Is Love the Solution or the Problem? A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Hermia, originally the Apple of all Athens’ eye, put on an impossible pedestal by both Lysander and Demetrius, seems to trade social standings with the outcast Helena. It seems that Hermia doesn’t fully appreciate the quality of her state. She complains that her father will not allow her to merry her true love Lysander, and pawns her off to the inadequate Demetrius. Never can she accept the flattery of Demetrius’ unrequited love which her best friend would do anything to sincerely receive. Instead she revels in wonderment: “The more I [Hermia] hate, the more he [Demetrius] follows me” (I.i.198). Her unhappiness is far heightened when her two followers are given the love potion, turning them against her and beckoning to Helena. The cruel swap of fates lets the two female characters feel as though in the others’ shoes. It’s Hermia’s karma for being ungrateful at the attention bestowed upon her all these years that leads her to this harsh lesson.

First of all, Helena and Demetrius are two lovers who have a very complicated love life. Helena is a young woman who falls in love with Demetrius and cares about nothing more than indulging in his presence. Helena follows Demitrius into the woods one day and conveys her love by stating that “the more you beat me, I will fawn on you” (II.i.205). Helena wants to be with the man she loves more than anything; she is ready to take any risk just to see his face and be next to him. However Demetrius despises Helena. He acts ill-natured towards her and makes it very clear that she means nothing to him. Demetrius tells Helena about his hatred towards her and states “for I am sick when I look on thee” (II.i.213). He wants Helena to know how much he loathes her and how he would never want anything to do with her. Notwithstanding their original relationship, Demetrius begins to fall in love Helena and starts seeing her in a new vision as the play progresses. Demetrius receives a spell which makes him fall deeply in love with Helena and praise her. However, even after the spell stops being effective, Demetrius develops a desire to be with Helena and even marry her. The relationship between Demetrius and Helena has many erratic times and misunderstandings until the couple finally begins to truly love each other.

In these lines Lysander tells Hermia that, never did he desire to be with someone more. He also tells her to not question or doubt, but to be certain that he hates her and loves Helena. With Hermia shocked and heartbroken she shows her confusion and jealously to Helena. He states, “O me! You juggler, you canker blossom, / You thief of love! What, have you come by night/ And stol’n my love’s heart from him?” (3.2.282). In these lines Hermia is telling Helena that she is a trickster/cheater, and a love thief. She also asks what have Helena done to steal Lysander’s love from her. Although all of these Characters show acts of Jealously, They find happiness in the end.

Helena and Hermia have this kind of love and would do anything for each other. It happens that Helena is in love with Demetrius who Hermia is being forced to marry. Demetrius does not want Helena but Hermia. Helena loves her friend Hermia but at the same time wants to get her man.

The two ran in the woods, got lost, and settled down to rest until the morning. Hermia's love was still deep for Lysander, but she was not comfortable sleeping directly next to him. This showed that she still had her morals in tact and she made him sleep further away from her. As morning came, Lysander awoke before Hermia and, abandoned her because he was under the spell. When Hermia woke up and saw that her true love was missing, she quickly went to find him. Hermia never gave up on her love for Lysander. She only wanted him and nothing was going to stop her. Astonishingly she was able to pass all of the obstacles in her way and still retain the love for Lysander.

Love is a very common theme that is seen in literature, and love is one of the most powerful things that can be felt for someone or something. Love can drive a person to do incredible or horrible things, and we see many forms of love that take place in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This is demonstrated in the book by many characters including Hermia and Lysander who demonstrate true love. Titania and Bottom show magical love. In the play, love is also the cause of a few broken hearts. While there is no one common definition of love that suits all of the characters, the romantic relationship in the play all leans to one simple rule laid out by Lysander, “The course of true love never did run smooth.”

At the time, Lysander and Hermia were completely smitten with each other. But her father Egeus disapproved of their relation and wishes for Hermia to marry Demetrius. He comes to Theseus with these concerns and uses his Athenian rights to chose the man his daughter wed. Disrespecting his daughter’s feelings and clearly biased against Lysander, Egeus went so far as to dishonor him before the duke and force Hermia into a position where she must follow his wishes, die or become a nun. Hermia refuses every option, but their love is clearly disrupted with this great obstacle. In contrast to Egeus’ claims of Lysander’s trickery, Hermia and Lysander are clearly devoted to each other. Hermia clings onto their love and Lysander comforts her in a manner that gives him the reputation of a romantic. Before concluding, “So quick bright things come to confusion”, he says that “The course of true love never did run smooth” (Shakespeare, P15). Love brings happiness, it nourishes the soul and completes one’s heart, but it can fall short just as easily and bring about even greater hate. Another example of this involves the Oberon and Titania, the King and Queen of fairies respectively. They start off as a separate layer in this play and though their fondness for each other isn’t described as thoroughly, their conflict stands

They may have free will at first, but once they fall, they have no control anymore. Hermia understands the aforementioned concept well; she admits it when she says “I know not by what power I am made bold,” (I. i. 61) when she defies her father’s command to marry Demetrius. Hermia has another experience with the loss of free will when Lysander falls for Helena because someone else meddles with his adoration. Her love for Lysander causes her to feel confusion and hurt, while Lysander’s love for Helena causes him to abandon all reason and thought for Hermia’s feelings to chase Helena. Earlier in the book, Hermia and Lysander feel the pull of teenage rebellion together as their love for each other pulls Hermia away from her father. Lysander suggests, “If thou lovest me then, steal forth thy father’s house tomorrow night,” (I. i. 165-166). Together, the two lovers plot to run away together, something Hermia would never do if not for Lysander’s

The love for Helena appeared out of nowhere. He did not develop the passion for her, it happened in one day. True love needs true passion, not passion from a potion. Love is not something that is material; it is felt from the heart, not a potion. Demetrius’ and Helena’s love is forged

When Helena and Demetrius were together, she was perfectly content and satisfied with herself. She knew of her magnificent beauty and high potential. Unfortunately, when Demetrius strayed from her, her self-confidence dropped several notches, and she no longer thinks of herself as desirable nor beautiful. Then, after Puck anoints Demetrius’ eyes with the love potion, he falls back in love with Helena. However, she thinks he is mocking her, and in her eyes, it is a very repulsive deed. Love’s misfortunes consequently vanquish all of Helena’s self-confidence and prompt her judgement to become

When the love potion was put on Lysander he had no feelings for Hermia but she still stayed true to him. Oberon wants to get involved in everybody's love life and Puck his sidekick puts the love potion on the wrong Athenian man and the love quadrilateral get confusing. Lysander said “ She doesn’t see Hermia- Hermia keep sleeping and do not come near me ever again! Eating too many sweets make people sick to their stomachs and people always hates mistakes they made in the past worse than anyone else hates those mistakes. Hermia, you're the sweet I’ve had too much of and the mistake I used to make so I hate you more than anyone else does.-I’ll use all my talents and efforts to serve Helena and bring her honor.” (Shakespeare.2.2.59-61.) Hermia

At one time, Demetrius loved Helena, and then he fell in love with someone else. Initially, Demetrius had given his love to Helena: “He hailed down oaths that he was only mine, / And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt, / So he dissolved, and showers of oaths did melt” (MND 1.1.243-245). Helena loved Demetrius, and he promised to be with her forever. However once he met her friend, Hermia, Demetrius left Helena to chase after her friend. Helena’s jealousy of Demetrius’ love drives her to think about what he really wants. Helena believes that Hermia’s beauty is why Demetrius desires her. She tells Hermia, “Demetrius loves your fair”, and she goes further to say, “Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated, / The rest I’d give to be to you translated” (MND 1.1.182, 190-191). Her jealousy of Demetrius’ love has turned into jealousy of Hermia’s beauty. Helena obsesses over having Demetrius back to the point that she continuously follows him around. Demetrius is tired of Helena chasing him: “Do I entice you? Do I speak you fair?” (MND 2.1.199). Demetrius does not understand why she tries so hard to be with him when he does not even compliment her. Demetrius threatens Helena to leave him alone: “I’ll run from thee, and hide me in the brakes, / And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts” (MND 2.1.227-228). At this point, he is beyond exhausted with Helena, and he will do anything to get away from her.

As the play begins to unfold love is immediately illustrated to be the main theme of the play; starting with a wedding and leading up to tears shed by miserable lovers.Although it is an extremely rewarding, love is never an easy adventure. Lovers must be prepared to protect and fight for one another against everyone and anyone. In Hermia’s tragic situation her enemy was her father. Egeus passionately voices his disapproval by taking his daughter to Theseus and stating, “ full of vexation come I with complaint Against my child, my daughter Hermia.—Stand forth, Demetrius.—My noble lord,This man hath my consent to marry her.—Stand forth, Lysander.—And my gracious duke,This man hath bewitched the bosom of my child” (1.1. 22-27). When love is at last passionately felt amongst both lovers, it encounters a malevolent invincible demon; parental disapproval. Hermia and Lysander’s love is cursed and forbidden by her father’s

In the beginning of the play, Egeus, Hermia’s father, complains to the duke of Athens, Theseus, about his daughter not wanting to marry the man he picked out for her, Demetrius. Theseus comes to a conclusion of either sending Hermia to a nunnery or executing her. Hermia does not want to go through with either of those choices, so she and Lysander, the man Hermia really loves, plan to run away from the city of Athens to be married. Everything is arranged for their escape and all is well until Helena enters the scene. Hermia

Meanwhile, Demetrius who searched for a lover his whole life is stuck with Helena, someone he loathes because of her relentless persistence of his love. In William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Demetrius and Helena face circumstances that help shape them into sympathetic characters. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William