The Trial of Love

"The Trial of Love" was published in 1834 as part of the Keepsake. "The Trial of Love" is best seen as a retelling of the suspected love triangle between Mary Shelley, her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley, and her half-sister Claire, during their 1818 stay in Italy. While the retelling adds more of a paternal love than what existed in real life, the parallels are glaringly obvious. The story contains themes of familial obligation and identity, all which ultimately hint at the subjective nature of history.