The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth
What is love? This question has continually baffled the billions of people on this earth. Throughout time, there have been numerous perspectives, opinions, and argumentation regarding the true definition of love. Is it a product of chemical reactions in our brain? Or is it an emotion from the deepest part of our souls? Whatever your answer may be, there is one thing for sure: “The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth”.
The path of searching for true love is never easy, nor it is a smooth one. Throughout centuries, this very idea has been encapsulated in various literary texts, such as the Odyssey and Midsummer’s Night Dream. Both of those renowned literary works elaborate on the notion that the course to true love was never smooth.
In the Odyssey, Odysseus seeks to return to Penelope, his wife. The power of their love is continuously challenged and tested throughout the book. For instance, Odysseus overcomes his superficial feelings for the nymph Calypso and yearns for the true love of Penelope. He travels through unforgiving storms, the deaths of his comrades, and countless other miserable events to reunite with his true love Penelope. Odysseus’ course of true love is filled with unimaginable suffering and pain. Meanwhile, with the absence of Odysseus, Penelope is powerless when she faces the suitors who wish to take her hand in marriage. She concedes and allows the suitors to enter her estate, kill her cattle, and feast as they wish. Despite all the barriers that hindered them, they manage to once again reunite. Although all the events in Odyssey are fictitious, they serve as a useful metaphor in describing the course of true love. Every relationship has its storms, whether it be an disagreement on a certain issue with your partner or even an altercation. The path of true love is not filled with all flowers and candy; it is an arduous one.
Another instance of the complex course of true love is Midsummer’s Night Dream. The complicated relationships between Hermia, Lysander, Helena, and Demetrius conveys the entangled nature of the course of true love. In MSND, the journey of each of the characters is filled with a collection of emotions, ranging from infatuation to even hatred. The interaction between people in MSND is best described as a “riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma”. Despite the intricacy of the relationships, in the end, all is well. Hermia ends up with Lysander, while Helena with Demetrius.
Napoleon Bonaparte, arguably the greatest military leader of all time, also had a tempestuous course of true love. Several days after his marriage with Josephine, he embarked on a military campaign to conquer Italy. Josephine, his infidel wife, had an affair with a lieutenant in the French army when Napoleon was absent. Napoleon was furious, and he retaliated by having an affair of his own. After he knew Josephine was unable to bear a child, Napoleon divorced her. Subsequently, he married Marie-Louise of Austria, who gave birth to Napoleon’s first child. Despite all the disloyalty Josephine had displayed, Napoleon’s last words to his true love were: “France, l’armée, tête d’armée, Joséphine”, or France, the army, the head of the army, Joséphine (businessinsider.com).
Although literary works provide substantial evidence to back up the claim that the course of true love is never smooth, it is not complete without a personal story.
“When writing a personal story of what it means to be alive, a person is simply replicating on paper the universal story that all human beings share.”
― Kilroy J. Oldster (goodreads.com)―
Matthew Njam’s story: I have a story about a “storm” in my relationship with my girlfriend. I will give a nickname for my girlfriend: let us say she is Miss J. So one day, I just got back from school. I received a message from Miss J., and she was wondering why I didn’t text her after school. Then, as soon as I arrived home, I quickly rushed to my computer room to play games. I was in my own “world” as I played for around 2 hours. After that, I did my homework and projects. I completely forgot to text her. After several hours, she suddenly called me. As my phone rang, I started to panic and frantically held my phone. When I picked up the phone, she yelled at me so loudly that I had to move my phone away from my ears. She shouted, “Where have you been?!” I replied, “Sorry, I was playing my games and doing my projects.” She said, “Fine, just go date your games then!” She hung up. Since then, I have always texted her back directly after the school. I truly regretted my actions on that day.
We do not live in a utopia where the course of true love is as easy as pie. In life, there must be a realization that everyone has flaws, including you and your partner. There is no way out of this imperfect world. Conflicts may, and will inevitably arise in your relationship. But what matters is that you embrace all your flaws and your partner’s flaws. That is the key to true love. For true love will persist in adversity, only if there is acceptance.
References:
https://www.businessinsider.com/napolons-romantic-letters-to-josphine-2015-2/?IR=T
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/personal-story
https://brewminate.com/the-return-of-odysseus-in-the-homeric-odyssey/
Images:
http://www.documentarytube.com/articles/top-heartwarming-10-facts-about-love
https://brewminate.com/the-romance-of-josephine-and-napoleon-bonaparte/
Njam & Co. 