EXHIBITS

This is the section heading and introduction for love melancholy.

Love,  and the melancholy that stem from it are examined by Burton in form and function through the tools of form and function themselves. Burton derives relationship and emotional love through the process of beauty from goodness,  grace from beauty,  comeliness from grace,  which leads to love and the pursuit of it [1].

Burton tackled love melancholy piecemeal by breaking it up first into a definition that explains what is meant by love melancholy,  then there is a description of the many common symptoms,  and finally a conclusion that includes common cures for the ailments of love melancholy.

The methodical approach and categorization that is used is intriguing and telling of the Renaissance era as a whole. The methodic and scientific breakdown,  in the context of the book,  is useful as it gives insight into how important the scientifc method had become to the Renaissance writer.

With regards to melancholy,  and its standard definition,  the way love melancholy is addressed is rather different as it is not a study of sadness,  but the general way in which love affects the actions and emotions one takes and feels. For instance Burton examines the motivations of the love of self and the desire to increase status and the melancholy that comes from both getting what one desires and failing to achieve at the same time.

Subsection heading for the causes of love melancholy.

The causes of love melancholy are numerous as can be seen simply based on the number of sections and subsections Burton devoted to explaining it. The emerging value placed on the scientific method by Renaissance minds and can be seen through the creative breakdown of the topic into manageable bits so as to avoid missing a step to give a full commentary.

There is the widely known form of love melancholy that is directly related to relationships and love in general. These are most often attributed to the love of beauty and and the proclivity of humans to make decisions based on image and feeling before thought enters the mix. This is problematic as many will know as it leads to failed relationships and melancholy. Burtons understanding of this portion of love is linked to ones own actions when in the pursuit of an interest that cause issues.

One of the more interesting,  and frankly more important,  forms love melancholy takes comes is that of lust. Lust plays an important role in the causes of love melancholy as it is not only lust in the carnal sense but it also encompasses worldly desires as they are known. 

These worldly desires are often seen as a lust for status or possessions and pose difficulties as there are negative consequesnces for either outcome when seeking to make gains politically with status or in possessions. Burtons examination of status is important and applicable to our modern world as it is a constant desire to bee seen or known and is often problematic  Love melancholy is the self inflicted melancholy because it is ones own actions that lead to a state of melancholy.