Hamlet Act II Scene 2: Eternal Love

“To the celestial, and my soul’s idol, the most beautified Ophelia,

….In her excellent white bosom, these,

…. Doubt thou the stars are fire;

          Doubt that the sun doth move;

Doubt truth to be a liar;

But never doubt I love.

O dear Ophelia, I am ill at these numbers; I have not art to reckon my groans: but that I love thee best, O most best, believe it. Adieu.”
–Hamlet, William Shakespeare, 2436

          Let’s be honest—no one writes love poems like Shakespeare, and this passage is no different. In a letter from Hamlet to his adored Ophelia, he expresses such strength in his love that he tells her that he should doubt everything she knows to be truth before she doubts his love for her. How powerful is that? And then he goes on to say his words aren’t even ample to 

cover it… Now what girl doesn’t want to hear that?

The world we live in today is one in which cohabitating and “starter marriages” are accepted—even normal, because we, as individuals in a relationship evolve separately and distinctly from our relational counterparts. And with an almost 50% divorce rate, it would seem that no relationship is sure. So how much more poignant would words such as these—if said in earnest and truth—be. If two loving and loyal parties could pledge such love and devotion as this, and make good on that pledge, how much less doubt and worry we would feel for our relationships! How much deeper would be the vulnerability and, therefore, intimacy shared between partners!

As I read this particular passage, I was reminded of the Song of Solomon. Similar to Hamlet’s reference to Ophelia’s “excellent white bosom” (2436), oft is the breast referenced in Solomon’s Song, as in chapter 7, verse 3: “Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins”, or chapter 1 verse 13: “A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.” But more similarly is the avowal that in no way will this love burn out: “Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: of a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned” (Song of Solomon 8:6-7, KJV).  

From there, my mind goes to Princess Buttercup’s declaration “Westley and I are joined by the bonds of love, and you cannot track that—not with a thousand bloodhounds, and you cannot break it—not with a thousand swords…” (The Princess Bride). (Interestingly enough, Westley also mentions the exquisiteness of his love’s breasts as well: “There’s a shortage of perfect breasts in this world—t’would be a pity to damage yours…”)

And then I’m onto All-for-One’s classic love song, I Swear. “I swear by the moon and the stars in the sky: I’ll be there. And I swear, like the shadow that’s by your side I’ll be there. For better or worse, ‘til death do us part—I’ll love you with every beat of my heart. I swear.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDtTerDzoXA

   I guess my point is this: Just like Renee Olstead, we all “want a love that will last.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgDwCh94yp0 We all want assurance that if we are going to put our hearts one the line the way love requires us to, we want a guarantee that it will be forever. What a blessing that we know how it can!