Philaster, a play written by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, was performed in the early 1600s during the Jacobean period and started the first trend of tragicomedies . The plot revolves around the imprisoned Prince Philaster of Sicily and Princess Arethusa, daughter of the king who usurped the throne of Sicily. This is an astonishing story of bravery and righteous love between the characters of Philaster and Arethusa. However, the characters possess fatal flaws that create chaos and disaster throughout the play. The vulnerable and naive Princess Arethusa mistakes Philaster's narcissistic personality for courage, capturing his devotion and establishing a relationship fraught with turmoil. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Philaster is hailed as a brave prince, but is nothing more than a self-proclaimed narcissist. Narcissism and self-entitlement are evident when Prince Philaster asks to speak. Philaster uses his time to express his deep contempt for Prince Pharamond of Spain who was paid to marry Princess Arethusa. Philaster cries: When you are king, look, I am dead and rotten, and my name is in ashes; for listen to me, Pharamond! It is on this very ground that you walk, this loam that my father's friends made fertile with their faith, before this day of shame opened and swallowed you and your nation like a falls hungry, into its hidden bowels; prince, it will be the case; by the righteous gods it will be. (Beaumont and Fletcher 307). Philaster continues to insult Pharamond by calling him the prince of parrots, presenting an image of absolute madness and self-entitlement. Princess Arethusa, the noble gentlemen and ladies of the court see the short-tempered Philaster claiming his territory and hail him as brave and worthy. However, it is not courage or merit that Philaster possesses. There are obvious traces of expressed narcissism that the character cannot hide or control. Philaster believes he deserves everything because he is superior in every way. Psychologists Twenge and Campbell say: “This mindset is called entitlement, the pervasive belief that a person deserves special treatment, success, and more material things. Entitlement is one of the key elements of narcissism and one of the most harmful to others. When narcissists feel entitled to special treatment, it is invariably someone else who gets the upper hand” (230). Philaster's bitter comments towards Prince Pharamond and the king are influenced by mental instability and a desire to protect his beloved image. Philaster demands respect through his own incredibly disrespectful comments out of vanity, not bravery. His anarchic speech is seen as a poetic bravery which excites the young princess Arethuse, pushing her to send her servant to invite her to her lodgings. The servant locates an equally enthusiastic Philaster and says, “To you, brave lord; the princess would crave your present company” (Beaumont and Fletcher 311). Princess Arethusa declares her love for Philaster in his lodgings and Philaster's true characteristics are seen through their dysfunctional relationship. Philaster's selfishness and voracious libido push him to announce a false love. Philaster readily accepted the affections of the king's virgin daughter because he is entitled, narcissistic and horny. On the subject of sensuality being confused with love, Dr. Tallis comments: "Love tends to be seen as a secondary (almost unimportant) by-product of libidinous impulses.» (Tallis 36). The alleged romance happened just moments after seeing each other. At court there had been no conversation, no courtesy, and no sincere acts of chivalry. Philaster did not fall in love with Arethusa at first sight but he immediately noticed her physical attractiveness. Princess Arethusa represents the beauty and purity that appeals to Philaster physically, not emotionally. One study showed: “Men and women were described as having different relationship priorities: men are generally interested in a sexual union while women are primarily interested in pursuing an emotionally committed partnership” (McLellan-Lemal 13 ). The very different mentalities of Arethusa and Philaster serve as a warning of disorder. Philaster experiences not only physical desire, but also self-entitlement, particularly when he refuses to hide from Pharamond at Arethusa's personal request. Instead of responding to her request and doing what she asked, Philaster takes great offense. “Hide me from Pharamond!” When thunder speaks, which is the voice of God, even though I revere it, I do not hide; and shall a foreign prince have permission to boast to a foreign nation that he has put Philaster into hiding” (Beaumont and Fletcher 317). Afterwards, Philaster starts an argument with Pharamond, threatening a fight in the princess's lodgings shortly after she specifically asks him to hide. The pompous Philaster marks his territory on Princess Arethusa and her room, much like that of a barking dominant dog, displaying unmistakable signs of disrespect. If Philaster truly respected the princess, he would have done as she asked or, at the very least, not started an argument with Pharamond. However, Philaster does not respect her or take her feelings into account because he is a narcissist incapable of caring for anyone other than himself. Due to this disorder, Philaster will not be able to manage a healthy relationship with Arethusa. Psychologists Twenge and Campbell write: “Narcissists do not understand caring for others, which is why their self-admiration often spirals out of control” (24). Princess Arethusa does not see the warning signs so visible in this first circumstance, justifying her vulnerability. Philaster is a ticking time bomb, sensitive to the complications their affair will soon present. Princess Arethusa is a victim, vulnerable to the mentally unstable Philaster. Inexperienced and little exposed to love, she is defenseless against Philaster, bold and frank. She instantly believes herself to be in love with Philaster, not understanding the difference between love and simple physical attraction. Regarding deceptive love, authors Katz and Liu write: “Unfortunately, many people do not understand this and easily fall prey to partners whose motivation is not just to please but to seduce. Then romance turns into deception” (96). Arethusa mistakes Philaster's selfishness for courage and her physical needs for love because she has had no comparable experience. Arethusa announces that she loves him and wants nothing more than his reciprocated feelings. “Your love; otherwise, all the lands still discovered will be of no use to me except to be buried” (Beaumont and Fletcher 315). She claims that nothing in the world matters unless she has his love in return. Princess Arethusa is delusional and experiences an obsession produced by passion rather than love. Regarding infatuation produced by passion alone, Dr. Frank Tallis writes: “It is the form of love most strongly associated with obsession and idealization. When commitment combines with passionin the absence of intimacy, the result is stupid love” (46). Dr. Tallis calls infatuation and passion an absurd type of love that should not be taken seriously. Arethusa mistook her physical desires for romantic attachment, blinded by Philaster's supposed gallantry. In the courtroom, Arethusa meets the stranger she is forced to marry and the imprisoned free-spirited Philaster, who stands up to the father who forces the marriage. Naturally, Arethusa would feel admiration and respect for Philaster but this quickly turns into an obsession resulting in a toxic mix for a short-lived relationship dominated by a narcissist. This infatuation and obsession inevitably leads the characters into darker territory. Dr. Frank Tallis writes: “Obsession produces a psychiatric domino effect – the serial collapse of circuit panels in the brain. Once obsessive preoccupation is triggered, new complications appear one after the other” (Tallis 149). The author of Love Sick explains that sanity is essentially destroyed once obsession invades, and disaster cannot be avoided, spelling trouble for Princess Arethusa. Philaster's mental instability comes crashing down when his ego collapses due to an invalid rumor. A corrupt whore named Megra declares a fictitious relationship between Princess Arethusa and Philaster's pageboy Bellario. At first, Philaster refuses to believe the rumors: “Even though, and you will feel it, I thought your spirit was honorable” (Beaumont and Fletcher 338). Philaster powerfully draws his sword and seems to defend the princess although he is only defending his ego. Experts on narcissism and aggression say: “When faced with ego threat, individuals with high but unstable self-esteem may be prone to maladaptive behaviors aimed at strengthening or safeguarding their self-image.” (Baumeister, et al. 27). The rumor is an insult to his character and the high regard he has for himself. It is psychologically distressing to know that one's own pageboy may be having an affair with his princess, and it is humiliating for someone with a superior sense of self and an inflated ego. Philaster believes himself to be brave, worthy, a true heir to the king, and the elegant princess has chosen to have an affair with their young servant. Philaster cannot believe that she would “take a boy who does not yet know desire,” just moments after she declares her own loyalty to him (Beaumont and Fletcher 343). He believes that such betrayal should not happen to someone as superior as him. This rumored affair constitutes the culmination of the tragedy as Philaster's pride was wounded, turning his narcissism into hostility. Regarding hostility, Baumeister et al. write: “These traits seem quite plausibly linked to aggression and violence, particularly when the narcissist encounters someone who questions or challenges his highly favorable evaluation of himself” (26). Eventually, Philaster believes the rumors to be true because they are repeated in detail by someone who claims to have witnessed them. Philaster has already shown standard traits of Narcissistic Personality Disorder and the supposed betrayal between his lover and servant increases the rage that boils from within. The shame he feels internally is manifested when he declares: “Do I bear all this courageously and must I sink for a long time under the lie of a woman” (Beaumont and Fletcher 349). Philaster chooses to end the relationship so he can preserve his image even though he doesn't really care about Arethusa. This relationship has become a threat to his self-esteem, producing enough reasons to confront the..