"Love is an innate suffering that proceeds from the sight and immoderate thought of the beauty of the opposite sex, for which cause above all else one desires to embrace the other and, of common consent, in this embrace to fulfill the commandments of love. Andreas Capellanus, the 12th century French author of a well-known but skeptical book, The Art of Courtly Love, once said others an accurate definition of love, fails in its intent; trying to achieve the impossible; Capellanus is unaware in composing a meaning of love which, with its great ambiguity, can never define love as a single phrase; its true meaning, which lies in the eyes of each different individual, includes a wide range of definitions, all different from each other, slightly or greatly The greatest philosophical, powerful and influential individuals in history hold different opinions regarding the broad and far-reaching concept of love. William Shakespeare, a renowned author and creator of immortal words and poems that have endured despite modern times, once said: "Love is a smoke lifted from the smoke of sighs, that is purified, a fire that sparkles in the eyes of lovers , which is irritated, a sea nourished by the tears of lovers. What else is there? A very discreet madness, a suffocating gall and a sweetness that preserves. Shakespeare's convincing use of language to convey his views is notable, but differs greatly from that of Andreas Capellanus. While Shakespeare describes love as a seemingly wonderful and comforting part of life, including the fact that love can, at times, be unpleasant, ... middle of paper ... your words are so uncertain. Why? Cyrano: In this dim light they must grope through the shadows to your ear. “In this excerpt, Cyrano uses his witty, intelligent, yet cunning personality to appease Roxanne and to satisfy Christian's desire to speak lovingly of her. These same passages from Rostand's “Cyrano de Bergerac” illustrate the direct participation of Roxanne, Cyrano and Christian in the tradition of courtly love. During the balcony scene, Roxanne believes she is talking to her "knight," both literally and figuratively. The practice of courtly love includes a woman loving a knight, and since Christian is a war cadet, he fits this description. Christian also loves Roxanne and protects her during the war she is fighting in. In conclusion, there are many interpretations of love, which lie in the eyes of each distinct individual..