Types of love in Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream
The types of love in "Midsummer Night's dream" by William Shakespeare
To begin with ,we have the love story of Theseus and Hippolyta. Theseus has fought many battles and risked his life in order to win Hippolyta:"I woo'd thee with my sword / And won thy love, doing thee injuries."
Next we have the pair of romantic lovers Hermia and Lysander and Helena and Demetrius who undergo many trials before they are united
Finally, we have the fairy couple Oberon and Titania who are finally reconciled after a long period of separation.
What is common to all these different 'love stories' is the fact that the course of true love never did run smooth.
Shakespeare reveals to us that love at all levels, whether it is the royalty or the ordinary folk, or in the supernatural has to undergo a rigorous trial before it succeeds.
True love will succeed if the lovers are faithful to their partners and remain patient during their time of separation and trial.
From the vicious, yet very real, love of Oberon and Titania to the youthful obsessive love that Helena has for Demetrius (and the false love the fairies cause Demetrius to have for Helena), love is a primary subject in William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Though the King and Queen of Fairies are violent in their love for one another, their anger shaking the ground when the two fight, they most assuredly do love each other. Not so withHelena and Demetrius, however.
In the case of Helena and Demetrius, Helena is in such a deep state of obsessive love for Demetrius that she truly shames herself when trying to "catch" him - going so far as to compare herself with a Spaniel dog , available exclusively for Demetrius' use. All the while, Demetrius scorns Helena's affections, preferring instead to chase after Hermia. In fact, Demetrius does not show any love or interest in Helena until the fairy Robin Goodfellow, or Puck , puts a spell on him. This is not a true love on either side. Helena does not love
To begin with ,we have the love story of Theseus and Hippolyta. Theseus has fought many battles and risked his life in order to win Hippolyta:"I woo'd thee with my sword / And won thy love, doing thee injuries."
Next we have the pair of romantic lovers Hermia and Lysander and Helena and Demetrius who undergo many trials before they are united
Finally, we have the fairy couple Oberon and Titania who are finally reconciled after a long period of separation.
What is common to all these different 'love stories' is the fact that the course of true love never did run smooth.
Shakespeare reveals to us that love at all levels, whether it is the royalty or the ordinary folk, or in the supernatural has to undergo a rigorous trial before it succeeds.
True love will succeed if the lovers are faithful to their partners and remain patient during their time of separation and trial.
From the vicious, yet very real, love of Oberon and Titania to the youthful obsessive love that Helena has for Demetrius (and the false love the fairies cause Demetrius to have for Helena), love is a primary subject in William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Though the King and Queen of Fairies are violent in their love for one another, their anger shaking the ground when the two fight, they most assuredly do love each other. Not so withHelena and Demetrius, however.
In the case of Helena and Demetrius, Helena is in such a deep state of obsessive love for Demetrius that she truly shames herself when trying to "catch" him - going so far as to compare herself with a Spaniel dog , available exclusively for Demetrius' use. All the while, Demetrius scorns Helena's affections, preferring instead to chase after Hermia. In fact, Demetrius does not show any love or interest in Helena until the fairy Robin Goodfellow, or Puck , puts a spell on him. This is not a true love on either side. Helena does not love