A Love to Outshine

Picture of the Day:

WWII Memorial

Quote of the Day: 

"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others."

-Pericles

I, Kathryn, write romance novels.

Yes, I said it. I write romance novels. Granted, there is action and there is suspense, but I am proud to say it: I love a good love story. (Now, this might come as a surprise to most people; let me just say that my favorite movies feature action, explosions and general mayhem and rarely feature anything to do with love or a couple. I rarely watch romantic comedies or romances.)

Still, I let my girlish origins show when it comes to love stories that I find transcendent to others. Like my personal favorite play: Antony and Cleopatra. If you have never read it, I understand. It is not one of Shakespeare's finest works and often gets brushed aside, especially on terms of love. 

I, Kathryn, am against Romeo and Juliet.

I can see all of your shocked faces now.

When posed with the question that mentions love and Shakespeare, most of society will spout back, "Romeo and Juliet!" Wrong. To me, Romeo is nothing more than a lustful pig and Juliet the poor, misguided, girl who wants something so badly she believes she has it.

That, my dear reader, is not love. (Or, if you want to get technical, it is love. Just a really low level of love. But who wants low level love?) To me, it is nothing more than lust. And trust me, it is worlds different. 

Shakespeare's love story? Antony and Cleopatra. 

No matter what, neither Antony or Cleopatra would change a thing about the other. Antony finds Cleopatra annoying, overbearing, and at one point even calls her a "triple-turned whore"; nonetheless, he loves her. He loves her enough to abandon all of his hero's glory to be a lover. The story is beautiful! (And not just because I am literally obsessed with Cleopatra. Which I am.)

Listen to some of this language! 

Antony speaks to who he believes is a dead Cleopatra's spirit: 

Stay for me: 

Where souls do couch on flowers, we'll hand in hand,

And with our sprightly port make the ghosts gaze:

Dido and her Aeneas shall want troops,

And all the haunt be ours.  

How. Beautiful. Dido and Aeneas, mind you, are legendary lovers. It was believed that in the underworld they were worshipped for their love. Antony says, loudly and proudly, that he and Cleopatra will blow them both away.

Psh. And people think Romeo had it together. 


He literally walks on stage complaining about the fact the girl he loves is out of his reach, sees Juliet, and basically says, "Woah! Who is that?!" Yeah. So romantic.


All right, reader. Take a side. 


Team Romeo or Team Antony??


Whilst you contemplate which Shakespearean man you would rather, listen to this song by Josh Groban. Perhaps the better introduction would be, "This song by an angel". 





I make soundtracks for my novels, and I set aside love songs that mean something special to me, and I try to incorporate those ideas and feelings into my work. (And not just for love. For anything.) I will start sharing my soundtracks with you. Count this as song one!