Philaster, a play written by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, was performed in the early 1600s during the Jacobean period and began the first trend of tragicomedies. The plot revolves around the imprisoned Prince Filastro of Sicily and Princess Arethusa, daughter of the king who usurped the throne of Sicily. It aims to be an extraordinary story of courage and virtuous love between the characters 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, trapping his devotion and establishing a relationship filled with turmoil. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Filaster is hailed as a brave prince, but he is nothing more than a self-proclaimed narcissist. Narcissism and conceit are immediately evident when Prince Philaster asks to speak. Philaster uses his time to express his utter contempt for Prince Pharamond of Spain who was paid to marry Princess Arethusa. Philaster cries: When you are king, look, I will be dead and rotten, and my name ashes; for listen to me, Faramondo! On this very ground you walk, on this rich land that my father's friends have made fertile with their faith, before that day of shame opens wide and swallows you and your nation, like a hungry grave, into its hidden bowels; prince, he will; by the righteous gods, it will. (Beaumont and Fletcher 307). Filaster continues to insult Pharamond by calling him the prince of parrots presenting an image of utter madness and conceit. Princess Arethusa, the noble gentlemen and the ladies of the court witness the wild and irascible Philastro reclaiming his territory and acclaim him as brave and worthy. However, it is not courage or dignity 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 state of mind is called entitlement, the pervasive belief that you deserve special treatment, success, and more material things. Entitlement is one of the key components of narcissism and one of the most harmful to others. When narcissists feel entitled to special treatment, someone else invariably gets hurt” (230). Philaster's bitter comments towards Prince Pharamond and the king are influenced by mental instability and a motive to protect his beloved image. Philaster demands respect through his incredibly disrespectful comments out of vanity and not courage. His anarchic speech is seen as a poetic courage that excites the young princess Arethusa, prompting her to send her servant to invite him to her lodgings. The servant spots an equally eager Philastro and says: “To you, brave lord; the princess would beg for your present company” (Beaumont and Fletcher 311). Princess Arethusa declares her love to Philaster in his quarters, and Philaster's true characteristics are seen through their dysfunctional relationship. Philaster's selfishness and ravenous libido push him to announce a false love. Philaster easily accepted the affection of the king's virgin daughter because he is domineering, narcissistic, and horny. On the topic 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 love affair occurred just moments after seeing each other. There had been no conversations at court,courtships and sincere acts of chivalry. Philaster did not fall in love with Arethusa at first sight but immediately noticed her physical attractiveness. Princess Arethusa represents the beauty and purity that attracts Philaster physically and not emotionally. One study showed: “Men and women have been described as having different relationship priorities: men are typically interested in a sexual union while women are predominantly interested in pursuing an emotionally committed partnership” (McLellan-Lemal 13). The very different mentalities of Arethusa and Philastro serve to establish 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 fulfilling her request and doing what she asked, Philaster becomes very offended. “Hide me from Faramondo! When the thunder speaks, which is the voice of God, although I revere him, yet I do not hide myself; and a foreign prince shall be permitted to boast to a foreign nation that he has forced Philastro into hiding” (Beaumont and Fletcher 317). Later, Philaster gets into an argument with Pharamond, threatening to fight in the princess's quarters shortly after she specifically asks him to hide. The pompous Filaster is marking his territory on both Princess Arethusa and her bedchamber much like a barking dominant dog, showing unquestionable signs of disrespect. If Philaster had truly respected the princess, he would have done what she asked or at least not started an argument with Pharamond. However, Philaster does not respect her or take her feelings into consideration because he is a narcissist who is unable to care 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 don't understand how to care for others, which is why their self-admiration often spirals out of control” (24). Princess Arethusa is blind to the warning signs so visible in this first circumstance, justifying her vulnerability. Philaster is a ticking time bomb, susceptible to the complications their relationship will soon present. Princess Arethusa is a victim, vulnerable to the mentally unstable Philaster. Inexperienced and unexposed to love, she is defenseless against the courageous and outspoken Philaster. She immediately believes she is in love with Philaster, misunderstanding 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 purely to please but to seduce. Then romance turns into deception” (96). Arethusa mistakes Philastro's selfishness for courage and his physical needs for love because she has had no remotely comparable experience. Arethusa announces that she loves him and wants nothing more than his reciprocated feelings. “Your love; without which, all the earth yet discovered will do me no good but bury it” (Beaumont and Fletcher 315). He states that nothing in the world matters unless he has his love reciprocated. 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 is added to passion in the absence of intimacy, the result is fatuous love” (46). Dr. Tallis labels infatuation and passion as an absurd type of love not to be taken seriously. Arethusa confused her physical desires withromantic attachment, blinded by Philaster's supposed gallantry. In the courtroom, Arethusa meets the stranger she is forced to marry and the imprisoned, free-spirited Philastro, who opposes his father who forces the marriage. Naturally, Arethusa would feel admiration and respect towards Philaster, but this will quickly turn 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 worry is triggered, new complications are introduced one after another” (Tallis 149). The Love Sick writer explains that sanity is essentially destroyed once the obsession spreads, and disaster cannot be avoided by foreshadowing trouble for Princess Arethusa. Philaster's mental instability is revealed when his ego crumbles due to an invalid voice. A corrupt whore named Megra claims an imaginary affair between Princess Arethusa and Philaster's page, Bellarius. At first, Philaster refuses to believe the rumors: “Even if you lie, and you will hear it, I had thought your mind had been honorable” (Beaumont and Fletcher 338). Philaster forcefully draws his sword and appears to defend the princess even though he is only defending his ego. Experts on narcissism and aggression state: "When faced with an 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). an insult to his character and the high opinion he has of himself. It's psychologically distressing to know that his page might be having an affair with his princess, and it's humiliating for someone with a superior sense of self and an inflated ego. Philaster believes himself to be brave, worthy, a true heir of the king, and the elegant princess has chosen to have an affair with their young servant. Philaster cannot believe that he would “take a boy who does not yet know desire,” only moments after declaring his loyalty to him (Beaumont and Fletcher 343). He believes that such a betrayal should not happen to someone as superior as him. The alleged affair forms the culmination of the tragedy as Philaster's pride has been wounded, turning his narcissism into hostility. Regarding hostility Baumeister, et al, writes: "These traits seem quite plausibly linked to aggression and violence, especially when the narcissist encounters someone who questions or challenges his or her highly favorable self-evaluation" (26) . Ultimately, Philaster believes the rumors are true because they are repeated in detail by someone who claims to have witnessed it. Philaster has already shown standard traits of narcissistic personality disorder, and the alleged betrayal between his lover and his servant increases the anger boiling from within. The shame he feels inside is made evident when he declares, “I bear all this with courage and must sink at last under a woman's lie” (Beaumont and Fletcher 349). Philaster chooses to end the relationship so he can preserve his image as he doesn't truly care about Arethusa. The affair has become a threat to his self-esteem, producing enough reason to confront the princess and damage their relationship as a way to protect his image. “When relationship partners become the source of a threat to self-esteem, narcissists appear willing to jeopardize these interpersonal bonds in the pursuit of self-improvement” (478)..