he cares about his status in society. Additionally, when Leontes questions whether their marriage is a good idea and begins to side with Polixenes, Florizel once again asserts that "power is not a word...to change our loves", clearly showing Leontes that he does notwon't change your mind, which of course. ” strikes a chord with the king, especially since both men have previously demonstrated a similar unwavering dedication to an idea. However, it's worth noting that Florizel isn't the only one constantly defending their relationship, but Perdita has her say too. Camillo shows his cynicism towards love when he states that "affliction changes him", she responds by saying "I think affliction subdues the cheeks but does not take over the spirit". Thus, she too shows a similar devotion to Florizel when she explains that true love does not change in the face of challenges, although it may remove happiness for a while, it would not change the "mind" or in other words their dedication to each one. other. Clearly, this is not a simple fling, but rather they show that they are both whole-heartedly devoted to marriage despite any opposition that might come their way. Some might say that this optimism and firmness are unrealistic, at least in the long term. So while many aspire to be with someone forever, this is not always possible, which is why the couple could be seen as idealized, as their idea of ​​eternal love is what the majority aspire to couples. Their relationship also defies expectations, politics, and class. difference throughout the time where the two are considered a couple. As stated previously, in reality a prince would not have even been allowed to understand marrying someone from a lower class, but because Shakespeare describes them as a foil to Hermione and Leontes' relationship in a somewhat idealized manner, Florizel declares his undying love for her. before knowing his true past and the revelation of who his real parents were, is made just in time for them to marry and so that Polixenes can no longer oppose it. With this in mind, the way their relationship plays out seems almost too perfect. Certainly, they have encountered difficulties, but after these gentlemen explain that Perdita has been verified as the lost daughter of Leontes, not only can they eliminate the question of nobility from their relationship, but if they marry, it would solidify also a political alliance between Sicily and Bohemia. making it a perfect match. Their fathers could reunite and rekindle an old friendship, making the couple and their families happy, as the reunion of Leontes and Polixenes was described as very moving "for their joy dissolved into tears". Leontes could now freely “embrace his son-in-law”. As moving as the poetic memory of the gentlemen's meeting is, it highlights the inaccessible aspect of their relationship since the phrase "you can't please everyone" comes to mind. Their union seems to do the exact opposite and tick the boxes from a secular/political point of view, sentimental issues aside, which shows how idealized their situation turns out to be because after all their anxiety, absolutely everything ends up playing into their favor. On the other hand, other critics might consider calling them “idealized” a bold statement. After all, they have to deal with a lot of terrible things, and a completely ideal relationship is often described as somewhat heavenly. Shakespeare would have wanted the audience to perceive not only the individual characters as complicated, but also their interactions and relationships with others as complex rather than completely clichéd or two-dimensional. We see an example of this when Polixenes breaks his disguise and reacts to the couple's engagement without his blessing. Polixenes' rage spoils the couple's previously happy relationship as he treats the adoptive fatherof Perdita as an “old traitor” and threatens to hang him while he accuses her of being “another piece of excellent witchcraft”. His anger escalates as he claims that he will "see your beauty scratched with brambles" because he wishes to destroy her beauty and inflict pain on her for making his son fall in love with her. This theme of witchcraft and enchantment is taken further when he refers to her as a "heel", meaning that she is nothing more than a small trinket, but the word also has connotations of deception, so in fact he says that she almost tricked Florizel into wanting to marry her as if she had bewitched him. Thus, this scene, although followed by Florizel's poetic declarations of unwavering love for Perdita, shows that their relationship was far from ideal. Sure, everything works out in the end, but not before Florizel's father can threaten innocent people with death and hurl derogatory names and accusations at his son's future wife, claiming that she is "unworthy » from him. The union of the two actually causes them so much trouble and leads Polixenes to warn him that he will "invent for you a death as cruel as you are tender towards it." Thus, the constant condemnation of Polixenes' intimidation hardly makes the couple's life easy, on the contrary, it pushes them to flee to Sicily to be together. Additionally, we see in the passage that there is a lot of fear and apprehension in their relationship. . Of course, the two are devoted to each other but that doesn't stop Perdita from being very afraid for their future. After Polixenes' outburst, Perdita is forced to tell Florizel to "go away" because she knew "what would happen from that". It was as if the experience had taken her out of the fantasy she had been living in and she was declaring that she would “no longer queen it, but would milk my sheep and my sheep”. Her dream begins to crumble around her and now she must stop pretending that their relationship ever worked. In the passage also, we saw her show this kind of apprehension when she doubts Florizel's ability to keep his word and says, "Your resolve cannot stand when fought, as it must be , by the power of the King. Once again, her realistic view shows that she recognizes that no matter how strong their love is, nor how determined Florizel is, neither of them are truly a match for the king. Due to the divine right of kings, Polixenes would be free to act as he pleased and do whatever he wished towards Perdita (and her family) if he discovered her relationship with her son. Therefore, they seem, at least partially, to live in this fear of being outed, which would have taken a toll on them, highlighting another reason why their relationship may not have been perfect. Perdita is the best example of feelings any other normal human being would have in her situation. She is afraid of what Polixenes would do but also afraid of losing Florizel. Being caught between this dilemma allows Shakespeare to showcase her humanity and her fear, so she too has her weaknesses and is not always as valiant as one might expect from a typical idealized relationship. The problems in their relationship are also highlighted through what Florizel says to her. We've seen how romantic he is and the extent of his love for her, but he says certain things that have a second connotation or a different meaning that may show a different side of their "idealized" relationship. An example of this is when he calls it "good hawk". Falconry was often associated with royalty, so he may simply be making a gentle comment that she would inevitably become his wife and that she.