A play within a play, a comedy of love: A Midsummer night’s dream Shakespeare was pointing out that love is maddening and that people do very eccentric things for love. In the play A Midsummer night’s dream written by Shakespeare, the characters portray the quote written by John Lennon, ‘All you need is love’ in multiple ways. To some extent the quote is relatable and to some extent it is not. In the play, there is tension between love and law, thus, four lovers escape into the magic forest, while problems arise in the forest between Oberon, the king of fairies, and Titania, the queen of fairies.
Oberon’s most trusted servant, Puck (Robin Goodfellow) uses magic juice to play tricks, to entertain his master, by mocking the power of love. “I beg the ancient privilege of Athens, /As she is mine, I may dispose of her, /Which shall be either to this gentleman, /Or to her death, according to our law, /Immediately provided in that case. (1. 1. 42-46)”, this quote tells us that even if a daughter (Hermia) loves another man (Lysander), according to the law, the father (Egeus) has the right to decide which man (Demetrius or Lysander) his daughter will marry,.
Even though Hermia’s love for Lysander is strong, his father is strictly against Lysander. Therefore, love does not overtake the power of law, in this part of the play, although it does change in the end. Shakespeare is also trying to display the image of men have more power, especially over women, so women are showed weak and low in the beginning of the play In act 2, scene 1, Helena is trying to persuade Demetrius into loving her, but as they go deeper into the forest, Demetrius scorns her continuously, “I’ll run from thee and hide me in the brakes, /And eave thee to the mercy of wild beasts. ”
Demetrius loves Hermia, Helena’s closest friend, therefore Helena is jealous, for which Hermia has two lovers, and Helena has none. Shakespeare explores how people fall in love with those who appear beautiful to them. Helena is deeply in love with Demetrius, who loves Hermia. So, Helena is jealous of Hermia’s looks and she claims that she is as beautiful, and as fair as Hermia, “For she hath blessed and attractive eyes, /How came her eyes so bright… ” (2. 2. 7-98), this quote indicates that Helena is jealous of the looks and wonders about what Hermia has that she doesn’t, that makes men follow her all over the place, especially Demetrius, who loves Hermia and not Helena.
In the play, Demetrius shows love and attention to Helena, the woman he rejects, and Lysander leaves and forgets about his beloved Hermia. This is the impact of the magic juice. Lysander and Demetrius even become reckless to fight for Helena’s love, “Now follow, if dar’st, to try whose right, /Of thine or mine, is most in Helena. ‘Follow? Nay, I’ll go with thee, cheek by jowl. “(3. 2. 356-368), this quote also tells us that both Lysander and Demetrius are ready to kill each other in return for Helena’s love. In the name of love, Helena and Hermia also scorn each other. When Hermia was horrified when Lysander says he no longer loves her, but he loves Helena. Thus, Hermia cannot believe that her childhood friend, Helena, could be so foul with her. Although Helena is furious as well, Helena does not believe that both Lysander and Demetrius love her.
She believes that their love to her is a big joke, as if they are mocking her, “Never did mocker waste more idle breath. ” (3. 2. 171). Helena is upset with Lysander to fond over her, for she simply does not love him back, and is shocked but surprised over how Demetrius is behaving. Titania and Oberon enter into the play, angered with one another although appears to be in love. Their image within the play is of a fairy couple who presently hates one another. Oberon places the magic juice on Titania’s eyes wishing that she will fall in love with “some vile thing” (2. . 40). By tolerating the fairy queen to fall in love with a vile creature, Oberon mocks the power of love.
As a result, love is being played around, it is not naturally formed. Titania is embarrassed on purpose by Oberon, because she falls in love with Bottom the weaver who seems to have a donkey’s head, with the influence of the magic. Oberon and Titania fight about various issues, including their love and their right of possession over the Indian boy, “These are the fictions of jealousy” (2. . 84). Because of the Indian boy, Titania hasn’t given much attention to Oberon, this makes Oberon jealous, and soon wants the boy, “Give me that boy and I will go with thee” (2. 1. 148). Wherefore, one fairy without the Indian boy is jealous of the other and will go to any span to get him back. beron wants the Indian boy to be his personal assistant, for which creates a fight between Oberon and Titania, and soon their love sinks.
The play A Midsummer night’s dream written by Shakespeare, many parts of the play, love is maddening and that characters do very eccentric things for love, like grow jealousy inside of them, fight for one’s love, or even embarrass one another, where behavior becomes unpredictable and individual’s identity is transformed. But in the end, however, lovers are legitimately married, but it does not quite confirm the distinction we might expect it. Demetrius still has the love-juice on his eyes, yet the play gives no indication of a difference between the marriages. The fictitious play is a comedy of love, which ends all in delight. Word count: 931