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Analysis Of Shakespeare's Triangular Theory Of Love

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As Shakespeare rightly observed, “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.” Well, almost every person in his/her lifetime experiences the feeling of love but still we are not able to find the reason why we fell in love with that particular individual or soul or why a love lasts forever while the other ends in heartbreak. A dozen movies, novels and books dedicated to the idea of physical or spiritual love yet psychology tries to give an answer to this question through various psychological events that cause us to feel what we know under an umbrella term as “LOVE”. Today in this paper, I will try to analyze the psychology that drives the major characters in Shakespeare’s famous play “Othello” through the “Triangular Theory of Love” proposed by Robert Stenberg. Robert Sternberg in his Triangular Theory of Love states that there are three important elements essential in love —Intimacy, Passion and Decision/Commitment. Through these three elements, he proposed seven types of love —Nonlove , Liking/friendship, infatuated love, Empty love, Romantic love, Companionate love, Fatuous love and Consummate love. With the help of this theory I would like to evaluate the relationship that exists between various characters in this play. As we all know the story of Othello is about a black Moor who was in love with Desdemona and kills her out of his jealousy that is imposed upon him by his trusted friend Iago. The reason why Othello does not trust Desdemona is in his mind

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