A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a meditation on love hidden within the trappings of a comedy. Shakespeare cast the play with the highest of the aristocracy to the lowest of artisans in ancient Athens as well as taking his audience to the world of the Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of the fairies. But this lively cast of characters cannot distract from Shakespeare true message of the play spoken by the nobleman Lysander who says, “The course of true love never did run smooth (1.1.134).”
The many manifestations of love are apparent from the opening of the play where we meet Theseus, the Duke of Athens who will marry Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Marriage is the final act in the play of love. We are not privy to their courtship. The only hint that Shakespeare gives is when Theseus says to Hippolyta, “I wooed thee with my sword,/And won thy love doing thee injuries./But I will wed thee in another key-/ With pomp, with triumph, and with reveling (1.1.16-19).” We feel Theseus’ pride and honor in his bride but Hippolyta’s feelings about her groom are unclear.
As a captured queen, subjugated by war, Hippolyta would be resigned to her fate. There is acceptance and resignation. Her words are tinged with duty not desire. Theseus is anxious to consummate the marriage but Hippolyta refers to this as the night “of our solemnities (1.1.11).” In Theseus and Hipployta, we have love based on conquest and subjugation.
Demetrius and Helena represent unbalanced love. The play begins and we find Demetrius vying with Lysander for the hand of Hermia. Demetrius before deciding to wed Hermia had given his love to Helena. Lysander tells Theseus that Demetrius, “Made love to Nedar’s daughter, Helena,/ And won her soul, and she, sweet lady, dotes,/ Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry/ Upon this spotted and inconstant man (1.1.107-110).”
We do not know what happened between Demetrius and Helena but we are certain that Demetrius does not love Helena. He tells her, “I love thee not, therefore pursue me not (2.1.188).” He goes even farther confessing that he is sick when he looks at her (2.1.212). At this point, one wants Helena to pick up her self-respect and flee as far away from Demetrius. Perhaps she can visit a distant aunt to free her from her addiction.
The more Demetrius tells her he does not love her, Helena loves him more deeply. She declares to Demetrius in one of the more pitiful monologues in literature that, “The more you beat me I will fawn on you./ 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 (2.1.204-207).” What earthly possibility can Helena possibly have in her quest?
It is only through the instigation of Oberon and Puck that Helena finally has the love of Demetrius. Oberon’s magic potion causes Demetrius to love Helena as much as she loves him. He is ready to be her spaniel. Helena should be overjoyed but she fears she is the butt of a practical joke by Lysander, Demetrius and Hermia. Once Lysander is no longer under the spell of Oberon’s magic potion and again in love with Hermia and she is in full possession of Demetrius’ love, Helena is not satisfied, “And I have found Demetrius like a jewel,/ Mine own and not my own (4.1.188-189).” Helena will have Demetrius but their love will always be mismatched. Demetrius loves her as long as Oberon’s potion stays strong. Helena is left to wonder if that love truly belongs to her.
Titania and Oberon offer love as competition. Their passion is about the game. When Titania accuses Oberon of loving Hippolyta, Oberon is ready to accuse her, “How canst thou thus for shame, Titania,/Glance at my credit with Hippolyta,/ Knowing I know thy love to Theseus? (2.1.74-76)” From the moment they appear on stage, Shakespeare has them competing over the young Indian boy. Unfortunately, their competition has ramifications on the world by affecting the seasons and the growing of crops. Once the competition comes to an end and they are able to metaphorically shake hands and call it even, life can go on smoothly again, until the next challenge.
Lysander and Hermia are Shakespeare’s purest form of love for they give of themselves willing to each other. There is no reason that there course should not run smooth as they point out, they are not from different ranks, they are not mismatched by age, nor have they been chosen by someone else (1.1.135-140). In the end Lysander and Hermia are the epitome of true love as Theseus says to them, “Fair lovers, you are fortunately met (4.1.174).”
2 comments:
I really enjoyed reading your post! While reading the play I paid attention to all the characters and their specific relationships, but I didn't focus on the relationships in relation to each other. I agree with what you wrote about Hippolyta, there is something very ambiguous or apathetic about her behavior towards Theseus. Every relationship in the story is seemingly at a different level - Hippolyta and Theseus are awaiting their wedding day, Lysander and Hermia are fighting to be together, Demetrius and Helena are past lovers, and Oberon and Titania are married yet in trouble. It’s funny to note that, as you mentioned, Lysander and Hermia’s relationship is the only true, loving relationship in the story, yet it is the only relationship whose development is specifically forbidden.
These are some very strong reflections on the nature of imbalanced love in the play, Sandra, and I like how you focus your comments around the line from Lysander. It really works as a kind of leit motif for the play. Your post really calls into question the notion of "true love" itself within the play--something we didn't talk much about in class, but an important insight!
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