"Virtue and Desire" in "The Courtier", by Castiglione 16th Century Literature Analysis

Virtue & Desire <Tab/>What exactly is ideal love? This is a question that works of literature have been discussing for thousands of years. The lines between true virtuous love and those types of love involving primarily lust have been exemplified in historic texts repeatedly. In discussing virtuous love and how it contrasts with that of mere desire the term courtly love must be recognized. Castiglione describes courtly love as …

…and "Astrophel and Stella". The most evident and important is the conflict between desire and virtue. Through out the analysis of both work I hope to have shown the different ways in which both authors used language to illustrate the over ruling theme, "Ideal Love". Ideal love as mentioned earlier is described as the love of ones soul and the appreciation of the beauty within. This is a love we should all attain to have.