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A Midsummer Night's Dream Research Paper

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Samantha Fried 4/1/18

Ms. Demetriades English

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Essay 1

Oxford Dictionary defines love as an intense feeling of deep affection. Everyone in their life experiences loves, although not everyone's experience is the same. Someone might love an object or someone might love a person. There are many different types of love. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, there is love in the air but not all the same type of love. Some people are forced to love someone, Some people have a one-way love and some have true and forbidden love. William Shakespeare suggests in A Midsummer Night’s Dream that there are many different types of love including forced …show more content…

Hermia and Lysander display true love although it is forbidden. If Hermia and Lysander get married then Hermia must die. An example of their true love that is forbidden is when Lysander says to Theseus “I am, my lord, as well derived as he, As well possessed. My love is more than his. My fortunes every way as fairly ranked, (If not with vantage) as Demetrius'. And (which is more than all these boasts can be) I am beloved of beauteous Hermia. Why should not I then prosecute my right?” (13). Lysander says to Theseus that he is just as rich as Demetrius is and that he loves Hermia more than Demetrius does. Also, Hermia loves him, which should be the deciding factor although it is not which is unfair. Lysander is confused on why he is not able to marry Hermia. This is true love because Hermia and Lysander love each other unlike the forced love between Hermia and Demetrius. Another example of their true love is when Lysander tells Hermia “There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee. And to that place, the sharp Athenian law cannot pursue us. If thou lovest me then, steal forth thy father’s house tomorrow night. And in the wood, a league without the town Where I did meet thee once with Helena To do observance to a morn of May, There will I stay for thee.” (17) Lysander says to Hermia that he has an aunt who lives about twenty miles from Athens and he could marry her there because there are none of the strict laws …show more content…

In one way love the affection is not reciprocated by the other person. Helena struggles with unrequited love because he loves Demetrius but he does not feel the same way about her. An example that shows the one-sided love is when Helena says to Hermia “O, teach me how you look and with what art you sway the motion of Demetrius’ heart” (19). Helena wants Hermia to teach her how she looks so beautiful and what she does to make Demetrius fall in love with her. Helena is desperate and will do anything for Demetrius’ affection. Another example of the unrequited love and how Helena would do anything to win over Demetrius is when she tells Demetrius about Hermia and Lysander's plan. Helena says “I will go tell him of fair Hermia’s flight. 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” (23). Helena decides to go tell Demetrius that Lysander and Hermia are planning on running away and getting married. She does this because she thinks that he will be grateful and that Demetrius would love her for sharing this information and telling him about the plan. This shows the one-way love because Helena would do anything to get Demetrius to love her even if it is telling on her sister. Shakespeare exhibits unreciprocated love

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