O, when mine eyes did see Olivia first,
Methought she purged the air of pestilence.

Twelfth Night Act I Sc.1


In this lesson you will examine the pyschology and biology of falling in love.

In part one you will look at the issue of love as a kind of madness, and our search for ourselves in others. You will do a series of short readings from the popular science press.

In part two you will look into the evolutionary interpretation of sexual reproduction and attraction. You will watch three short videos from the PBS Evolution series and answer a series of questions about them.

Part One

BBC: Falling in Love Drives You Mad

Guardian: The Blueprint of Partnership

Part Two

Video 1: The Tale of the Peacock

1) Why does the peacock have such a long and cumbersome tail?
2) Does the male select the female for mating or does the female select the male?
3) Which sex is directing the course of evolution in peacock?
4) What was Darwin’s controversial idea about sexual selection in humans?


Video 2: Sweaty t-shirts

1) In the video what do girls find sexy?
2) What is the explanation for this?


Video 3: The Red Queen

1) What are the advantages of sexual reproduction over asexual reproduction?
2) What is the Red Queen analogy?


Class Discussion

Is it better to marry for love or to have arranged marriages?

Summary

In the first lesson we looked at Orsino’s opening speech. We established that his love sick state could be an expression of the projection of the anima, as described by pioneering psychologist Carl Jung. The act of falling in love involves the projection of the anima/animus is in part falling in love with one’s own feminine/masculin side, or with one’s self.

This is partly confirmed by the readings which deal with the unconscious fit or the blueprint of partnership. Both involve the unconscious seeking of similarity of experience within a potential mate.

However, from the above videos it is clear that sexual selection in humans also involves seeking maximum genetic difference and variation from one’s self. That is, difference rather than similarity count.

So, both similarity and difference play an important role in determining mate choice in humans; but which is the most important?

Suffice it to say that falling in love and human mate choice is complicated. So much so that the choice is considered to be mysterious and irrational.

In the next lesson you will read extracts from Act I Scene 5 of Twelfth Night, in which Cesario has managed to obtain an audience with the beautiful Lady Olivia.

Follow the link below:

Part Four: Twelfth Night - Act I Scene 5

Twelfth Night: Homepage


Nature, Art & Language