The Romantic Obstacles of Shakespeare in "Midsummer Night's Dream" and Soyinka's "Lion and the Jewel"

Love in literature is not uncommon, but it is the obstacles, depictions, and interpretations in that love that give pieces of literature their meanings. The plays "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare and "The Lion and the Jewel" by Wole Soyinka are both plays that give a definitive portrayal of love and power. However, their portrayals have several similarities and differences. These relationships and contrasts lie in the male and female gender roles, and the obstacles which intervene with the true or ideal love. After all, "the course of true love never did run smooth." (Lysander, 1.1.134)

To start, males play a very important role in love, as they are one of the sexes. In both plays, males are portrayed as the dominant gender due to their imperious behaviour towards the females. This is first seen in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" when Hermia's father Egeus declares his daughter his "property" and gives her away to Demetrius, without regard for Hermia's feelings: "I beg the ancient privilege of Athens: As she is mine, I may dispose of her...(Egeus, 1.1.41-42)" also: "And she is mine, and all my right of her I do estate unto Demetrius." (1.1.97-98) If Hermia had been a man, she would've had more say in the decision. In "The Lion and the Jewel", Lakunle proclaims out loud to Sidi that "Women have a smaller brain than men." (page 4) As revealed, the two plays' men have a similarity in how they treat females. However, there still exists a distinction between them. In "A Midsummer Night's Dream", the male lovers are stereotypical gentlemen, always looking out for the women and their needs. This is demonstrated when Lysander asks Hermia if she is tired after their journey into the forest. Also, the Duke of Athens did...

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...om Hermia doesn't love. This initial conflict led to Lysander and Hermia's intended escape from Athens, and the resulting clash in the forest. In "The Lion and the Jewel", Sidi is pursued by both Baroka and Lakunle. The disparity, though, is found in how the conflicts were resolved. The conflict in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was resolved by inhuman means: the magic of the fairies. The Fairy King Oberon ordered his servant Puck to retrieve a magical flower that contained a nectar that will enchant whoever it is used on into loving the first living thing they see when they wake. Oberon uses this love juice to eventually dissipate the conflict of the competing suitors by using it on Demetrius so he falls in love with the other female. In "The Lion and the Jewel", however, the conflict was actually resolved by one of the suitors. This done by the clever Bale, who "