Control was a major theme throughout the play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The control can be seen in the form of manipulation of emotions and actions. The results of this manipulation are mixed as one attempt was a success and the other was a failure. An example of successful control can be seen with the two characters Helena and Demetrius. When Oberon saw the misery Helena was in, following Demetrius everywhere to tell him that she loves him, Oberon decided to put the love juice on Demetrius. In Act 3 scene 2 it states, “You purple flower, hit by cupids arrow, sink in the pupils of this man’s eyes ….. Young man when you wake up if she’s nearby beg her to cure your lovesickness.” After Demetrius woke up, he first saw Helena, which he now fell in love with. The flower juice “made my love for Hermia melt away like snow …. Now the only person I love, and believe in and want to look at is Helena.” (Act 4, Scene 1) In conclusion, manipulating by magic was successful because it connected Helena and Demetrius. …show more content…
Egeus was trying to control Hermia and make her marry Demetrius which loves her but Hermia’s heart wants Lysander. In act 1 scene 1 it states, “If she won’t agree to marry Demetrius right now, I ask you to let me exercise the right that all fathers have in Athens ….. As the law says: I can either make her marry Demetrius or have her killed.” Egeus would do anything to make his daughter to marry Demetrius. So, Hermia and Lysander decide to leave Athens to escape the law. Theseus found the lovers in the woods and stated “You pretty lovers are lucky you met me here. We’ll talk more about this later, Egeus.” (Act 4, Scene 1) Theseus decides that he’ll “overriding your wishes. These couples will be married long with me and Hippolyta in the temple later today.” (Act 4, Scene 1) Now Demetrius will marry Helena and Lysander will marry Hermia. In conclusion, Egeus failed to control
In many books, movies or real life there can be a lot of situations of gaining control either of someone or something. That might not always lead to happiness, but instead unhappiness . In the play A midsummer night’s dream by Shakespeare there is a lot of control that doesn’t always end in happiness. Also in the movie She’s the man by Ewan Leslie it shows how controlling does result in a lot of happiness. So gaining too much control can result in unhappiness, but can also lead to happiness. Like in the play and movie it either end up in unhappiness, happiness or both. Gaining control can lead to happiness, but having too much can result in unhappiness. This can be because if someone has too much power they could get too controlling over people.
Exerting the type of power that is influenced by malicious intentions can cause one to make decisions that are not beneficial to others. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is written within a time period and setting that favors men instead of woman. In other words, men have all the authority to control the events that occur in their own lives as well as the lives of others whom are considered insignificant. The plot displays the catalysts that ignite many characters’ desire for control that is misused by higher status people. Shakespeare’s use of characterization demonstrates how the wanting of control causes the characters to act irrationally through the misuse of power. Shakespeare’s use of setting, plot and characterization causes the ordeals
The biggest obstacle in this play occurs when the power of love is challenged by authority. The play starts with Theseus, duke of Athens, being eager to marry Hippolyta, who he wooed with his sword in combat. Although Theseus promises Hippolyta that he will wed her “with pomp, with triumph, with reveling,” true love between them is questionable. By starting the play with Theseus and Hippolyta, Shakespeare hints the audience of the authority involved in their marriage and leaves the audience wonder if they actually love each other. The focus is then shifted to the four lovers: Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius and Helena - by establishing the story of Hermia being forced by her father, Egeus, to marry Demetrius, when the person she actually wants to marry is Lysander. However, Egeus
Throughout the play A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare uses both fate and free will to present his philosophy towards the nature of love. The characters struggle through confusion and conflicts to be with the one they love. Although the course of their love did not go well, love ultimately triumphs over all at the end of the play. The chaos reaches a climax causing great disruption among the lovers. However, the turmoil is eventually resolved by Puck, who fixes his mistake. The confusion then ends and the lovers are with their true love. Throughout the play Shakespeare's philosophy was displayed in various scenes, and his concept still holds true in modern society.
True love’s path is paved with every step. Through the assistance of fanciful elements as well as characters Puck and Oberon, the true message of love in William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is revealed. The four lovers know the direction in which their hearts are inclined to turn, but when the love potion is administered, the bounds of their rectangle are thrashed without knowledge or consent. The rapid shifts in affection between the play’s “four lovers” is representative of the idea that love isn’t a conscious choice, but a cruel game in which we are the figurines, being controlled by whomever the player may be, relating the characters’ karmic fates.
Control is an important theme in literature, and in life. In the majority of William Shakespeare’s famous plays and sonnets, important themes and ideas are subtly introduced to the audience, ones that remain relevant to human life even today. In the majority of William Shakespeare’s famous plays and sonnets, the characters are no strangers to conflict, and often, these subtle themes are the cause. In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, control is to blame for the majority of conflict, as parental and governmental control compels Hermia and Lysander to flee into the wood, magical control provokes conflict between Helena and Hermia, and a prank played on Bottom is the cause of conflict and unrest amongst the workmen.
Egeus tells the Duke that his daughter can marry Demetrius, not Lysander. Hermia replies ". . . If I refuse to wed Demetrius," Egeus replies "Either to die the death,
“It is the nature of people to love, then destroy, then love again that which they value the most.” –Unknown. Countless authors have tried to display love as human nature, but no author does this better than the famous playwright, William Shakespeare. In both Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare exhibits how love can control a person. To understand how love controls a person, one must understand that human nature is the sum of qualities and traits shared by all humans. All humans have exhibit love in one way or another, which explains how human nature relates to the controlling aspect of love. In Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, conflicts between loyalty to family and friends, lack of trustworthiness towards others,
Love comes with many complications and faces many obstacles. Shakespeare clearly portrays illustrates these difficulties this them through various relationships in his play, ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream’. The characters face different obstacles which affect their relationships negatively. In the play, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ the main obstacles that cause negative effects on love are the use of magic, the law, and misunderstandings as well as and false assumptions.
Written in the ages of controlment and high standards towards women, exemplified in William Shakespeare's comedic playwright, A midsummer night’s dream, brings to life the frustration
In William Shakespeare’s book, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, magic is a powerful and useful tool for the characters that have the capability to use it. Some of the characters abuse the power of magic, while others are more responsible in how they use it. Oberon is one the characters that abuses the power of magic. Oberon’s magic has an immense impact on the plot of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. More specifically, Oberon’s magic affects his own life, the lives of other characters, and all the characters in the story experience his magic differently. We will see that even the person who has power to use the magic can become surprised by it. Magic, the ultimate supernatural power, is often unpredictable and inexplicable.
Oberon conjures up a plan in order to get a young child away from Titania, queen of the fairies, whilst doing this he is met with two of our other characters, Helena and Demetrius, “A sweet Athenian lady is in love/ with a huge disdainful youth. Anoint his eyes with the flower as well,” (II.i.268-269) in this point of the story Oberon encounters Helena who is trying to get the attention of Demetrius, who is completely ignoring her. This displays his need to place forceful authority because he is trying to controls Demetrius’s love, by putting him under a spell and making him fall in love with Helena. Unlike Egeus though, Oberon takes control over more than just one character, we see this in act 2 scene 1 lines 83-85 which says “Having once this juice,/ I’ll watch Titania when she is asleep/ And drop the liquor of it in her eyes,” out of the two Oberon would have to be the most controlling, because he in these three lines it shows yet another character Oberon is controlling. In this line though he is attempting to manipulate Titania in order to get the young changeling boy. Thereupon showing that in the face of love, control still will not
Helena loves Demetrius. Demetrius was in love with Helena. Demetrius is now in love with Hermia. This production of the play opens with a vibrant fight scene between Theseus, the duke of Athens, and his inteneded bride, Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons.
He and Hermia have very conflicting views on her two suitors, Lysander and Demetrius. Hermia loves Lysander, but Egeus believes that she will do better to marry Demetrius. He demands in front of the duke that Hermia submit to his wishes, saying, “Be it so she will not here, before your grace, / Consent to marry with Demetrius, / I beg the ancient privilege of Athens; / As she is mine, I may dispose of her; / Which shall be either to this gentlemen / Or to her death” (I. i. 44-45). Egeus is so furious that his daughter’s love for Lysander cannot be broken that he would rather have her sentenced to death. He does not accept the fact that she has different views than himself, and therefore wants to dispose of her rather than resolve the situation with tact.
3. Egeus wants to complain to Theseus about his daughter Hermia. Egeus wants her to marry Demetrius but she is in love with Lysander. He wants her to choose either Demetrius or death.