Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

1244 Words5 Pages
Beauty is it the eye of the beholder Beauty is generally defined as a quality that people, places or things have and that makes them very attractive to look at. The sight of a beautiful person or object usually generates a flood of emotions on the “beholder”, especially feelings of admiration, love or, sometimes, envy. The saying “beauty lies in the eye of the beholder” expresses the fact that it is a subjective matter, with different perceptions for each and every one of us. Although there are some generally accepted standards of beauty, the concept its self has always been the subject of great debates and contradictions. The same definition for beauty has never been embraced by everyone, either because of cultural differences, or, even in the same culture, because of the different esthetic tastes that people have, and it is quite probable that this will never happen. It is therefore safe to say that it is a matter of personal preferences, and that “beauty lies in the eye of the beholder”. A lot of Shakespeare’s works deal with the theme of love and with the theme of beauty, which is quite often the very ground for love. The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that beauty is a subjective appreciation, by discussing three of Shakespeare’s works: Sonnet XX, Sonnet CXXX and the first scene in the third act from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. Firstly, let us take into account Sonnet XX, which is, in essence, a wonderful description of the poet’s dearest friend, a young noble. The youth has girlish features and a feminine charm combined with masculine courteousness and strength that make him irresistible for both men and women. Shakespeare himself is enchanted by his bizarre, androgynous beauty and declares his love for the young man in various Sonnets. In Sonnet XX, evidence of the
Open Document