Shakespeare is possibly the most well-renowned poet and playwright in history. Unfortunately, the only experience many students have had with his work is when it plagued their high school reading lists. However, Shakespeare’s thoughts on love, gender and marriage should be studied not only as cultural context but also as an observation of human behavior.

Considering the intricacies, ironies and flaws in human relationships, Shakespeare’s works may give an individual a more well-rounded understanding of love. To that end, here are the Bard’s best pieces to read this Valentine’s Day regarding marriage, feminism, love, gender and sex. 

1.) What is love? “Sonnet 116” 

Shakespeare challenges humanity’s understanding of love in “Sonnet 116.” The poem insists that a “marriage of true minds” does not change with time and is as “ever-fixed” as the North Star. The speaker concludes, perhaps ironically, that either he is correct in his estimation of ideal love or humanity is incapable of experiencing it. 

“Sonnet 116” is a Shakespeare must-read because of its cultural impact and mixed audience reaction. As one of Shakespeare’s more popular sonnets, it strikes a chord with many romantics, though its actual message about love’s rarity is often overlooked. This sonnet is touching to some and completely cynical to others, a true testament to Shakespeare’s pen. 

2.) Love as farce: “Twelfth Night” 

“Twelfth Night” is arguably the best, and possibly most accurate, representation of love in any Shakespeare play. 

“The irrationality of (romance), the futility, the vanity, the need to see yourself in the lover — all of that stuff is beautifully articulated there,” said Gavin Mundy, 2003 UT MFA alumnus and current theater director at Clements High School. 

The farcical plot of “Twelfth Night,” famously adapted into the comedy film “She’s the Man,” is widely considered a romantic one. However, the characters’ self-absorbed pining and often ego-driven romantic pursuits ascertain the nature of love: The heart wants what it can’t have. 

3.) Beauty, gender and sexuality: “Sonnet 20”  

“Sonnet 20” laments nature’s bestowing such immense feminine beauty on a young man. The speaker is prevented from enjoying this beauty sexually and decides that his emotional connection with the man must serve as consolation. 

Shakespeare’s sexuality has been largely contested over the years. Speakers grappling with possible same-sex attraction through homosociality is a recurring theme throughout Shakespeare’s works. Many of Shakespeare’s sonnets are said to have been written about a man, with “Sonnet 20” being the most well-known of the pack.  

4.) Marriage through a feminist lens: “The Taming of the Shrew” 

In “The Taming of the Shrew,” beautiful Bianca is prevented from getting married by her wealthy father, who insists that her older, headstrong sister Katherine find a husband first. Competing suitors enlist the fortune-seeking Petruchio to marry and “tame” the tempestuous young woman.

“The Taming of the Shrew,” later adapted into the romantic comedy “10 Things I Hate About You,” is an interesting piece to revisit post-feminism since the term “shrew” is now recognized as a derogatory term for an unmarried woman. To suggest that Kate is being “tamed” through marriage is an obviously offensive notion. For this reason, many feminists critique “The Taming of the Shrew” as a sexist work. However, it seems that this is not what Shakespeare actually intended. 

Mundy explained that Shakespeare’s take on the female protagonist is often misunderstood. 

“(People) miss the obvious fact that, by far, the character that Shakespeare is most sympathetic to in that play is Kate,” Mundy said. “I mean, he sets it up so that we are on her side. He sets it up so that we root for her.”

In summation 

There is no one correct answer to the question of what love is. However, Shakespeare offers several stances on it, each often opposing the rest. 

Douglas Bruster, professor of American and English literature, shared his thoughts on the complexities of Shakespeare’s work. 

“To turn to Shakespeare for the philosophy of love is actually to learn that there’s no single truth of that love,” Bruster said. “Anybody who picks up even a single sonnet is forced to say, ‘Well, this thing is quite complicated.’ (To Shakespeare), love is a dark but necessary part of life — it can sustain but also damage us, and in the end it’s all we’ve got.” 

Hosseini is an International Relations freshman from Sugar Land, Texas.