In both “Twelfth Night” by William Shakespeare and “Enduring Love” by Ian McEwan, the search for love is presented in the main characters. Their attempts to pursue a relationship could be seen as romantic and passionate; however, it could also be argued that the activities border on obsessive. In the case of “Twelfth Night,” one could argue that obsession is simply a continuation of infatuation; something that expresses deep love and true emotion. However, in "Enduring Love", the reader is introduced to obsessive love very early on, with the idea of ​​romantic love being ignored by the reader due to the unreliable narrator. There are arguments that suggest that pursuing romantic love and obsession are similar and separate concepts. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In "Twelfth Night," Orsino's search for Olivia is arguably more romantic than obsessive. His pursuit of romantic love is seen as innocent and harmless, indicating that there is a clear division between pursuit and obsession. When Curio asks "Do you want to go hunting, my lord?" The deer." Orsino responds by saying, "Because, so I do, the noblest I have." The image of Orsino hunting the deer juxtaposed with the image of Olivia implies that Orsino is attempting to portray an impression of masculinity and power by referring to the killing of animals, which was a characteristic of commonly practiced courtly love. Given that this form of research was so important in Shakespeare's era, it could be argued that Orsino was in no way obsessive at that point. The play on words in "The Deer" implies that Orsino is also attempting to bring comedy to the situation, which audiences watching the show would find more amusing than obsessive. The concept of courtly love often includes that males must earn a woman's love, which is clearly seen in Orsino's romantic pursuit of Olivia as she "until she is seven, will not see her reality in broad view". Enduring Love,” it could be argued that at some points Jed Parry is attempting to pursue Joe romantically, with little evidence of obsession. In his first letter to Joe, Jed begins by saying, “I feel happiness running through me like an electric current.” Later, he says, “Then I understood. You had touched them in a certain way, according to a pattern that expressed a simple message. Did you really think I would miss it, Joe!” Jed using stereotypical and conventional love letter language such as abstract nouns, similes, and metaphorical language to convey his adoration to Joe implies that Jed's search for love is innocent. The chapter being in the form of a love letter, Jed is aware that his love for Joe is not mutual, so he has to resort to long-distance communication. The use of direct address in "Did you really think I'd miss it, Joe!" denotes how personal and deeply rooted this romantic quest is. Because “Enduring Love” is a postmodern novel with a metanarrative, the reader is made aware of the extent of Jed's obsession, so is unable to see the romantic and innocent nature of the letter. The reader's perception of Jed is seen as negative from the beginning of the novel, as the narrator not only tells the story with hindsight, but also with the idea of ​​it being a narrative in mind. It could also be argued that there is a fine line between pursuit and obsession, and that obsessive love can be seen in both lyrics. In “Twelfth Night” Viola's drastic measures to get closer to Orsino could be seen as an example of loveobsessive. When Orsino asks Viola to enchant Olivia on his behalf, Viola says “I will do my best to woo your lady. (aside) And yet, a great battle! Whoever I woo, I myself would be his wife. Using the role to give voice to Viola's inner thoughts is symbolic of how deceptive she is willing to be to pursue a romantic relationship with Orsino. The rhyming pair of “fight” and “wife” reflects the end of a love sonnet, symbolizing how Viola's obsessive search for Orsino is based on a romantic infatuation. The extent to which Viola is willing to change her identity to meet the expectations of a man she has just met demonstrates her obsession with Orsino. The idea of ​​obsession is also explored in “Enduring Love,” as Jed suffers from de Clerambault syndrome. In a letter to Joe, Jed says, "Joe, Joe, Joe... I confess, I have covered five sheets of paper with your name." “Confessing” has religious implications, with connotations of sin and wrongdoing. These religious images juxtaposed alongside "I covered five sheets of paper with your name" imply that although Jed believes his pursuit of romantic love with Joe is feasible, it is immoral. It could be argued that in Jed's case, due to his condition, the pursuit of romantic love cannot occur without obsession being involved. Religious connotations can be found during the balloon incident when Jed asks Joe to pray with him. «Parry didn't give up. He was still on his knees” could be seen as foreshadowing the nature of her romantic pursuit of Joe. Jed not letting go of the balloon, a symbol of chaos, reflects how he is unable to let go of his obsession with Joe. This image so early in the book implies that Jed's search for Joe was, in fact, always obsessive. In "Twelfth Night", it can be suggested that Orsino has an obsession with the idea of ​​love, which is much greater than his obsession. with the woman he is trying to chase. When he tells Viola what message to deliver to Olivia, he says "Oh, then reveal the passion of my love, surprise her with the speech of my dear faith." Orsino's repetition of the personal pronoun "mine", as well as his use of empty adjectives such as "faith" and "passion" imply that he is more interested in making himself look good than trying to commit to Olivia. It could be suggested that Orsino's constant search for love led him to become obsessed with himself, as well as forming an obsession with love itself. This is reflected when he says “Away before me to sweet beds of flowers. Love thinks life is rich when covered with bowers. The rhyme in "flowers" and "bowers", which reflects a love sonnet, has implications of love and passion. However, "thoughts of love are rich" implies that he is not thinking of Olivia, but simply of love as a whole. In contrast, in “Enduring Love,” Jed's obsession is purely individual-based; however he attempts to disguise his true quest. Although Jed's true purpose is to pursue Joe romantically, he uses his faith to mask the true intent of his obsession. In one letter, Jed says, “To bring you to God, through love. Will you fight like crazy because you are so far away from your feelings? But I know that Christ is within you. On some level you know this too. The use of religious lexicons such as "Christ" and "God" indicates that Jed not only has an obsession with Joe, but also with religion. He's so invested in both concepts that he believes it allows him to use his faith as an excuse to obsess over Joe the way he does. However, his use of the interrogative indicates how uncertain he is in his search as perhaps he does not believe in his own intentions.”.