For my final project in Renaissance Literature, I did three pieces based on Philip Sidney's Astrophil and Stella, names that more or less translate to "Star-lover and Star." Astrophil and Stella was the sonnet sequence that started the sonnet sequence craze. Over 108 sonnets and eleven songs, the speaker Astrophil tells the story of his obsessive love for Stella. This is part 2.
Astrophil personifies love, and love mercilessly torments Astrophil, driving him onward in obsession. However, Sidney's treatment of Astrophil isn't always very serious; Astrophil is really a doof- sometimes obnoxiously so- and for all his struggling, he really doesn't have the self-control of a normal adult in his situation. So I depicted this continuation in chibi. Getting shot through the head and neck with arrows is pretty terrible, but we don't have to worry too much about Astrophil's condition.
In sonnet 41, Astrophil wins a horsemanship competition, and claims Stella's presence as the source of his victory. In this vignette, the artist seems to have forgotten her SEVEN YEARS OF RIDING HORSEBACK AND WHAT HORSES AND TACK LOOK LIKE, so please to be excusing that. :/
In the bottom left, Astrophil's words reveal the author's hidden intentions: Stella is based on the real Penelope Rich, a beautiful lady of his time. Both Penelope and Stella are married, and history tells us that the union was a terribly unhappy one. Even in grief, Astrophil cannot help the wordplay: though Stella is rich in beauty, wealth, virtue, kindness, and praise, the fact that she is "a Rich" is too tragic for the rest to make her (or him) happy. In these pages, the character design for Astrophil is based off Philip Sidney, Stella is based off Penelope Rich, and Lord Rich is based off…well…himself.
Sonnets pass by, filled with pleading. Astrophil continues to beg Stella for her favor, but she continues to scorn him. She is a virtuous, married woman. And yet, her true feelings cannot be hidden. One day, she glances in his direction and blushes. A confession of love is not far off, and the elated Astrophil cannot contain his joy.
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