What Are The Different Types Of Love In A Midsummer Night's Dream

“Out of her favour, where I am in love.” (Act 1, Scene 1. Pg. 21.)

In this quote it shows Lysander's main goal throughout the play. That goal was to sneak away with Hermia, marry her, and be with her forever. He wants to sneak out of Athens so that Hermia's father has no control over who she marries anymore. Hermia's father wanted her to either marry Demetrius or be killed. In Athens the fathers were able to kill their children if they did not obey their wishes. Lysander's aunt had a house out of the range of Athenian law where these two lovers were going to stay at. That way

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

“I will go tell him of fair Hermia’s flight; then to the wood will he tomorrow night pursue her”

Since the beginning of time, the ideas of love and the carnal need of lust has plagued the human race. In William Shakespeare’s works, he too, often makes the distinction between love and lust, but what message is he trying to portray? Is he on team love or team lust? In William Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream and in his poem “Venus and Adonis”, Shakespeare clearly argues that true love is a temporary, irrational, deceitful facade that cannot be trusted, and lust is the “real love” and the true concept that is driving the world.

but he doth know’” (1.1.232-235). During her piece, Helena ponders why Demetrius loves Hermia over herself “given that their beauty is equal” (Wells). She states that according to “‘Athens’” she and Hermia are thought to be “‘as fair’” as the other. However, Helena is distraught due to the fact that there is but one person who sees past this: her true love, Demetrius.

No matter how much Demetrius claims his love for Hermia, she still rejects him, “A privilege – never to see me more. And from thy hated presence part I so, see me no more, whe’r he be dead or no.”

Love within the modern society has taken on a flippant meaning, depending on the phraseology used around the context of the word. Love is used interchangeably with the idea that “I love apple pie” to “I love this new car” to the point in which the term love is devalued within our society. How can one say they love their spouse or children and not devalue the true meaning of this intent, when they claim to love apple pie as well? Within the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a careful evaluation of the various love within the play will reveal the difference in the types of love one might feel to describe various situations and relationships. In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, love

Demetrius, though, chose to pursue someone more appealing to his eye, Hermia. Now, Helena "whishes to be literally "translated" into Hermia so as to regain Demetrius' affection" (Young 156). Helena pleads with Demetrius to "use [her] but as your spaniel: spurn me, strike me, / Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave, / Unworthy as I am, to follow you" (Griffiths 130). Shakespeare, no doubt included this to show how pathetic and deperate a person can be, and the things they will do to get love in return. The characteristic Shakespeare gave to Helena is sadly a characteristic in the world today.

Toward the end of the play, when the four lovers are at each others throats with Lysander and Demetrius trying to kill each other and Helena and Hermia quarrelling. The relationships of the lovers are punctuated by moments of confusion ‘I am amazed and know not what to say’, also moments of mockery ‘they have

Extreme passion results in irrational actions with horrifying consequences. The indecisive and fervent whims regarding love and the human heart are often selfish and fickle. For the victims of love, destruction is often inevitable. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, unrequited love forces both Romeo and Juliet to commit suicide, as neither one believes it is possible to continue life without the other. Both, through mere days of desperation, elation, deception, and grief, were ultimately cheated out of their lives by their love. Shakespeare develops a similar opinion through Helena in A Midsummers Night’s Dream. Helena is able to recognize love as a volatile creature, yet with uncontrollable

Then to the wood will he tomorrow night pursue her. And for this intelligence if I have thanks, it is a dear expense. But herein mean I to enrich my pain, to have his sight thither and back again.”(I.i). Helena thought by telling Demetrius that Hermia and Lysander were leaving town he will be grateful to Helena and will love her again. In this quote, Helena calls Hermia her rival after all this time they have been friends. She feels as though Hermia has stolen the love of her man even though Hermia does not love him. Helena does not trust Hermia when she thinks Hermia is playing a trick on her.

In Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, two star-cross’d lovers of enemy households are no longer entities, and cascade into each others souls, and more specifically, fall deeply in love. They develop an obsessive relationship with their feelings for one another; they have a constant desire to be together, even though their emotions are based on sight alone. The addiction was so enslaving, that their only solution to their family fued was to turn to their one and only lover. Romeo and Juliet’s addictive relationship has lead to their unavoidable departure, because it has caused their secret marriage, failed Mantua escape plan, and suicide.

Love has the power to make individuals fulfill rational actions. Shakespeare creates a strong willed character who’s father has arranged a marriage, but she falls in love with another man. It is evident, that Hermia and Lysander have chemistry, but ironic due to her father disapproving of them when she has to plead her case by saying, “If then true lovers have been ever cross'd, It stands as an edict in destiny” (Shakespeare 1.1.156) . She would rather put her life on the line than marrying Demetrius, a man she has no emotional connection to. Being under pressure to pick the “right” lover without hesitation, motivates her to commit rational actions. For example, love pushes her to the point that, she is willing to run away to the forest with Lysander hoping that they can break free from her fathers set rules. Although, she understands that men are prone to breaking promises and one can fall in and out of love quickly (1.1.150), love’s power encourages her to take the risk. One understands that Hermia portrays a lover who approaches love knowing the risks and, love’s power makes her commit rational actions in order to obtain an ideal ending of falling in love.

Attitudes and behaviors associated with love are the features individuals use to express their feelings to one another. The most important feature is caring, then comes trust, needing each other, and toleration ( Rubin as qtd. in Devault 127). Studying behaviors that express love, Swensen discovered romantic love is shown in many different ways by expressing affection, self disclosing such as opening up to the other, giving non-materialistic evidence, expressing non verbal feelings, giving material evidence, body language, and toleration. In A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hermia and Lysander are in love, to express his love for her he exchanged gifts and sang to her. Hermia's father did not approve of it, denied Lysander's proposal to his daughter and accepted Demetrius's insisted: