The True Meaning of A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream Have you ever read a William Shakespeare play? Most everyone has read one at some point or another and whether one prefers Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet, everyone can agree that he always puts an overarching theme in every story he writes. He is known for his devastating and dramatic playwrights filled to the brim with love, death, and everything that follows, but what about plays that were not so serious? A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream is a William Shakespeare play that chronicles the adventures of different people as they all end up in the woods and in this play, and just to be clear, nothing is serious. The overarching theme of this story something shown through the different relationships shown …show more content…
If one thinks this story is just about kids destroying their love lives, I would tell them to look directly to Helena, specifically Helena and Demetrius, the physical embodiment of a ‘slow burn’ relationship type . In the beginning of the story it is clear to everyone that Helena had feelings for Demetrius but he really did not care for her. In the text it states, “‘Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit, For I am sick when I do look on thee’” (2.1.196-197). Demetrius threatens Helena to get lost or else. This scene goes on to have Demetrius threaten her with assault, and Helena agree to what he says, wanting to be assaulted by him. Be thoroughly creeped out, he leaves with her following him close behind. Now, after the entire play is close to being over, the lovers are discovered on the outskirts of the woods. At this time, Demetrius states, “‘The object and the pleasure of mine eye, Is only Helena’” (4.1.157-158). After an ending like this, anyone would be confused. How could someone who hates another so much and then end up dating them? Well, that is because love like this exists in real life. Slow burn is something that happens where people go from strangers to friends to lovers, they can be enemies as well which is kind of what Helena and Demetrius are. They show a pair of people who were meant to be together, but take …show more content…
Something that if someone read, would not associate with Shakespeare, it's strange and nonsensical, but that is why it is so special. It is so strange because despite its humor it still tells a complex story with serious themes. When reading this story and seeing the different ways it shows love and different types of relationship, it's obvious the theme was how love is unpredictable. There are other types of love not mentioned here, which just shows how crazy and irracdict love is and can be. I have to say, I agree with this. In highschool, you see every type of relationship that life has to offer, so many different people with so many different ways of approaching love and if one ties that in with fate and destiny, the outcome is uncertain to say the least. Nobody knows what is going to happen in a high school relationship. That is why most say “You shouldn’t take highschool love so serious!”. I will leave it with this, there is a reason that only very few people can claim that they are highschool sweethearts. What is strange is that Shakespeare wrote about love like this, which makes everyone think. Was love like this real back then? Or did Shakespeare just predict what love would be
An important passion shown in this story is the passion of friendship from Helena. Lysander and demetrius were both deeply in love with Hermia, but suddenly they became slaves for Helena, under the spell of a love potion. This antagonises Helena and she blames it all on Hermia and her cruel joke. She says to Hermia, “The sisters’ vows, the hours that we have spent, when we have chid the hasty-footed time for parting us,-o is all forgot” (III.II.199-201)? Helena asks her if she has forgotten about their friendship, about the vows they took to be like sisters and never leave each other. This shows that although Hermia may have forgotten their friendship, Helena will always remember because friendship is really important to her. Friendship is a bond Helena feels really passionate about and takes very seriously. Another quote that shows Helena’s passion for friendship is “ Both warbling of one song, both in one key, as if our hands, our sides, voices and minds have been incorporated”(III. II. 207-208). This represents that Helena took their friendship sincerely and she believed in them and nothing could break their bond. Her last bit of her anger com...
...ical dialogue of the characters, it was also present in the larger-than life, comically ridiculous and unrealistic situations the characters found themselves in. Even the play's name brings it up directly, and provides a real-life analogy, as dreams themselves are often lifelike and vivid, yet still patently inane. Shakespeare's goal was to turn reader expectations of what should happen in these sorts of scenarios on their head to provide a unique play; while he achieved that goal admirably, the play itself is still of a great enough quality in part due to his masterful craftsmanship with hyperbole and exaggeration that A Midsummer Night's Dream continues to be read happily by modern audiences.
Infatuation causes Helena to lose all sense of dignity, as can be seen when in the woods, she desperately pleads with Demetrius to ?but treat me as your spaniel?. Here, Helena also becomes irrational, obsessed with pursuing Demetrius, though it is obvious that Demetrius is fixated on winning Hermia?s hand in marriage. Helena?s infatuation also causes her to see things from a skewed perspective, for she falsely believes that when she divulges Hermia?s plans for eloping with Lysander, Demetrius? love for Helena will rekindle. As the audience, we know that the most probable course of action for Demetrius upon hearing such news is to pursue Lysander and Hermia, or to report them to Theseus or Egeus. Clearly, infatuation has clouded Helena?s ability to think clearly, and she sees things in her own idealistic way.
Lysander pitches in to support Hermia’s claims of purity “Demetrius, I’ll avouch it to his head..” “quote” (pp). Here, Lysander claims that Demetrius slept with Helena and is therefore a “spoiled and inconstant man” “quote” (pp). OED. EDITORS gloss “spotted” as “morally stained” “quote” (pp). The Oxford English Dictionary also defines “spotted” as “something disgraceful.” This only emphasizes the uncouth premarital and in Hermia’s line of logic, immoral relationship between Demetrius and Hermia. This moral impurity is a compromise to Hermia’s chastity and perpetuates her dedication to love that is already evident in this passage.
Transparent Helena! Nature shows art, That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart."(2.2.103). This is what Demetrius says to Helena when he sees her. He has fallen in love with her. This is where the comedy of this love mix up begins.
The overriding theme of the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare deals with the nature of love. Though true love seems to be held up as an ideal, false love is mostly what we are shown. Underneath his frantic comedy, Shakespeare seems to be asking the questions all lovers ask in the midst of their confusion: How do we know when love is real? How can we trust ourselves that love is real when we are so easily swayed by passion and romantic conventions? Some readers may sense bitterness behind the comedy, but will probably also recognize the truth behind Shakespeare's satire. Often, love leads us down blind alleys and makes us do things we regret later. The lovers within the scene, especially the men, are made to seem rather shallow. They change the objects of their affections, all the time swearing eternal love to one or the other. In this scene Shakespeare presents the idea that both false love and true love can prevail..
In conclusion, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare effectively uses the motifs of the seasons, the moon, and dreams to show that love, irrationality, and disobedience directly cause chaos. By calling to mind the seasons in unnatural order, describing the moon behaving strangely, and discussing the dualistic, irrational nature of dreams, Shakespeare effectively evokes a sense of chaos and disorder. Linking each of these motifs to the themes of love, irrationality, and disobedience allows Shakespeare to illustrate the disarray that is bound to result from any romance.
During much of the play, Helena relentlessly chases Demetrius, giving him love no matter how many times he spurns her. While in pursuit of him in the woods, where he tells her that he will never reciprocate her feelings, she tells him, “I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius,/The more you beat me, I will fawn on you” (II.i.203-204). She is so desperate to win him over that she lowers her own status, calling herself his dog; no matter how many times he may abuse her, she will always adore him. Out of love, Helena is willing to swallow her pride to prove her devotion to him. More evidence of Helena’s blind love towards Demetrius can be found in her overlooking the flaws in Demetrius’ character. For example, he proves himself to be quite insensitive towards Helena: when they are in the woods, he says he will “leave [her] to the mercy of the wild beasts” (II.i.228) if she doesn’t stop following him. He also says to her, “…I am sick when I do look on thee” (II.i.212). Lastly, he threatens her, saying “…if thou follow me, do not believe/But I shall do thee mischief in the wood” (II.i.237). Helena acknowledges this aspect of his character, though choos...
Demetrius are both in love with Helena due to the magic flower. Helena does not understand
He received love not from who he loves but from the mistaken person. He is forced to madly love with Helena because of the magic love juice. If one day the magic fades away, Demetrius’ whole life would collapse, and he would find out his life is uncovered with lies. Not only he does not love the person he is married to, but also the person he loves is already married with another man. Demetrius is hurt by the love without self cognition, which brings him neither true love nor
A Midsummer Night’s Dream The famous Shakespeare is well known for his plays. Each one of them with a specific message, hiding between the text. A Midsummer Night’s Dream was written by Shakespeare. It is a book that is lighthearted in nature and consists of darker themes. The characters all go into the woods to get away from responsibility.
Due to this, Helena easily gives up her friends in their times of need. Helena mentions, “I will go tell [Demetrius] of fair Hermia’s flight” (1.1.252). Rather than letting her friends be happy, Helena wants Demetrius to trust her. Thus, she is willing to give up her friends because she is selfish. Because of this, Helena also spends less time focusing on her relationship and spends more time on other’s relationships. She outs Lysander and Hermia and tries to ruin their relationship instead of trying to improve her relationship with Demetrius. Helena says, “Pursue her. And, for this intelligence/If I have thanks, it is a dear expense./But herein mean I to enrich my pain,/To have his sight thither and back again” (1.1.254-257). Helena should be focusing on her own problems and her own relationship with Demetrius instead of hurting her friends. Helena just wants what Hermia has because she is selfish. Lastly, Helena runs away from her problems. When she finds that both Demetrius and Lysander love her she believes they are mocking her. She cries to them, “You are both rivals and love Hermia, And now both rivals to mock Helena” (3.2.158-159). When Helena finally has love she is too blinded to see it. She cannot believe that two men would truly love her, so she runs away. Hence, Helena is incapable of making reasonable decisions because of her
The play shows how the ideal relationship is that in which the affections and the reasonable mind are both in harmony. At the start of the play, both Demetrius and Helena are clearly at fault. Demetrius has allowed his love for Helena to abate; she, by fawning on him, is guilty of doting, which exacerbates his dislike. An honourable man would stand by his promise and try to re-discover his love for Helena, and it is this which draws Lysander's taunt that Demetrius is "spotted and inconstant". In time, perhaps, Demetrius might reconsider Helena's merits, but in the brief ti...
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.
The title of the play A Midsummer Night's Dream can have many interpretations. I will give you my thoughts on the relationship of the title to the different situations that take place in the play. These interpretations give insight and overall meaning to the thematic nature of Shakespeare's work. Although I am only going to describe three interpretations of the title, there are many other meanings to the title. The first interpretation of the title of the play that came to my mind was the magical dream-like night in the woods, when Robin Goodfellow and Oberon, the king of the fairies, used several kinds of love potions, and messed everything up.