Lacking Logic

1. What is the point of keeping Arbaces and Panthea so long in ignorance of their true identities? Gobrias admits that he has encouraged Arbaces to fall in love with Panthea even before telling him that she is not his sister: “I sought to kindle / Some sparks of love in you to fair Panthea, / That she might get part of her right again” (5.4.). The horror expressed by Mardonius regarding incestuous behavior reveals that incest is not at all acceptable in the court. Thus Gobrias’s actions present a moral dilemma for the characters that very nearly results in tragic results. Why does an otherwise noble character take such questionable steps towards restoring Panthea’s birthright?
2. In Act 3, Scene 1 of “Philaster,” Bellario asks “Oh, what boy is he / Can be content to live to be a man, / That sees the best of men thus passionate, / Thus without reason?” The volatile and illogical temperament to which she refers is prevalent in men throughout the play and can be seen not only in Philaster but also in the king, the townspeople, and in Philaster’s loyal followers. Even plots with good intent are illogical and misguided, and judgments are made and changed quickly and erratically. The women on the other hand are constant. Arethusa and Bellario are loyal and virtuous, Galatea soundly resists Pharamond’s advances, and even Megra remains consistent in her vice and viciousness. How does this inversion of the stereotypical views on male and female behavior work in this play? What are we supposed to make of this very obvious difference between the male and female characters?