ABSTRACT
For example, The Long Fatal Love Chase, written in 1868, recounts the efforts of Rosamund to avoid the saturnine and sinister Tempest as he pursues her around Europe. Notable themes within the book, such as Tempest’s pursuit of Rosamund despite clear evidence of the lack of reciprocity of his feelings, his obsessive determination to possess her, and his conviction of their shared destiny, are evident in contemporary stalking cases. One stalking victim described how she is forced to relocate on a regular basis to evade her stalker:
Another victim explained that she changed her name and moved to a different town in order to escape an obsessive former partner, but that this means that she has no contact with her friends or family in case that provides a means for the stalker to track her down:
Similarly, leading psychologist Dr Reid Meloy uses examples from Shakespeare to illustrate the longevity of stalking.114 In particular, he refers to Othello, in which Desdemona is ultimately killed as a result of Othello’s passionate obsession. Meloy links this to a common phenomenon in stalking whereby rejection by the object of desire leads to feelings of shame, humiliation and ultimately anger, leading the stalker to devalue the once adored object of his affections. Once destroyed, the object is restored to idealised perfection and can again be pursued; this love-hate-love pattern appears prevalent in relational stalking and is epitomised by Othello’s words: ‘I will kill thee and love thee after.’115 Meloy likens this to OJ Simpson, who appeared distraught after the death of his wife. Three years after his trial for her murder, Simpson said: ‘Let’s say I committed this crime … Even if I did do this, it would have been because I loved her very much.’116
