Love in Hamlet, Popol Vuh, and Candide Anonymous College

The theme of love is omnipresent in literature; no matter what nook or cranny you search in a library, it is there. However, this theme conveys more than just kisses, heartbreak, and rampant sexual tension. It describes a culture through their passion, or lack thereof, and how they care for love; do the characters cherish what they have, or are they careless and throw it away. Hamlet, Popol Vuh, and Candide all exemplify a story with imperfect love, but it is in the imperfections that we gain understanding about the culture from which these stories emerged.

From Europe to Guatemala, Englishman to Mayans, the love displayed in these texts give the reader an inside look into the way these people thought, and even show that the modern view of love is not as different as one would think. In the 1500’s, the world was ever-changing, expanding, metamorphosing, yet at the same time shrinking. People, word, and information was traveling faster than ever between cities, countries, and continents. Men were exploring and conquering “new worlds” that were not really new at all. Reformations were occurring, people were becoming more and more concerned with moral guidance and creating a well-lived life. In all of this hustle and bustle...