23
Aug
Love and sex have been the bread and butter of literature since the days when ancient storytellers first realized they could spice up their tales by adding a little romance. These two elemental forces drive plots, fuel character motivations, and sometimes cause heroes to lose their minds (and pants) in spectacularly dramatic fashion. But beneath the swoon-worthy declarations and steamy encounters lies a more complex dance—one that reveals and, in many cases, shapes our understanding of gender dynamics. In the Middle Ages, when love was as much about duty as it was about passion. Enter the world of courtly love,…