The Complex Emotion of Love in A Midsummer Night's Dream Love is a timeless topic. It will forever be the theme of popular entertainment and source of confusion for men and women alike. No one understands this better than William Shakespeare, and he frequently explores this complex emotion in his writing of great works. In A Midsummer Night's Dream he cleverly reveals the fickle and inebriating aspects of love through his characters: Hermia and Lysander, Helena and Demetrius, and Oberon and Titania. Love, by definition, has many meanings. It means the affection and tenderness felt by lovers, an affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests. It also means warm attachment, devotion, or admiration, and the attraction based on sexual desire, which is exactly what Shakespeare portrays in his play A Midsummer Nights Dream. These three couples are captured in the endless game of love in a land of fairies and a world of reality. A sexual desire runs strong through these characters especially in the men, Lysander and Demetrius. Helena is truly in love with Demetrius because of their shared night together. Lysander and Hermia are deeply in love, but Lysander decides to take it one more step. "One turf shall serve as pillow for us both; one heart, one bed, two bosoms, and one troth... O, take the sense sweet, of my innocence!" (Pg 57. Line 47- 51) Here Lysander begs for her body while he has already gained her heart. The love is real, but Hermia replies, "Nay, good Lysander. For my sake, my dear, lie further off yet. Do not lie so near." Men are driven to that desire, even in the farthest and most fantasyland years ago. One kind of love Shakespeare shows in this play is not really love, but many people mistake it as is infatuation or commonly known as lust. This isn't being in love with the other person but in love with one of their characteristics or their body. This can be shown with the relationship between Demetrius and Hermia. Demetrius only wants Hermia for the chase and not for who she is. Another type of love that can be presented is an unrequited relationship. This is shown between Helena and Demetrius. Helena loves Demetrius with all of her heart but he doesn't want anything to do with her because there is no chase. Another type of love shown in this play is true love. This can be shown with Lysander and Hermia. They love each other with every ounce of their body and nothing can stop them from being together. That is what true love is and that is why people say that true love is the most powerful thing in the world. " There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee, and to that place the sharp Athenian law cannot pursue us. If thou lovest me, then, Steal forth thy father's house tomorrow night;" (Act. 1 sc. 1 161-164) In order for them to be together is to run away and that is what they do. In my opinion, I think that Hermia is the one that speaks more completely, eloquently, and most compassionate in this play about love then any other character. .". Now much beshrew my manners and my pride If Hermia meant to say Lysander lied. But, gentle friend, for love and courtesy, Lie further off, in humane modesty. Such separation as may well be said becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid, so far be distant; and good night, sweet friend. Thy love ne'er alter till thy sweet life end." (Act. 2 sc. 2 54-61) This clearly shows Hermia's most eloquently thought out words when she talks about love to Lysander. Through all of these characters and their situations, Lysander said it best. "The course of love never did run smooth." (Act I, Sc.1, 136) Although love does not run smooth, Shakespeare's A Midsummer Nights Dream did. The reader is continually reminded that love is powerful, sometimes fickle, and on occasion intoxicating to the point of stupidity. Four hundred years after this play was first written it is still a common theme in best selling novels and movies, making Shakespeare timeless in his exploration of human behavior.
When Lysander is speaking to Hermia in Act I, Scene I; he is both stating a truth about the mystery of love, as while as foreshadowing the upcoming trouble in the play. Egeus has made his demands that his daughter obey him and marry Demetrius. The tension between the father and the chosen lover of his daughter has set the conflict into motion. Demetrius has left with Theseus, Hippolyta and Egeus to discuss the wedding of the Duke of the Athens. The young lovers Lysander and Hermia are left on stage and he tells her in Lines 132-134: “For aught that I could ever read, Could ever hear by tale or history, The course of true love never did run smooth.” He speaks these words to comfort Hermia, but neither has any idea of the crazy night that will come in the
To begin, Hermia and Lysander were both madly in love with each other in Midnights Summer Dream however their fairytale love did have its issues. When two people love each other, people often ask, why get in their way? The answer is simple because either you don’t realize what they are feeling and think you know better, or you are unaware of the situation. The first is the case with Hermia and Lysander. Hermia had several problems to solve in order to be with her beloved Lysander. In the beginning, her father disapproved of the love and thought Hermia should marry Demetrius – a man of equal standing and looks as Lysander. In Act 1, Scene 1, in between lines170-180, Hermia says, “…I swear to thee by Cupid’s strongest bow… In that same place thou hast appointed me, Tomorrow truly I will meet with thee.” Here she is saying that she agrees to run away with Lysander. After she solved that issue by deciding to run away, Lysander somehow fell in love with Helena. Little to Hermia’s knowledge Lysander was under a potions control that made him fall madly in love with Helena. Hermia didn’t let this stand in her way though, she persisted on Lysander that sh...
Love, lust and infatuation all beguile the senses of the characters in this dreamy and whimsical work of Shakespeare, and leads them to act in outlandish ways, which throughly amuses the reader. True love does prevail in the end for Hermia and Lysander, and the initial charm of infatuation ends up proving to have happy consequence for Helena and Demetrius as well. Even when at first the reader thinks that, in theory, the effects the potion will wear off and Lysander will once again reject Helena, Oberon places a blessings on all the couples that they should live happily ever after.
Helena's interpretation of love, as a deep, powerful emotion is virtually unseen in the rest of the play. Rather, the opposite, superficial love, plagues most characters of the play. Theseus, Demetrius, and Lysander constantly offer comments about females. Rather than focusing on who these women are, these comments pertain to the appearance of the women.
Though Puck adds much humor to the play while tormenting and drugging the lovers in the forest, he also acts as a catalyst in redirecting their devotions among one-another, thus demonstrating the fickle nature of love. For example, Lysander, who in one instant is blindly in love with his fair Hermia, will suddenly wake to find himself obsessed with Helena. Without questioning this drastic change, he boldly proclaims to Helena, “Content with Hermia? No, I do repent /The tedious minutes I with her have spent. /Not Hermia, but Helena I love. /Who will not change a raven for a dove?” (II.ii.118-21). Lysander’s drugged state (courtesy of Puck) was the source of his apparent change of heart, but even to this day this abrupt transformation happens more often than the average person would care to admit. Drugged or not, it is in the human nature to desire what isn’t ours, and admire the greener grass that our cute neighbor seems to have growing. The reader can also relate to Demetrius’s statement, “Lysander, keep thy Hermia. I will none. /If e’er I loved her, all that love is gone” (III.ii.172-73)...
...ally. Love brings out intense emotions and situations that reveal a lot about a character and their demeanor. Shakespeare uses love to show that it does not mean you have to change your personality, however, it does mean accepting another person for who they are regardless of the thoughts and opinions of others. Love is so vital to the play because it shows us that people need trust, loyalty, commitment, chemistry, forgiveness, patience, kindness, and honesty to have proper love. Once a person has these things he or she just needs to work to find love and work even harder to keep it.
“Ay me! For aught that I could ever read, Could ever hear by tale or history, The course of true love never did run smooth; But either it was different in blood”( I.I.134-137). In the play, A “Midsummer’s Night Dream” author William Shakespeare outlines the theme, which is love. Shakespeare does this in using a comedic and innocuous tone to introduce love as a complex and sometimes problematic. Shakespeare does this by using four Literary Techniques: Symbolism, Setting, Imagery, and Allegory. In each act, Shakespeare presents one of all of these elements in the following ways: Love’s difficulty, Magic, and Dreams.
Love plays a very significant role in this Shakespearian comedy, as it is the driving force of the play: Hermia and Lysander’s forbidden love and their choice to flee Athens is what sets the plot into motion. Love is also what drives many of the characters, and through readers’ perspectives, their actions may seem strange, even comical to us: from Helena pursuing Demetrius and risking her reputation, to fairy queen Titania falling in love with Bottom. However, all these things are done out of love. In conclusion, A Midsummer Night’s Dream displays the blindness of love and how it greatly contradicts with reason.
Our perception of Lysander and Hermia’s love develops in the following events: Hermia chooses to become a nun rather than submit to marrying the man her father has chosen for her; Lysander comforts Hermia and shares his plan to elope; They lose their way in the woods and negotiate sleeping arrangements; Lysander deserts Hermia to pursue Helena and to kill his rival, Demetrius.
A Midsummer’s Night Dream by William Shakespeare is a dreamy, romantic comedy. The way love is portrayed varies depending on what type of characters are looked at. In terms of the young lovers, Lysander and Hermia, their love is very pure, and matter-of-fact. They are in love by default of their character, rather than what the audience sees from them. They are in love simply because that is ingrained into their characters. Oberon and Titania’s love is built more on the basis of control. They play games with each other, trying to get the upper hand in the relationship. In the end, one being in control is more attractive to Oberon than the actual connection between the people in the relationship. This is what draws him to Helena. The love between
What is love? Different people have different characteristics and adjectives of love. For example new lovers might think that love is the only hope, while people who have had some experience might think that it is a pain. In the Book A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare writes about the different types of love. Shakespeare uses his characters to show how people different people may view love.
One type of love Shakespeare uses is the most widely known – romantic love. Lysander is in love with Hermia and proves it as he says, “My love is more than his. My fortunes every way as a fairly ranked, (if not with vantage) as Demetrius’. And – which is more than all these boasts can be – I am beloved of beauteous Hermia”
Being two of the four lovers,they are obviously in love with someone in the play. However,what separates them is their desire to love someone or to be loved by someone. Hermia is in love with Lysander while Helena is
Demetrius, Helena, Lysander, and Hermia are the for young teens of the story. At the beginning of the play it is Lysander and Helena who are madly in love, and are planning to to escape from Athens to elope. Helena is in love with Demetrius, and Demetrius cared for Helena and liked her a lot but was not in love with her. As soon as Demetrius sees Hermia he immediately stops having any feelings for Helena whatsoever and is deeply in love with Hermia. Demetrius thought that he had fallen in love at first sight, but Helena was determined to show him differently. Demetrius: ³ Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit,/ For I am sick when I do look on thee.² Helena: ³And I am sick when I look not on you.² (Act II, sc. i, lines 218-220) This piece of dialogue shows how much Demetrius is now in love with Hermia from just seeing her, and how disgusted he feels when he looks upon Helena who he used to care about. Helena is simply just expressing how much she is love with Demetrius and how bad she feels that he is treating her in such a manner of hatred.
Shakespeare and Dickens show the audience/reader that when one mistakes another’s identity, love becomes damaged. Shakespeare shows the damage that a mistaken identity can inflict on love when he writes, “Thou hast mistaken quite and laid the love juice on some true-love’s sight. Of thy misprision must perforce ensue some true-love turned, and not a false turned true” (Shakespeare III.ii.90-93). Puck mistakes Lysander for Demetrius and casts a spell that makes Lysander fall in love with Helena. His mistaken identity destroys his love for Hermia and destroys Helena’s trust in him. Throughout the play, Shakespeare shows that the love between Hermia and Lysander diminishes as Lysander fawns over Helena and Hermia wanders, heartbroken, after him. Puck manipulates the love between two people and in turn, new identities are established. Lysander no longer loves Hermia, which makes him chase after Helena and act immature and love-struck. Demetrius becomes jealous of Lysander and the two fight of Helena. Hermia becomes a grief stricken girl. Helena feels as though she cannot trust her friends and becomes skeptical of everyone. All of the main protagonists become confused versions of their old selves. Shakespeare warns the audience to not meddle in other people’s love life. He shows the audience that people cannot set up true love, true love develops between two people naturally. Shakespeare shows that love changes people and brings out