A Midsummer Night’s Dream Essay
William Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, examines four separate plots intertwined by the theme of love. In the stories, love is out of balance and asymmetrical among four young Athenians. Although the main conflict of this play stems from relationships, Shakespeare shows the real tragedy is not being loved. Through the three main female characters (Helena, Hermia, and Titania), Shakespeare engages the notion of beauty and fairness to demonstrate the subjectiveness of love.
Shakespeare uses Helena’s situation to demonstrate the subjectiveness of love. Helena, a lovesick young woman, is desperately in love with Demetrius. At the beginning of the play, she is involved in a love triangle between …show more content…
Love and beauty are subjective in the eye of the beholder, and thus, also have the greatest influence on human actions. The desire for love can drive people into acting without conscious reasoning. Because Titania was enchanted by Oberon, she falls in love with a donkey-human named Bottom. Despite being under a spell, “things base and vile, holding no quantity / Love can transpose to form and dignity” (1.1.232-233). Titania’s passion for Bottom symbolizes the base and vile qualities transforming into form and dignity. The negative aspects and behaviors of Bottom can seem attractive because love does not rely on an objective viewpoint of one’s appearance but rather on an individual's perception of their beloved. While talking to Bottom, Titania also states, “thou art as wise as thou art beautiful” (3.1.151). Shakespeare reminds us again that because love is subjective and unique, there no judgment involved. By casting Titania under a spell, Shakespeare also emphasizes that real love itself is somehow magical and often just as contrary to reason. Shakespeare uses Titania’s to showcase that love is influenced by personal feelings, tastes, and
William Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, examines four separate plots intertwined by the theme of love. In the stories, love is out of balance and asymmetrical among four young Athenians. Although the main conflict of this play stems from relationships, Shakespeare shows the real tragedy is not being loved. Through the three main female characters (Helena, Hermia, and Titania), Shakespeare engages the notion of beauty and fairness to demonstrate the subjectiveness of love.
Shakespeare uses Helena’s situation to demonstrate the subjectiveness of love. Helena, a lovesick young woman, is desperately in love with Demetrius. At the beginning of the play, she is involved in a love triangle between …show more content…
Love and beauty are subjective in the eye of the beholder, and thus, also have the greatest influence on human actions. The desire for love can drive people into acting without conscious reasoning. Because Titania was enchanted by Oberon, she falls in love with a donkey-human named Bottom. Despite being under a spell, “things base and vile, holding no quantity / Love can transpose to form and dignity” (1.1.232-233). Titania’s passion for Bottom symbolizes the base and vile qualities transforming into form and dignity. The negative aspects and behaviors of Bottom can seem attractive because love does not rely on an objective viewpoint of one’s appearance but rather on an individual's perception of their beloved. While talking to Bottom, Titania also states, “thou art as wise as thou art beautiful” (3.1.151). Shakespeare reminds us again that because love is subjective and unique, there no judgment involved. By casting Titania under a spell, Shakespeare also emphasizes that real love itself is somehow magical and often just as contrary to reason. Shakespeare uses Titania’s to showcase that love is influenced by personal feelings, tastes, and