Of Love by Francis Bacon: A Summary and Line by Line Explanation

This blog post covers everything you need to know about Bacon’s view on love. It includes a summary, line by line explanation, discussion of its theme, and answers to a few FAQs, all explained in simple language.

Of Love Summary

Francis Bacon’s essay “Of Love” primarily discusses adverse impacts of passionate love on human behavior and life. In contrast to its idealized portrayal in theatrical plays, intense love in real life is often harmful and leads to suffering. It can allure, in its powerful grip, anyone, even those who are usually wise.

Another significant consequence of love is a lover loses touch with reality and starts thinking irrationally. This state can significantly affect his judgment.

Moreover, love can lead to the loss of both fortune and knowledge. For instance, Paris was so captivated by Helen that ignored the gifts of wealth and wisdom for the sake of his passionate love.

Line by Line Explanation

Love on Stage and in Real Life

“THE stage is more beholding to love, than the life of man. For as to the stage, love is ever matter of comedies, and now and then of tragedies; but in life it doth much mischief; sometimes like a siren, sometimes like a fury. You may observe, that amongst all the great and worthy persons (whereof the memory remaineth, either ancient or recent) there is not one, that hath been transported to the mad degree of love: which shows that great spirits, and great business, do keep out this weak passion.”

The stage depicts the theme of love more than actual experiences in life. Plays tend to focus on love as a central theme far more than experiences in everyday life.

Bacon wrote this essay in the Elizabethan era. Being an essayist of that period, he likely refers to Elizabethan plays. Bacon observes that many playwrights of his time glorified love and often gave undue importance to it.

For example, plays such as “Romeo and Juliet”, “The Merchant of Venice”, “Twelfth Night”, “Endymion present love in a light-hearted manner. They end in happiness, like marriages or reunions.

According to Bacon, this is a misrepresentation of love on stage. What the playwrights often ignore is to show the darker aspects of love in their plays. They seldom depict love as having serious and sorrowful consequences.

Amorous love in real life is not always a source of happiness. It often causes more trouble and distress in a person’s life than benefitting him.

To explain the destructive power of love, Bacon compares passionate love to a siren and fury. A siren’s enchanting song and voice lures sailors and distracts them on their way. Similarly, love draws individuals away from their duties, potentially leading them to ruin.

Because of its destructive nature, notable individuals, either from the past or present, have never let it overpower them. They have always kept “this weak passion” (Bacon 88) aside from their work in their ambitions or intellectual pursuits.

For instance, Nikola Tesla and Elon Musk have not allowed this emotion to overwhelm them. As a result, they have become extraordinary in their respective fields.

In contrast, an average person who has surrendered himself to erotic love might have ended up mediocre.

The difference between successful and unsuccessful men lies in how much priority they give to love.

Love is a Powerful Emotion

“You must except, nevertheless, Marcus Antonius, the half partner of the empire of Rome, and Appius Claudius, the decemvir and lawgiver; whereof the former was indeed a voluptuous man, and inordinate; but the latter was an austere and wise man: and therefore it seems (though rarely) that love can find entrance, not only into an open heart, but also into a heart well fortified, if watch be not well kept. It is a poor saying of Epicurus, Satis magnum alter alteri theatrum sumus; as if man, made for the contemplation of heaven, and all noble objects, should do nothing but kneel before a little idol, and make himself a subject, though not of the mouth (as beasts are), yet of the eye; which was given him for higher purposes.”

Love is such a strong emotion that, if not controlled, it can affect both amorous and sagacious individuals’ lives. To explain, Bacon cites examples from history. Both Mark Antony and Appius Claudius were both high-ranking men in ancient Rome.

Mark Antony was a Roman General. He fell in love with Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, and married her.

Marrying Cleopatra became a cause of downfall for Mark Antony. He distributed Roman territories to her children, which was seen as a betrayal of Roman interests.

Octavian emphasized his alliance with Cleopatra to turn public opinion against Antony. He portrayed Antony as a traitor to Rome, influenced by a foreign queen, which helped justify his declaration of war.

In the end, his defeat at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC marked the end of Antony’s political and military career.

Claudius was an austere Roman senator and a leading decemvir in 451 B.C. Rome.

However, Claudius lusted after the daughter of a commoner, Virginia. (Pitcher 88n3) and he wanted to enslave her by using his power. To save Virginia from the clutch of Claudius, her father had to kill her.

It caused an uproar in Rome and Claudius’ downfall.

This comparison highlights that anyone can succumb to passionate love, regardless of one’s personality. Whether one is passionate like Antony or wise like Claudius, this powerful force can impact anyone if it is allowed to grow unchecked.

If a man with high ambitions focuses on this weak passion, it will overpower him. He is not supposed to indulge himself in such a pleasure.

Therefore, Bacon criticizes a statement of the Greek philosopher Epicurus; “Satis magnum alter alteri theatrum sumus” (Bacon 88). It means “each of us is enough of an audience for the other” (Pitcher 88n4).

This implies that the mere presence of another person should be enough to satisfy our need for engagement. The statement emphasizes personal relationships and simple pleasures are sufficient for a fulfilling life.

Bacon viewed Epicurus’s statement as underestimating other aspects of a fulfilling life. He believes that Epicurus’s philosophy focuses too much on personal relationships, which restricts human potential.

If all men meant for contemplating the universe or pursuing ambitious endeavors were to focus solely on love, they would give undue importance to this passion.

Even if a man in love is not driven by instinct like an animal, he is captivated by his lover’s appearance. It is a misuse of his gift of sight. Instead of using his sight, metaphorically, insight, for higher purposes, he indulges in petty pleasures.

Deceptive Nature of Love

“It is a strange thing, to note the excess of this passion, and how it braves the nature, and value of things, by this; that the speaking in a perpetual hyperbole, is comely in nothing but in love. Neither is it merely in the phrase; for whereas it hath been well said, that the arch-flatterer, with whom all the petty flatterers have intelligence, is a man’s self; certainly the lover is more. For there was never proud man thought so absurdly well of himself, as the lover doth of the person loved; and therefore it was well said, That it is impossible to love, and to be wise.”

Bacon finds it peculiar how love’s intensity can defy the nature of reality. Love can distort a person’s perception, keeping reality at bay from the lover. 

He says hyperbolic speech in love is often deemed acceptable, but not in other aspects of life. 

We can explain this phenomenon with the help of the halo effect. The attractiveness or a characteristic of one forms an overall positive perception in the lover’s mind. 

As a result, one forms biased opinions about the other. It often leads to endless exaggerated compliments. 

Bacon refers to a saying that the greatest flatterer is oneself, highlighting how people often deceive themselves more than others. Yet, a person in love becomes an even greater flatterer towards his beloved than towards himself. 

Conversely, a wise and self-content man does not hold himself in as high regard as a passionate lover. The halo effect influences cognitive capacity. Consequently, it overvalues the loved one irrationally. 

In this context, Bacon cites a line from Publilius Syrus’ Sententiae, 15,

Because of the irrational tendency, it is impossible to love and act rationally at the same time. 

One-sided Passionate Love

“Neither doth this weakness appear to others only, and not to the party loved; but to the loved most of all, except the love be reciproque. For it is a true rule, that love is ever rewarded, either with the reciproque, or with an inward and secret contempt. By how much the more, men ought to beware of this passion, which loseth not only other things, but itself!”

The weaknesses of being blindly in love are not apparent either to others or to the person who is only partially loved. However, this weakness is visible to the one being loved, especially when the love is not mutual.

Bacon states that love is always answered in one of two possibilities. Either the loved one will reciprocate to the feelings or develop hidden contempt for the other as the lover’s advanced progress.

Therefore, Bacon cautions that people should be wary of this emotion. It is detrimental to one’s well-being but also to the passion of love.

This can occur because the intensity of unreciprocated love may lead to its own demise. This happens either through the erosion of the affection itself or through the harm it causes, making it unsustainable.

Love is the Child of Folly 

“As for the other losses, the poet’s relation doth well figure them: that he that preferred Helena, quitted the gifts of Juno and Pallas. For whosoever esteemeth too much of amorous affection, quitteth both riches and wisdom. This passion hath his floods, in very times of weakness; which are great prosperity, and great adversity; though this latter hath been less observed: both which times kindle love, and make it more fervent, and therefore show it to be the child of folly.”

While discussing losses, Bacon cites a story from classical mythology. In this story, Paris, the Trojan prince, chooses Venus’s offer of the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen. He rejects the offers of power, wealth, and wisdom from goddesses Juno and Pallas (Athena).

Paris’s decision to abduct Helen from her husband sparked a war between the Trojans and Spartans. Ultimately, this led to his own death and the eventual destruction of Troy.

Thus, Bacon emphasizes that placing an excessive value on romantic love can lead to the depletion of both wealth and wisdom.

Bacon observes that love often arises in times of both prosperity and adversity. In prosperity, a man may become vulnerable to passionate feelings. It may lead him to senseless actions.

Similarly, in adversity, he might seek passion to escape from reality. However, love during hardship is an occasional experience.

Since love tends to intensify during these times, it underscores the notion that love is a product of foolishness rather than reason or wisdom.

Balancing Love and Goals

“They do best, who if they cannot but admit love, yet make it keep quarters; and sever it wholly from their serious affairs, and actions, of life; for if it check once with business, it troubleth men’s fortunes, and maketh men, that they can no ways be true to their own ends.”

Some men fall in love but do not act irrationally. They manage their feelings carefully, even if they cannot avoid falling in love. They ensure that love remains controlled.

To control, they always keep love separate from their goals or responsibilities. They know very well that if their desire and serious matters are mingled, it could lead to financial losses and compromise their ability to stay true to their objectives.

For instance, many successful people are not great lovers in the traditional sense. While they may have experienced love, they never allow it to impact their work. Instead, they adeptly balance these aspects of their lives.

Love as an Escape Route

“I know not how, but martial men are given to love: I think, it is but as they are given to wine; for perils commonly ask to be paid in pleasures.”

Bacon says that martial men have a tendency to fall in love. He compares their attraction to women with their fondness for wine. It suggests that the pleasures of love or wine alleviate their harsh lives.

The risks in their profession may drive soldiers to seek emotional solace in romantic love. Just as they might turn to wine for escape or relief, love offers a similar respite from the stark realities of military life.

Different Types of Love

“There is in man’s nature, a secret inclination and motion, towards love of others, which if it be not spent upon some one or a few, doth naturally spread itself towards many, and maketh men become humane and charitable; as it is seen sometime in friars. Nuptial love maketh mankind; friendly love perfecteth it; but wanton love corrupteth, and embaseth it.”

Apart from such sensual love, Bacon also mentions other types of love: altruistic love, nuptial love, and friendly love.

Altruistic Love: Bacon notices that humans have an inherent tendency to extend their love beyond a single individual, encompassing all humanity. Altruistic love, often seen in religious figures, is a selfless love concerned with the well-being of others.

This type of love fosters humanity and charity, as opposed to selfishness and flattery.

Nuptial Love: This love pertains to marriage. Marital love plays a vital role in the continuation of the human race. Bacon expresses a similar view about nuptial love in “Of Marriage and Single Life”.

He says, “wife and children are a kind of discipline of humanity” (82).

Friendly Love: It is related to friendship bonds. This type of love enhances humanity’s moral and social virtues, contributing to its perfection and enrichment.

Wanton Love: In contrast to other types, amorous love is superficial and degrades one’s life. Passionate love may be fleeting, but its effects can be enduring.

Though Bacon mentions these types of love, he does not delve deep into them. He discusses primarily passionate love and its detrimental effects.

Of Love Video Explanation

For explanation video,

Watch 👉 the video here.

FAQs

References

Bacon, Francis. “Of Love.” Francis Bacon: The Essays, edited by John Pitcher, Penguin Books, 1985, pp. 88, 89.

Badian, E. “Mark Antony: Roman triumvir.” Britannica, 28 Jul. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mark-Antony-Roman-triumvir

Cherry, Kendra. “Why the Halo Effect Influences How We Perceive Others.” verywellmind, 19 Jul. 2020. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-halo-effect-2795906