Thesis: There was no end to the apparent contradictions of personal philosophy versus popular culture, and what Shelley actually accomplished in his short life. Shelley was cognoscente of this contradiction, as can be seen in his Preface to The Revolt of Islam, and it continually shadowed his career.

B. Marriage--a stray from personal philosophy

Philosophy in the Life of Percy Shelley

The Romantic writers of the late 1700s and the early 1800s enjoyed a freedom in writing that is reminiscent of the freedom of some of the great Greek writers. Like the Greeks more than one thousand years earlier, the Romantic writers were able to enjoy such professions in the humanities due to the influx of technology in their respective societies. With the rise of the Greek Polis came efficiency in farming, shared labor, and specialized manufacturing on a more primitive scale. These innovations were key to the origin of phi

Kipperman, Mark. "Coleridge, Shelley, Davy, and Science's Millennium." Criticism. Volume 40 n3 (1998): 409-437.

Among the first salient contradictions of Shelley's confessed philosophy and his actions was his marriage to Harriet Westbrook. Despite his disbelief in the institution of marriage, Shelley married Westbrook in order to free her from the expectations of her father. The couple enjoyed a small salary from the tavern-keeper, Mr. Westbrook. Harriet Westbrook never understood her husband though, and she ultimately took her own life. Shelley's first marriage was only the beginning of the twisted tale. During his marriage to Westbrook, Shelley decided to pursue an interaction with Godwin, who had inspired much of his thought. Godwin accepted an interview with Shelley. It seemed, however, that Shelley was not the only philosopher whose claims and actions did not coincide. Even Godwin, whom Shelley held in high esteem, was living a less than desirable home life with several children of several marriages! Shelley fell in love with one of Godwin's daughters, Mary Wollstonecraft. Once again abandoning his disbelief in marriage, Shelley and Wollstonecraft eloped. Not being susceptible to other social expectations, Shelley never formally divorced his first wife and the three people even made a tragic attempt to live together! It is not known how Shelley justified his marriages in his own mind. It is proof however that as much as Shelley had developed his own ideal social world, he was subject to the reality of the society that surrounded him.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1718
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)