Reference no: EM133263482

Case: In Soul Mate by Thomas Moore, the author says:

Romantic love is one of the most powerful means for pulling us out of literal life and into play. In the trance of love, we may neglect our life duties and obligations, we may make heroic efforts to be with our beloved, we may look at the beloved and see someone without the blemishes that always appear to the realistic eye. To be in love is to be in play, to be taken by illusions. We are deceived so that the soul can create something out of the stuff of our emotions and fantasies.

In romantic love, even though consciousness appears deluded and the serious business of life is being hampered, nevertheless a great deal of inner work, soul-work, may be taking place. From the point of view of the soul, romantic love is trustworthy precisely because the literal concerns of life are set aside. The soul has room to go into action, and its action is always in the nature of play, whether comic or tragic.

Our elders and counselors often warn us of the dangers of love's illusions. Romantic love is no way to enter a genuine relationship, they say. We can be led astray. We will end up with the wrong partner. We will be disillusioned with marriage. It is a short step, we are warned, from romantic love to divorce.

In a complete essay:

Question 1: Describe Thomas Moore's attitude toward romantic love.

Question 2: State whether you agree or disagree; give specific examples from personal experience, readings, film, and television.