In Defense of Self-Identity
Jake de Luca
In Book Two of Sir Philip Sidney’s The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia, Pyrocles (Zelmane) looks at Gynecia with what she perceives to be the “eyes of a true lover” while the two are tracked by the onlooking, jealous eyes of Basilius. In this moment, the three individuals are in a quasi-love-triangle brought about by Pyrocles’ disguise as Gynecia assumes Zelmane’s gaze to be that of mutually intense attraction, whereas Basilius lustfully interjects to isolate Zelmane. The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia reveals transfigurational virtue through the expression of individuals’ true identity, therefore cooperating with Medieval Philosophy’s idea of the body being a container for the heart and soul as displayed by the outward presentation of the self and interpersonal relationships in Arcadia. Specifically, the relationships between Basilius and Gynecia, Pyrocles and Philoclea, and Musidorus and Pamela. Medieval Philosophy details the importance of balanced consciousness as it relates to living as an honest representation of the self. Today, individuals experience a similar struggle when encountering overlapping interests involving personal identity. To defend this thought, this essay will consider the outward presentation of the self and how virtue plays a role in the Christian influence through literary and behavioral themes.
Pyrocles reflects after encountering the noble Basilius in the cave with his wife, Gynecia. Pyrocles, still dressed as Zelmane, argues internally about the stir he has created in garnering the interest of Philoclea because his endeavor has brought intense admiration from her parents and furthermore, a lack of comfort in his lone self. Here, Pyrocles is characterized as powerless as displayed by his interrogation of his mind. His emotional introspection comes from a place of struggle to both “live in darkness” under the shroud of Zelmane and to express his authentic love for Philoclea as the real Pyrocles. Pyrocles says, “But what wilt thou do, Pyrocles? Which way canst thou find to rid thee of thy intricate troubles? … And if that be done, yet how am I the nearer to quench the fire that consumes me?” (Sidney 219) The series of questions draws to light Pyrocles’ desire to be brave in the face of turmoil in a soliloquy-style piece of dialogue. Up to this point, Zelmane had never been confronted like when Gynecia exposes her female attire to be phony or Basilius’ humble vow to please her. In this way, Pyrocles is caught off guard and must languish in sorrow for having deceived a husband and wife in an effort to be with Philoclea. Pyrolces is unable to reveal his true identity to avoid the situation for fear of ruining the entire ploy, so he further commits to his role as Zelmane to thwart any uncertainty. This appetite for Philoclea is natural, but requires him to be dishonest in appearance, conversation, and morality. Surely, a mark of poor character. Mary Sidney Herbert, a primary editor of Arcadia, dealt with issues regarding her identity as an Englishwoman in the 16th and 17th centuries. Her contributions to literature were diminished despite immense talent and steadfastness due to her standing as a female in her class. It wasn’t until later in her career, and today, that literary scholars recognize the incredible influence she had on English literature, working to revise her brother Philip’s works and publish her own as well. Rather than hide her skill because of what others thought of her, she felt empowered to take the opportunity to establish her brother’s works as essential while showcasing her own ability.
If one could imagine their soul as being made up of two parts, then that individual would be able to delineate between the good and bad, the holy and unholy, and the affective and rational. Medieval Philosophy lends the idea that love is derived from the affective part of the soul whereas watchfulness is brought about in the rational part of the soul because it allows the self to accept devotion to one thing and reject all that hinders the mind from expressing itself in a way that brings itself to a higher form. In this case, the higher form in discussion is God. In a broader sense, the higher form is that which the individual has immense love and admiration for – a companion. Saint Gregory Palamas is the author of this philosophy and a rigid Hesychast by vocation. The Hesychast practice involves silence accompanied by prayer and breathing to achieve a balance of consciousness (breathing) and divinity (praying to receive God’s mercy). Palamas argues that “We ourselves know exactly that our rational part is not confined within us as in a container, for its incorporeal, nor is it outside of us, for it is conjoined to us; but it is in the heart, and in an instrument.” (Palamas, 1338 as cited in Foltz, 2019, p 215) Palamas challenges the notion of the soul being encapsulated by the body, rather it is the essence of our being and an invisible component of our hearts. This helps rationalize how our minds are a visible component of our bodies and must work in collaboration with our souls in order to achieve a higher form. For Saint Gregory Palamas, the will to defend Hesychasm wasn’t out of duty to his peers or council, it came from a divine understanding of allowing God to dwell in us in order to bring Godliness out of us. Godliness is then a human form of self-representation in which an individual is wholly authentic and open. For Sir Philip Sidney, the power to draw the mind into the heart came through his works of writing and fondness for poetry. Sir Philip Sidney, a well-educated son of nobility, writes in The Defence of Poesy about the accessibility of poetry and its music as a means to learn about the existential elements of life and beyond. He insists that “… the final end is to lead and draw us to as high a perfection as our degenerate souls, made worse by their clay lodgings, can be capable of.” (Sidney, The Defence of Poesy) His words generate a cosmic and religious undertone to his purpose as a writer and the potential of human beings in general.
As found in “The Third Eclogues” of Arcadia, Pan and Cupid are the earth-like creatures that represent love (Cupid) and lust (Pan). Cupid, a commonly depicted angel-baby and Pan, an ugly crawling figure are both relevant in the relationship of Musidorus and Pamela because of the conflicting desires (love and lust) that Musidorus (Dorus) faces. Musidorus disguises himself as a shepherd, Dorus, to earn the affection of the lovely Pamela after becoming overwhelmed by passion. His heightened love for her is one of great sexual attraction, but his virtue to reject (or be rejected by) the evil of sex without marriage to Pamela seemingly advances their relationship. Dorus manages to find Pamela’s love requited as she “… [found] in her heart that nothing could so heartily love as virtue…” (Sidney 435) Furthermore, their shared felicity brings about great content. Take it that the Pan part of Dorus was bombarded by ambition for sex, but the Cupid side of Dorus – more aptly the genuine Musidorus – was able to allow love for Pamela to triumph. The tone of the encounter between Musidorus and Pamela is centered around love which offers a sense of real bond between the two. In Mirrors of Celestial Grace: Patristic Theology in Spenser’s Allegory, the analogy to the baptismal well is considered a “…spring of water possessing powers to quench the flames of concupiscence and give victory over the Old Serpent…” which speaks to the application of religion as a way to rid our souls of evil. (Weatherby 1) In this case, the evil is indeed Musidorus’ concupiscence itself. Part of religion also considers the relational identity between married couples and their shared responsibility to open themselves to each other with the goal of bringing themselves closer to God. In contrast to the encounters of Pyrocles and Philoclea earlier where the bond is yet to be solidified, words like bliss, content, happiness, and love are used in a variety of ways on page 435 to signal devotion to one another and the virtue of conjoined existence.
The hidden characteristics of virtuous persons is demonstrated by their actions toward their respective love interests. It becomes clearer when considering that their behavior is not out of shyness, but a strong yearning for company without blundering the opportunity. In an attempt to present as deserving companions, both Pyrocles and Musidorus disguise themselves to nestle themselves in the hearts of Philoclea and Pamela. As gleaned from Medieval Philosophy, the significance of retaining virtue when encountering struggle is a pillar of holy existence in which one draws their heart and soul nearer to God. In any case, the virtue drawing nearer to a higher mode of existence allows for the individual to establish the self as upstanding and morally hardened. This kind of virtuous living can be applied today to those involved in relationships. It is not the counterfeit character of an individual that can convince a lover that themselves are deserving, but the honest presentation of the self and their desires that displays authentic attributes.
Bibliography
Foltz, Bruce V., et al. Medieval Philosophy: A Multicultural Reader. Bloomsbury Academic, 2019.
Sidney, Sir Philip. The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia. Penguin Classics, 1987.
Sidney, Sir Philip. “The Defence of Poesy by Sir Philip Sidney.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/69375/the-defence-of-poesy. Accessed 23 March 2024.
Weatherby, Harold L. Mirrors of Celestial Grace: Patristic Theology in Spenser’s Allegory. University of Toronto Press, 1994. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3138/j.ctvfrxb6m. Accessed 23 March
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