The Importance Of Love In Shakespeare's 'Great Expectations'

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When given the opportunity, people change themselves in order to find love. One often feels as though his or her identity does not possess the proper qualities for love and seeks to develop the qualities in which he or she believes she needs. The search to find love and the search to protect love causes people to seek new identities. Imagine a young girl in middle school. The girl likes another student, however she feels as though he will not like her for her real identity. She starts to wear more make-up and does not hang out with her old friends, who she does not see as fit enough to spend time with her. She completely transforms herself in her chase after the boy and love. In both Charles Dickens’ 1861 fictional novel Great Expectations …show more content…

One seeks to change his or her identity, or to create a new one, in order to find love. In both Dickens’ novel and Shakespeare’s play, the two protagonists, driven by love, flee from their normal lives in order to search for a better existence. Shakespeare illustrates that when love consumes people, they will do whatever it takes to protect it: “There my Lysander and myself shall meet, and thence from Athens turn away our eyes to seek new friends and stranger companies” (Shakespeare I.i.222-224). Shakespeare asserts that the two characters Lysander and Hermia must protect their love, so they choose to run away into the forest. In order to protect their love the two possess a mindset that they must flee from their home and create new identities. They wish to create an identity for the both of them that their love produces. In order to develop their perfect identity, they flee from Athens and seek out a new life with new friends and new places in which their love can grow and flourish. Shakespeare tells the audience that when people love each other, endless …show more content…

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

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