Emotion and Reason in the Seventeenth Century and Literary Examples

The struggle between reason and emotion existed as long as human history. Human actions are the result of the struggle. Behind each action, the motive is either determined by one's emotion or reason. As a reflection of human thoughts, literature illustrates the struggle between emotion and reason in society. The seventeenth century is an era of change. It is an era intruded by science and reason. Despite the intrusion, emotion stood as an important element in society. The seventeenth century is an era of war between emotion and reason, which can be seen through the writing of authors such as Shakespeare, Hobbes, Swift, and Herrick. Through their writings, they explored the motives of human emotion and reason. They illustrated the flaws and benefits of each element and attempted to find the perfect balance between the two. They are writers influenced by the Enlightenment movement. Enlightenment was a cultural movement of intellectuals in the seventeenth century who emphasized reason and individualism rather than tradition; thus, this movement adds fuel to the struggle between emotion and reason.

Shakespeare was regarded as one of the greatest writer in the English language and a brilliant playwright. He was one of the writers caught in the struggle between reason and emotion. This can be seen through one of his most brilliant plays: King Lear. King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is a play that portrayed a world too cruel and unmerciful to be true to life. It is a play filled with endless horror and unrelieved suffering. However, in this environment, Shakespeare expresses human existence in its profound depth. He examines the motivation of the characters’ actions and the future consequences of their irrational tho...

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A balance between emotion and reason must be achieved to have peace in society and life. Even though the struggle between emotion and reason have lasted since the beginning of human race, humans such as Swift, Shakespeare, Herrick and Hobbes have continuously argued that a balance between emotions and reasons is the key to a happy life and peaceful society. Although their theories and proposals are different, they are all advancing toward the same goal. They have shown the readers examples of people who are too rational or emotional. They illustrated the flaws and benefits of each element and attempted to find the perfect balance between the two. Therefore, those seventeenth century writers understands the struggle between reason and emotion. They are attempting to find a balance and a solution to solve the conflict. They want a peaceful society and happy people.