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Platonic love (or Platonic friendship) is a deep but non-romantic kind of love that is based on admiration for the beauty, virtue, and divinity in another person’s soul. In The Blazing World, the Empress and the Duchess become close Platonic friends. Philosophers influenced by Plato’s Symposium first popularized this idea in Queen Henrietta Maria’s court, where Cavendish spent much of her youth. Today, the term is often used to refer to any non-romantic friendship, but Plato’s followers (and Cavendish) meant it in this more specific sense.
Platonic Love/Friendship Quotes in The Blazing World
The The Blazing World quotes below are all either spoken by Platonic Love/Friendship or refer to Platonic Love/Friendship. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Part 1 Quotes
Then I will have, answered she, the soul of some ancient famous writer, either of Aristotle, Pythagoras, Plato, Epicurus, or the like. The spirit said, that those famous men were very learned, subtle, and ingenious writers, but they were so wedded to their own opinions, that they would never have the patience to be scribes. Then, said she, I’ll have the soul of one of the most famous modern writers, as either of Galileo, Gassendus, Descartes, Helmont, Hobbes, H. More, etc. The spirit answered, that they were fine ingenious writers, but yet so self-conceited, that they would scorn to be scribes to a woman. But, said he, there’s a lady, the Duchess of Newcastle, which although she is not one of the most learned, eloquent, witty and ingenious, yet is she a plain and rational writer, for the principle of her writings, is sense and reason.
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The spirits offer to help the Empress write down her philosophy by providing her with a scribe. She enthusiastically accepts their offer and asks for a famous philosopher as a scribe—but the spirits explain that these men’s souls won’t want to write down someone else’s ideas (especially a woman’s). Instead, the spirits propose a “plain and rational” woman, the Duchess of Newcastle—or Margaret Cavendish herself. Cavendish introduces herself into the book for several reasons. It allows her to create a surprising plot twist, give the Empress a female companion, and emphasize how writers can start to experience the fictions they Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labo
The Duke’s soul being wise, honest, witty, complaisant and noble, afforded such delight and pleasure to the Empress’s soul by her conversation, that these two souls became enamoured of each other; which the Duchess’s soul perceiving, grew jealous at first, but then considering that no adultery could be committed amongst Platonic lovers, and that Platonism was divine, as being derived from divine Plato, cast forth of her mind that Idea of jealousy. Then the conversation of these three souls was so pleasant, that it cannot be expressed; for the Duke’s soul entertained the Empress’s soul with scenes, songs, music, witty discourses, pleasant recreations, and all kinds of harmless sports; so that the time passed away faster than they expected.
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When the Duchess decides to introduce the Empress to her husband, the Duke of Newcastle, the Duchess and Empress’s souls enter the Duke’s body, and then all three souls mingle inside. Just like the Empress and the Duchess, the Empress and the Duke became Platonic friends (or Platonic lovers) because of their great appreciation for one another’s virtues. Understandably, the Duchess is initially surprised to see her husband fall in love with her best friend—until she remembers the crucial difference between Platonic and romantic love. In fact, Cavendish wrote this scene to help clarify and popularize the concept of Platonic Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum.
Part 2 Quotes
ln time of the voyage, both the Empress’s and Duchess’s soul were very gay and merry, and sometimes they would converse very seriously with each other.
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After conquering her native world and handing control to the King of ESFI, the Empress celebrates with the Duchess on their voyage back to the Blazing World. This may seem like an irrelevant, minor detail, but it actually represents the core of Cavendish’s message about politics and society. Cavendish believes in using terror and brainwashing to establish an absolute monarchy over the whole world, but only because she genuinely believes that this is the best way to maintain peace. Thus, by the end of the book, the Empress’s work is done: she has conquered and created stability in both of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo.
Epilogue Quotes
If any should like the world I have made, and be willing to be my subjects, they may imagine themselves such, and they are such, I mean, in their minds, fancies or imaginations; but if they cannot endure to be subjects, they may create worlds of their own, and govern themselves as they please: but yet let them have a care, not to prove unjust usurpers, and to rob me of mine; for concerning the Philosophical World, I am Empress of it myself; and as for the Blazing World, it having an Empress already, who rules it with great wisdom and conduct, which Empress is my dear Platonic friend; I shall never prove so unjust, treacherous and unworthy to her, as to disturb her government, much less to depose her from her imperial throne, for the sake of any other; but rather choose to create another world for another friend.
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At the very end of her Epilogue to The Blazing World, Cavendish explicitly clarifies a point that she has repeatedly alluded to throughout the entire book: she believes that readers should use her fantasy world as a model for building and exploring their own. She doesn’t want to just show readers how she imagined a marvelous Blazing World—she also wants to help them do the same thing, because she thinks that everyone can benefit from cultivating their imaginations. Yet, in this passage, Cavendish also makes another peculiar request to her readers: she asks them not to interfere with the Blazing Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima aute
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Platonic Love/Friendship Term Timeline in The Blazing World
The timeline below shows where the term Platonic Love/Friendship appears in The Blazing World. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing World
...her to visit from time to time. They become so close that they turn into Platonic love rs.
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...until she realizes that the Empress’s admiration for the Duke is really a kind of Platonic love . The Duke’s soul sings songs, gives speeches, and plays games to entertain the Empress.
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...share “an immaterial kiss, and shed immaterial tears.” They part, but they always remain true Platonic friends .
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The Epilogue to The Reader
...usurp hers. And she concludes by pledging her undying love and loyalty to her “dear Platonic friend ,” the Empress of the Blazing World.
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