Even though Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream generally focuses on the fact that “love and reason keep little company,” the second and third acts focus on the cruelty of people to others as best demonstrated by two characters. To begin with, Demetrius showed a great amount of cruelty toward Helena. Demetrius had become so annoyed with Helena, he insulted her and said that "[he] [is] sick when [he] [does] look on thee (II.i.197). The cruelty of Demetrius altered the plot greatly. Demetrius' cruelty caused Helena to not believe him when he told her he loved her again; therefore, causing Helena to believe that Demetrius was mocking her, stirring up the fight between Helena and Hermia. Secondly, Hermia's father, Egeus, shows great cruelty
