Compare And Contrast Helena And Hermia In A Midsummer Night's Dream

Have you ever wondered why Shakespeare uses so many descriptive words that could really be said in one? Or why some characters speak in rhyme and sometimes not? Shakespeare writes in this way to show how the characters feel through the rhythmic and descriptive words that they use. How the characters speak also shows how sincere and loving they are. Shakespeare had a way of writing that informed us about the characters and what we needed to know about them and also makes it interesting to read.

One thing that is timeless is that teenagers will always fall in and out of love quickly. In “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare, the theme of love is evident among the characters and love affects them all differently. Like many other Shakespearean plays, “A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream” delves into the lives of young lovers who fall in and out of love magically all in the span of one night. This paper will explore how Shakespeare shows the reality of, loves difficulty on Hermia through her trials, tribulations and triumphs.

In “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” characters who exhibit selfish behaviours build unhealthy relationships. To begin, Helena creates several difficulties as a result of her selfishness and envy of Hermia’s prosperity. Correspondingly, Oberon and Titania face conflicts concerning control. Finally, Egeus and Hermia’s strong sense of pride make them struggle to cooperate. For these reasons, relationships are made fragile due to desire of self-gain.

“The course of true love never did run smooth,” comments Lysander of love’s complications in an exchange with Hermia (Shakespeare I.i.136). Although the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream certainly deals with the difficulty of romance, it is not considered a true love story like Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare, as he unfolds the story, intentionally distances the audience from the emotions of the characters so he can caricature the anguish and burdens endured by the lovers. Through his masterful use of figurative language, Shakespeare examines the theme of the capricious and irrational nature of love.

Through Athens I am thought as fair as she. But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so” (1.1.226-228). Demetrius’s obsession for Hermia makes Helena feel ugly and unwanted. By the time the love potion going around causes both Lysander and Demetrius to fall in love with her, Helena is so used to the hate-filled words and full of insecurity she feels they’re playing a trick on her. Before the love potion she couldn’t even compare to Hermia in Demetrius’s eyes. She couldn 't bring herself to see why they would both be in love with her when she couldn 't even get one of them to love her before. She’s spent so long comparing herself to Hermia and trying to be like her she forgets her own self worth.

In the beginning of the play, Egeus, Hermia’s father, complains to the duke of Athens, Theseus, about his daughter not wanting to marry the man he picked out for her, Demetrius. Theseus comes to a conclusion of either sending Hermia to a nunnery or executing her. Hermia does not want to go through with either of those choices, so she and Lysander, the man Hermia really loves, plan to run away from the city of Athens to be married. Everything is arranged for their escape and all is well until Helena enters the scene. Hermia

Hermia makes her animosity towards these stereotypes of women known throughout the entire play. When Hermia is treated as an object that her father “may dispose of” if she does not marry Demetrius (1.1.42). She decides that this is the last straw and does not want to be treated like this anymore. Egeus decides he should continue to insult his own daughter by saying he “should be as a god.../one to whom [Hermia] [is] but as a form in wax” meaning that without Egeus, Hermia would be nothing and he is the reason she is the way she is (1.1.48-50). This is when she decides to run away with Lysander. The first night in the woods after Hermia and Lysander run away with one another, Lysander pushes the idea that he and Hermia must sleep with each other

Hermia and Helena’s actions are a big part of what makes up their personalities. Helena’s personality throughout the play, is opposite of Hermias. When Helena comes face to face with the reality that nobody loves her, she becomes overwhelmed with self pity. “Through Athens I am thought as fair as she/ But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so” (23) She has no confidence which leads her to constantly believe that no one will ever love her. Even when Lysander and Demetrius have the magic nectar on their eyes, and they both fall in love with Helena, she continues to deny their love because she doesn’t believe them. Throughout the play all she wants is to be loved, yet when Lysander and Demetrius finally love her, she doesn’t believe him. Helena’s personality is not only completely different than Hermias, but so is her appearance.

Shakespeare has a plethora of masterpieces, Midsummer Night’s Dream being one of them. Midsummer Night’s Dream is a love story with fairies and magic. The athenian lovers in Midsummer Night’s Dream can be similar to each other in a few scenes and in others they have their own personality. Hermia and Helena much like each when they fight, but towards the end their personalities become more present. I think it is just coincidence that the characters end up being similar the few scenes they are.

Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream contains values and laws of a time where fathers, and men in general, hold a lot of power over women. Hermia and Helena are used as tools to enhance the power of the role of the father and masculinity in the world Shakespeare has created. At the start of the play Helena and Hermia are both popular characters, speaking frequently and constantly at the center of attention. Once the events in the greenwood take place, Helena and Hermia’s role is diminished and their voices are hardly heard in the remaining two acts of the play. This shift of focus displays how Hermia and Helena are symbolizations of the impact of the role of men on a woman’s life, and it rejuvenates love as being more important

Hermia and Helena's relationship has changed greatly after the intervention of Puck with the love potion. Once best friends, they have become each others enemies, and all for the love of Lysander and Demetrius.

Although throughout the first act Helena claims that she is “thought fair as she” (1.1.233), but later begs Hermia to tell her how she woos over Demetrius. She even claims that she is “as ugly as a bear” (2.2.100). Helena says to Demetrius that she is “a spaniel” (2.2.210) and that he could “spurn me, strike me, neglect me, and lose me” (2.2.212-213). This displays the lack of respect that Helena has for herself She also becomes very faithful to Hermia, like when Lysander is placed under the spell that makes him fall in love with Helena. She refuses his love and declares that “These vows are Hermia’s” (3.2.132).

Moreover, Helena gives the sweet couple additional problems. She tells Hermia’s other suitor and her love, Demetrius, of Lysander’s and Hermia’s plan to elope, betraying her friend in the process. This causes Demetrius to follow the couple into the Athenian forest. During their escapade in the woods, Demetrius and Helena also cause many problems.

During the scene when Lysander and Demetrius are influenced by the love potion, Helena believes that they are both teasing her of her looks. She says, “If you were men, as men you are in show, you would not use a gentle lady so. ”(Act 3 Scene 2, lines 151-152) This portrays Helena’s vulnerability, as a female, as her argument which displays that she is at a disadvantage because of her gender. Hermia must meet her father’s demands.

Helena believes she is inferior to Demetrius. Helena constantly compares herself to Hermia, since Demetrius and Lysander are in love with Hermia and Helena has no admirers. In Act 3, the four lovers arrive in the woods, since Demetrius chases Hermia and Lysander before they get married. Helena follows, and the four Athenians end up together. A love potion is given to Lysander and Demetrius earlier in the play by a fairy, causing them to love Helena. In a state of confusion, Helena exclaims, “If you were civil and knew courtesy, / You would not do me thus much injury. / Can you not hate me, as I know you do, / But you must join in souls to mock me too?” (3.2.149-52). Helena is aware of the hate people have for her and feels insecure about the men suddenly loving her. Her lack of love convinces her the affection shown cannot be genuine. Helena says to herself “No, no, I am as ugly as a bear; / For beasts that meet me run away for fear: / Therefore no marvel though Demetrius / Do, as a monster fly my presence thus” (2.2.66-70). Helena thinks she is ugly and lesser then the people around her, since Hermia is loved more and Demetrius despises her. The insecurity shown in her demeanor is a large part of Helena’s