Imagery: Love as Physical Pain, Wounding, or Illness
In the courtly love tradition (for more on which, see "In a Nutshell"), it was common for poets to speak of love in terms of physical pain, wounding, or illness. They get all dramatic about it. We...
Symbolism: The Amphitheater
The amphitheater (or stadium) that Theseus builds for Palamon and Arcite's jousting competition represents Theseus's attempt to contain their lust and violence in a controlled, orderly fashion. The...