Infatuation is love which is self-indulgent, obsessive and irrational. It causes people to lose their self-control and perspective. It is often a product of the senses, which is of physical infatuation rather than mental compatibility, thus it is appropriate for Oberon's love potion to be applied to the eyes which is the strongest senses a person depends on to view the world.
The nature of the infatuation Demetrius has for Hermia is fickle and selfish. Demetrius affections switch from Helena to Hermia, sparing no thought for Helena, who is deeply in love with him. Lysander calls Demetrius a ?spotted and inconsistent man?, indicating Demetrius? fickleness towards women, that he is flirtatious and flawed.
Demetrius is willing to go to any extent to have Hermia marry him, even allowing Hermia to be subject to a life of a nun or death, if she does not marry him. Demetrius? infatuation with Hermia brings out the tyrannical and possessive part of his character, as can be seen when he says ?and, Lysander, yield thy crazed title to my certain right?
As in the case of Demetrius, infatuation causes Helena to be selfish, thinking only of her own relationship betterment with Demetrius, thus Helena betrays Hermia and Lysander?s secret in the hopes that Demetrius will be grateful to her and that she could meet him. Helena, too, is infatuated with Demetrius, who ?dotes, devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry? on Demetrius. The repetition of the word ?dotes? emphasizes on the extent of Helena?s besotted state. Helena fails to consider Hermia and Lysander?s feelings and the consequences of her actions, only contemplating on how to have Demetrius? ?sight thither and back again?.
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.
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...
Lysander tells Theseus that Demetrius "Made love to … Helena, And won her soul.” Helena says that before Demetrius looked upon Hermia, "He hail'd down oaths that he was only mine.” In an attempt to win back some of Demetrius's affection, Helena tells him of Hermia's plan to meet in the wood and elope with Lysander.
In the first part of the play Egeus has asked the Duke of Athens, Theseus, to rule in favor of his parental rights to have his daughter Hermia marry the suitor he has chosen, Demetrius, or for her to be punished. Lysander, who is desperately in love with Hermia, pleads with Egeus and Theseus for the maiden’s hand, but Theseus’, who obviously believes that women do not have a choice in the matter of their own marriage, sides with Egeus, and tells Hermia she must either consent to marrying Demetrius, be killed, or enter a nunnery. In order to escape from the tragic dilemma facing Hermia, Lysander devises a plan for him and his love to meet the next evening and run-off to Lysander’s aunt’s home and be wed, and Hermia agrees to the plan. It is at this point in the story that the plot becomes intriguing, as the reader becomes somewhat emotionally “attached’’ to the young lovers and sympathetic of their plight. However, when the couple enters the forest, en route to Lysander’s aunt’s, it is other mischievous characters that take the story into a whole new realm of humorous entertainment...
In Act one, scene one, Theseus is forced to solve the problem between Hermia and her father, Egeus. Since Hermia is not interested in marrying the man her father had chosen as she was in love Lysander, her Father seeks the wise Theseus. Theseus, though in the midst of planning his wedding with Hippolyta, takes the time to discuss the issue. He then restricts Hermia’s choices to either a married life with Demetrius or death as a nun. Hermia, then aggravated by the lack of support, implies that she would much rather become a nun than marry Demetrius. Shakespeare’s writing style, in this act, creates personified aspects in the dialogues of characters for exaggeration. For example, when Theseus addressed Hermia’s issue for the first time, he asks her with metaphoric use of her blood relations and also refers to her potential life as a nun as a rose distilled. The exaggeration with metaphors is used to emphasize the potential effects on Hermia and the theme of love’s difficulty. Her fate’s exaggeration with metaphor’s like the jaws of darkness that would swal...
Helena was the younger sister of Hermia. It often bothered her that her sister got all the attention, and she even want it. Helena was madly in love with Demetrius, However Demetrius was arranged to marry Hermia. Helena truly believe she was not good enough, and could not understand why Demetrius did now want
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...
why Lysander and Demetrius are suddenly both in love with her because she knows Lysander
The hilarious play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare, tells the twisted love story of four Athenians who are caught between love and lust. The main characters: Hermia, Helena, Lysander, and Demetrius are in a ‘love square’. Hermia and Lysander are true love enthusiasts, and love each other greatly. Demetrius is in love with Hermia, and Helena, Hermia’s best friend, is deeply and madly in love with Demetrius. Hermia and Lysander try to elope in the woods because Egeus, Hermia’s father, disapproves of Lysander. Helena, hearing about their plans, tells Demetrius, and all four of them end up in the woods where Lysander’s quotation, “The course of true love never did run smooth”(28), becomes extremely evident due to several supernatural mix-ups, authority, and jealousy.
Demetrius received no love from Hermia who he wanted to pursue, therefore he does not have perfect happiness. At the time when Demetrius can still make rational choices of who he loves, he loves Hermia instead of Helena. In order to pursue Hermia, Demetrius requested Hermia’s father Egeus to marry to her, but she never take Demetrius as a consideration. With all of Demetrius’ efforts, Hermia totally ignores him. Compare to Lysander and Hermia’s inseparable relationship, Demetrius is unhappy by staying alone. The person he loves does not love him, and the person he does not love loves him. Demetrius is a person who knows what he wants. Throughout the play, he loves Hermia consistently until the fairy put a spell on his eyelid.
Namely, Helena is very jealous of others, especially her best friend Hermia. Helena says to Hermia, “O, teach me how you look and with what art/You sway the motion of Demetrius’ heart!/O, that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill” (1.1.196-200). Helena is jealous because both Lysander and Demetrius love Hermia. Her jealousy hurts her because it makes her selfish wanting Demetrius more. Considering this, Helena also has problems trusting others. Helena does not believe that Hermia will let her have Demetrius. Helena says, “He hailed down oaths that he was only mine” (1.1.249). Demetrius used to love Helena but then fell in love with Hermia. Now Helena has lost her trust in others. She does not trust that Hermia will stay with Lysander and not take Demetrius. She still believes that Hermia and Demetrius will marry because of her insecurities. Similarly, Helena is also insecure on how she looks. She claims, “Through Athens I am thought as fair as she. But what of that?/Demetrius thinks not so” (1.1.233-234). Demetrius was in love with Helena but once he met her best friend Hermia, he fell in love with her. Helena’s jealousy allows her to hurt her own friend because she is insecure. For Helena to find love she must move past her insecurities and focus on herself rather than
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.
The relationship between Demetrius and Hermia is problematic, in that Demetrius is seeking the affections of Hermia, while she is in love with Lysander. However, Hermia’s father approves of Demetrius and tries to force her to marry him, but Hermia refuses because of her love for Lysander (A Midsummer Night’s Dream 1.1.22-82). Lysander points out the flaw in the situation through this comment, “You have her father 's love, Demetrius –/Let me have Hermia 's. Do you marry him,” (A Midsummer Night’s Dream 1.1.93-94). The second flawed relationship is between Lysander and Helena, as a result of an enchantment put on Lysander that made him fall in love with Helena. Helena does not want the affections of Lysander, but rather the love of Demetrius, and believes that Lysander is taunting her. In addition, this relationship creates tensions because Hermia is in love with Lysander (A Midsummer Night’s Dream 2.2.109-140). Both relationships are not desirable due to a lack of mutual admiration and the creation of non-peaceful and unsatisfying
The main conflict in the play and propellant for the action is when, Egeus, the father of Hermia has chosen Demetrius as the man he wants her to marry. His decision is most likely based on economic, political, and social factors. Egeus believes he is making a reasonable decision based on Hermia's future in their society. Unfortunately Hermia is in love with a gentleman named Lysander and vice versa. Her father may have made his decision with good intension to try and keep with the traditional customs of his day and even perhaps taking into consideration such things as attractiveness. However, he fails to foresee that his daughter might actually love someone else. Lysander, like many young men, shows little regard for the rules of society and is willing to break tradition and flee At...
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.