Love In A Midsummer Night's Dream By William Shakespeare
What would you be willing to do for love? The characters in the comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare, prove they will doing anything it takes. This causes much conflict between them surrounding the concept of love. Love is thrown and shifted around multiple times between the characters throughout the comedy, primarily due to magical interference. However, these fickle interferences provoke them to ponder their morals and values regarding love.
Helena displays this conflict in her feelings towards Demetrius. In the beginning of the play, she is very self-pitiful when it comes to love. When her “true love,” Demetrius, doesn’t return her love interest, and instead loves Hermia, she becomes very upset. She uses Hermia’s own beauty as a self-pity tactic in attempt to make the others feel bad and cave in. She says: …show more content…
O happy fair!
Your eyes are lodestars, and your tongue’s sweet air . . .
Sickness is catching. Oh, were favor so,
Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go. (1.1.182-183, 187-189)
Helena describes how beautiful Hermia’s voice is and compares her eyes to stars. She also mentions how she wishes love would act as illnesses do in the fact that they’re contagious. Her strategy does not prevail however, as Demetrius continues to love Hermia, and Hermia alone.
Despite being rejected by Demetrius, Helena is determined to catch his attention. She begins to follow him around everywhere he goes. He is clearly not amused by her efforts and tells her to get off his back and leave him alone. Helena, unphased by his words, says:
Use me but as your spaniel—spurn me, strike me,
Neglect me, lose me, only give me leave,
Unworthy as I am, to follow you.
What worser place can I beg in your
Helena displays this conflict in her feelings towards Demetrius. In the beginning of the play, she is very self-pitiful when it comes to love. When her “true love,” Demetrius, doesn’t return her love interest, and instead loves Hermia, she becomes very upset. She uses Hermia’s own beauty as a self-pity tactic in attempt to make the others feel bad and cave in. She says: …show more content…
O happy fair!
Your eyes are lodestars, and your tongue’s sweet air . . .
Sickness is catching. Oh, were favor so,
Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go. (1.1.182-183, 187-189)
Helena describes how beautiful Hermia’s voice is and compares her eyes to stars. She also mentions how she wishes love would act as illnesses do in the fact that they’re contagious. Her strategy does not prevail however, as Demetrius continues to love Hermia, and Hermia alone.
Despite being rejected by Demetrius, Helena is determined to catch his attention. She begins to follow him around everywhere he goes. He is clearly not amused by her efforts and tells her to get off his back and leave him alone. Helena, unphased by his words, says:
Use me but as your spaniel—spurn me, strike me,
Neglect me, lose me, only give me leave,
Unworthy as I am, to follow you.
What worser place can I beg in your