He claims that it is better to have loved and lost. He states that it is better to have never loved at all. He spends his free time pining for her. She spends her time with him longing for freedom. While modern stereotypes tend to portray men as aloof rebels, tirelessly clinging to independence, and women as swooning, lovesick lovers, anxiously awaiting the appearance of a ring, Renaissance and Roman writers Restoration offer a strikingly different picture of courtship. Through their subtle use of diction and imagery, Sir Philip Sidney, Lady Mary Wroth, and Thomas Shadwell demonstrate that virtuous men tend to be consumed by love, while virtuous women strive to avoid romance altogether. In his "Sonnet 31" of the Astrophil and Stella sequence, Sidney portrays a newly rejected but nevertheless virtuous and lovesick speaker who pines for his lover. After reading Sidney's assessment of the pretentious woman's rejection of the hero, Lady Mary Wroth counters with a deft condemnation of male fickleness from the perspective of a reasonable and virtuous woman in her "Song 74." Shadwell's Restoration play Bury Fair juxtaposes the noble Bellamy's all-consuming love for Gertrude with her resounding and honorable rejection. In each of these three texts the authors portray the actions of virtuous characters regarding love: men seek it, while women try to avoid it. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Despite her lover's rejection of her affection, the speaker of Sidney's "Sonnet 31" demonstrates his unwavering love for her in his laments of lost love. The speaker, presumably an Astrophile, in his hour of desperation seeks "communion" with the "Moon" who "climbs the heavens" (9, 1). His invocation of a lunar image indicates that his love extends beyond the sublunary, physical and corruptible sphere, thus attesting to his virtue. Through the subtle capitalization of “Love,” “Beauties,” and “Virtue,” Sidney indicates that Astrophil intends to speak of these qualities in their purest forms, rather than their earthly, corruptible shadows (10, 11, 14). Furthermore, his inclusion of these forms in the rhetorical questions implies that Astrophil offered these perfect images of love to Stella only to be denied. By questioning Moon whether they "call it virtue ingratitude," Astrophil implies that Stella's rejection of love is dishonorable, while her pursuit of love is right (14). In light of his camaraderie with the Moon and use of pure intentions, Astrophil establishes his virtue. The speaker then demonstrates his love for Stella by indicating that his love is “constant,” even though she deems it “lack of spirit” (10). Feeling offended by Stella's rejection, Astrophil complains that she despises the one "whom Love possesses" (13). Sidney's careful use of possession indicates that this honorable and devoted man feels consumed by his love for Stella. Astrophil acts as a simple servant of love, unable to ignore his master's will. However, despite his pride, his “contempt,” and his “ingratitude,” the speaker remains hopelessly in love with her and is consumed by a torrent of emotions (11, 13, 14). Sidney's use of perfect forms and faithful love reveals that the virtuous man must pine endlessly for love. While Sidney's sonnet portrays the exploits of an honorable man in love, Wroth's "Song 74" articulates the logic of a virtuous woman's rejection. The speaker of this poem describes its integrity and practicality through his argument against thesuccumb to love. He states that men in love behave like children "always crying," because once a woman gives herself slightly to their whims and pleas for love, they crave attention and "are never satisfied with having" (1, 4 ). Although men may profess eternal love, boundless “desires” and “infinite madness” ultimately lead them to “break” what they “promise” (5, 6, 7). She proclaims that men "swear to nothing but false matter" and women "deceit" in an attempt to gain their affection, only to "abandon" and "deceive" them soon after (9, 10, 11, 12). The "virtues" of men consist in their ability to love, to leave, and to "triumph" over women's lament for having been abandoned (15, 14). According to her, a man's love is "steadfast in remaining" like a feather and "fierce in preying" like wolves doubts the truth of their love and their integrity, the speaker of this poem warns other women to " not to trust a single word of what he says,” to “let him cry like a child” and to never “actively seek him so inclined to fly” (8, 19, 20). Since the author of this poem believes that men are nothing more than a “cause of [women's] failure,” she decides to remain virtuous by not getting trapped in cunning (14). Sidney's poetry paired with vivid imagery and diction, Wroth argues that an honorable woman abstains from love. While both Sidney's and Wroth's poems present one-sided accounts of virtuous people's reactions to love, Shadwell's play Bury Fair juxtaposes the actions of men and women in a single text. Bellamy's integrity comes through in his debate with Wildish about the attributes of country life. Although he once lived in London and engaged in questionable activities, Bellamy now swears that he "could never be drunk" and believes that "he who dissolves private women is a scoundrel" (18). Rather than freely engaging in worldly temptations, Bellamy claims that he will "no longer allow [his] appetites to dominate him," thus attesting to his virtue (18). Furthermore, although he is present during the arranging of the French impostor's plan, Bellamy acts as the only voice of reason, forcing Wildish to consider Mrs. Fantast's feelings by asking her what should happen if she fell "in love with him for real" ( 22). ). In addition to his personal beliefs and concern for others, Bellamy also demonstrates his virtue through his reasons for worshiping Gertrude, proclaiming that she possesses "all the beauty and wit of all her sex...and none of all their vanities" (71). ). Because of these qualities, Bellamy believes that "it is impossible for a man to refrain from thinking or speaking of love, in the presence of so beautiful and excellent a woman" as Gertrude (62). He "submits" to his love for her and promises that "nothing can ever diminish [his] love" or temper her "violent fever" of love (71, 86). Although Bellamy eventually mates with Philadelphia, his obsession with love never wanes, thus proving that virtuous men are consumed by love. In stark contrast to Bellamy's fixation on love, Gertrude strives to avoid love to maintain her freedom. While the Fantast women immerse themselves in materialism and pretension, Gertrude appears as a practical and virtuous counterforce. In her discussion with Lady Fantast, Gertrude argues for the importance of "discretion" and "common sense" (24). Furthermore, he further demonstrates his virtue through the praise of humility and purity when he argues that "conversation should be free, easy and natural" and that he admires ordinary people because "they come close to nature and have no art or affectation" . (25, 29). Gertrude's intelligence becomes even more evident when she is introduced to the Count.".