Teenage Love

Nothing is more complicated, more misunderstood, more unpredictable, and more unchanging than
love. It has remained similar in this way since the beginning of time to teens today. The definition and the
concept of love is the same for the four lovers in Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream as it is for
teenagers today. Shakespeares four lovers in this play are Hermia, Helena, Lysander, and Demetrius, all of
which overcome different obstacles when chasing down their true love and discovering who it is they really
love. The same goes for present-day teens who face various challenges on the course for love. The love
shown among the four lovers is incredibly similar among modern day teens because both are complicated,
unpredictable, and often times, misunderstood.
For starters, teenagers are masters at making love more complicated than it needs to be. The lovers
love square is even more complicated than that. In Act 1, Scene 1 of A Midsummer Nights Dream,
Shakespeare establishes that Lysander and Hermia are in love with each other. However, Demetrius is also in
love with Hermia while another girl named Helena loves Demetrius. Unfortunately for Helena, neither
Demetrius nor Lysander love her. This whole love circle is exceedingly complex, just like a lot of teenagers
nowadays. Teens tend to be fond of creating extra drama among their friends on who likes who and who
dislikes who all the time. They do this so constantly that it generally results in the entire situation becoming
exceptionally convoluted. The complications are either taken incredibly seriously or way too far and then what
was previously a simple I like you becomes a full-scale World War 3 with every man for himself. In most
cases, if certain teenagers merely hindered from overthinking on such a simple concept or a particular word
someone mentioned, tricky situations wouldnt have ever occurred from the actual start! In truth, love among
todays teenagers is just as complicated as the love among Shakespeares lovers.
The lovers are also really persistent and defiant when it comes to love. Similarly, modern day teenagers
insist on many matters going their way and receiving what they fancy. Also in A Midsummer Nights Dream,
Lysander tells Hermia, ...And to that place the sharp Athenian law cannot pursue us. If thou lovest me then,
steal forth thy fathers house to-morrow night(Act I, Scene I, ll. 165-166). He basically hatches a plan to run
away to the woods with Hermia because her father wont let her be with Lysander. This is not only incredibly
persistent but it is also downright ignoring the commands of Hermias father in an act of defiance. As of now,
teenagers do that sort of thing on a daily basis. For the most part, they ignore their parents warnings entirely
and do the exact opposite, almost as if it is an instinct. Sensible parents tend to remind their children that they
shouldnt date at such a young age or that they should concentrate on succeeding in school. On certain
occasions when a child inevitably discovers someone he/she is fond of that isnt such a great influence, a
caring parent would also say that boy/girl is trouble. The list continues but somehow in nearly every single
one of these situations, the teenager manages to do the direct opposite of what their elder wishes. They insist
on things going in the manner they desire regardless of the cost and their future. A few select teens throw
themselves off course in life by dating or hanging out with decidedly harmful influences. However if they had
only accepted the advice they were given in their earlier years without being so defiant by default, their patently
miserable life couldve been easily avoided. Part of the problem is that the vast majority of teenagers dont take
time to consider the advice that is handed over to them and instead, automatically turn against it. Defiance is
sometimes like the default setting. This is mostly because certain teens are exceedingly persistent so as a
result, defiance comes along with the package. It doesnt mean that the parents are always correct and the
teenagers are not, it simply means that if some teens could just take a step back and look at their love situation
as a whole, they might find that perhaps they shouldnt be so defiant and persistent. However, the context from
Shakespeares play makes it ever so clear that if Demetrius and Hermia were in our time, they would be just as
persistent and defiant as they were in the play. Overall, the four lovers and teens in modern day time are
immensely defiant, tenacious, and persist in obtaining what they hope for.

Another common issue with love is that it is often times misinterpreted. Sometimes people think they
feel love when it could just as easily be a phase or a temporary like. Plenty of times, a person had already met
the special someone they would come to love but it just didnt cross their mind at the moment. In
Shakespeares story, Demetrius initially loves Hermia but then later realizes he truly loves Helena, the girl who
loved him since the very beginning. Demetrius even tells Lysander, ...keep thy Hermia; I will none: If eer I
loved her, all that love is gone(Act 3, Scene 2, II. 175). Demetrius admits that he no longer loves Hermia and
that he had misinterpreted his thoughts of her. That sort of realization also happens repeatedly in a teenagers
life. The story frequently starts when they believe they have fallen irrevocably in love and will never part when
in reality, the relationship outlasts about a week or so. Now and then a few teens mistakenly misinterpret what
their friend tells or texts them and fall under the impression that their so-called friend loves them more than as
just a friend which inescapably causes more drama and unnecessary complications. It couldve been an
unextraordinary and simple message to check up on his/her friends day when all of a sudden one measly
misunderstanding destroys what was once a healthy friendship. Nonetheless, it could also be the other way
around. A pair may have begun as acquaintances at the grocery store and then transformed into friends while
they were at a campout and then eventually became an inseparable duo at school. Perhaps ending by falling in
love. Overall, there is just an exceeding amount of possibilities and ways to accidentally misinterpret love. It is
not necessarily a hurtful or bad thing to misconceive love but it is certainly capable of causing severe trouble. It
is best to establish that you can fully comprehend the entire conditions of a situation before becoming overly
confident about what is and isnt love. This especially applies to teenagers which is why Demetrius is no
different than all other teens in our modern-day society, they think they fell in love with someone when it isnt
that way in most cases.
Teenagers are unpredictable in general, but when it comes to love they are nearly impossible to guess.
When love is involved the four lovers are also unforeseeable in a number of ways. To support this, when
Hermia tells her best friend Helena of her plan to run away with Lysander, Helena decides to betray her and
reports it to Demetrius in a sad attempt to win over Demetriuss love. Helena specifically says to herself, I will
go tell him of fair Hermias flight: Then to the wood will he to-morrow night pursue her; and for this intelligence
if I have thanks, it is a dear expense..(Act 1, Scene 1, II. 250-255). It is plain crazy that Helena would do such
a dreadful thing to her own friend for no other reason than she wished for someone in particular to love her
back. Helena is only one of plenty who would willingly go to ridiculous extents for love. Even Hermia and
Lysanders thought of fleeing is an insane enough expanse for love. The four lovers all seem to venture
through one mad thing after another all in the name of love. The degrees of which they go to is somewhat
idiotic. It goes to show that you can never actually know what someone would do for love. Teenagers in todays
world are precisely the same, if not worse! I have no doubt in my mind that it wouldnt bother the greater
number of them to make a run for it with their boyfriend/girlfriend. Most also couldnt care less about gossiping
with each other as a method of persuasion. A few, but some nonetheless, would even kill for love! Literally.
Love can be a risky force to tamper with for the sole reason that it can make even the most refined of men into
reckless toddlers. You simply can not predict what one might dare to do for love so it is safer to expect the
unexpected or not expect anything from anyone at all. The four lovers and teenagers of our society are a
superb example of how individuals can be incredibly unpredictable when love comes into the picture.
Numerous people might point out that present day teens today do various foolish things that differ to
what people did back in the day. They emphasize that the circumstances, laws, beliefs, and ideas about love
are unalike. Those people are not mistaken about one thing, times do alter. What might have been considered
correct back then isnt exactly right nowadays, and what was incorrect then isnt exactly wrong now. Still, a
wise woman named Halle Berry once said, The times may have changed, but the people are still the same.
Were still looking for love, and that will always be our struggle as human beings. This insight is nothing short
of true and precise in countless ways. You can witness this sort of truth practically everywhere you look. In

Cambodia, you show respect when addressed by bowing down while holding your hands in a prayer position to
whoever is ranked above you as you read out their title and a proper greeting. In America, you show respect by
simply acknowledging they exist without being rude. Perhaps holding the door ajar for someone or asking a
polite Hi, how are you? It can even be as basic as a nod or a shake of a hand. Although the practice of
presenting respect is entirely different, the ideas are alike and the intent is the same as well. This is no different
among teenagers in love now and the lovers then. Even though a modern day teen might accomplish varying
things for love than teenagers in past times doesnt change the fact that their hopes and concepts are identical.
The point is that just because the actions are different doesnt mean the intents are also different. Afterall, it is
what the intent is that really counts.
Love is unchanging among people of all periods in time. The four lovers Demetrius, Lysander, Hermia,
and Helena are strikingly similar to teenagers of our generation in a multitude of ways. They are defiant,
persistent, and tenacious, particularly when it involves love. Their love is also exceptionally complex and their
actions are commonly unpredictable. In most cases, teens wouldnt know what love is if it fell right in front of
them. But in the end, their motives and intents are one and the same. There is no force that ultimately
connects people of all eras more than the almighty love.

Works Cited
"General Etiquette in Cambodian Society." EthnoMed. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.
"Halle Berry Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.
Shakespeare, William. "Midsummer-Nights' Dream." The Bowdler Shakespeare: 441-506. Print.
Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night's Dream. Print.