JessicaGoeij

Period8

Prompt: The characters in the play will do anything for love.

Love: Tyrant, Abuser, and Bully

The Story of the Most Important Unannounced Character in A Midsummer Nights Dream

Middleschoolstudentswitnessbrainwashed,lovesicktweenseverysingleday.
Whether
itsatschool,inyourlocalmall
,orevenonthesidewalkwhilewalkingyourdog,kidsthesedays
willhavenoproblemwithdoingsuchthingsaskissing,handholding,hugging,andotherpublic
displaysofaffectionotherwiseconsideredtobeadult.Whilethetypical,pinkfaced,wideeyed,
innocentteenagershouldbefocusingontheirstudies,ouryouthdecidestogivetheirattention
tohowperfecttheircurlsare.
Whilesomeadultsarebitteronhowkidsthesedaysdonotexperiencelifeastheyhave,
withoutelectronics,andhowthosedevicesarecorruptingthemindsofchildren,weallknowit
isnottrue.The
plaguethatattacksthemindsofadolescentsis,ofcourse,Love
.Loveisthebully
whichcorruptsthemindoffairHelena,causinghertobelievesheisuglyandcompellingherto
stalkDemitriusintotheforestwhenitisclearhedoesnotwanttobefollowed.Inadditionto
that,thankstoloveHermiaisonthebrinkofdeathforchoosingthemansheloves(Lysander)
overthemanherfatherwouldlikehertomarry(Demetrius).AsforLysander,hebetrayedthe
womanhevowedtomarrytochaseherbestfriend(Helena)becauseofasuddenimpulseof
Love,eveniftheLovewasfromthenectarPuckplacedhimunder.
Love,whilenotanofficialcharacter,isthebullyresponsiblefortheagonyofour
protagonists.Asaresult,thecharactersintheplayarevictimsofLove,withtheevidence
supportingthisbeingHelenaslossofsanityasshechasesafterDemetrius,Hermiasriskoflife
asshechoosesLysanderoverDemetrius,andLysandersbetrayalwhenhebeginstoloveHelena
andnotHermia.
HelenaslossofsanitywhilesheisinlovewithDemetriusguaranteestheexistenceofthe
tyrannic,unannouncedcharacterwhichisLove.Anyonewhohaseverbeenin,orthinksthey
havebeeninlove,knowsLoveisblinding.Lovecanconvinceonetoprioritizewhoyoucarefor
overwhocaresforyou.ThisideaisseenbetweenHelenaandHermia,withHelenabeingthe
captiveofLove.ThescenebeginswithLysanderacknowledgingHelenaisapproaching,and
Hermiafriendlygreetingherasfriendsshould:

Hermia.Godspeed,fairHelena.Whitheraway?
Helena.Callyoumefair?Thatfairagainunsay.
Demetriuslovesyourfair.Ohhappyfair!
Weretheworldmine,Demetriusbeingbated,
TherestIdgivetobetoyoutranslated.
O,teachmehowyoulookandwithwhatart
YouswaythemotionofDemetriusheart!(ActI,Sc.1,ll.18397)


WhileHelenadoesnotsoundcrazynorcaptiveofLovewhenshesaysthis,theevidence
provessheisindeedaslavetoloveisshownwhenHelenamentionstellinghim[orDemetrius]
offairHermiasflight(Act.I,Sc.1,ll.252),referringtohowHermiaandLysanderaregoingto
sneakintothewoodstomarry.
Inaddition,themanwhoHelenabetraysherbestfriendfor,Demetrius,feelsasif,Iam
sickwhenIdolookonthee(Act.II,Sc.1,ll.219),makingitobvioushehasabsolutelyno
interestinevenbeingnearHelena.Anyoneintheirrightmindwouldknowtostayawayfrom
Demetrius.Helena,whoobviouslyisnotinherrightmind,backstabsherbestfriendinorderto
chaseamanwhodoesnotevenloveherback.Lovehasblindedherandkeptherfrom
understandingDemetriusisnotoneworthchasingfor,ormorecertainlyonetodestroya
friendshipfor.HelenaissoabusedbyherLoveforDemetriustothepointwhereithasaffected
herjudgementandhersanity.HelenaslossofsanityduetoherLoveforDemetriusisone
reasonLoveisnothingshortofabully,andourcharactersarevictims.
ThesecondreasonastowhyIbelieveLoveisabully,andourcharactersarevictims,is
thefactHermiawaswillingtoriskherlifesoshecouldbewithLysander.HermiasfatherEgeus
is,withoutadoubt,anabsolutelytyrannicparent.Whatmakeshimoneisthefactthathewould
ratherhisbeloveddaughterdiethannotmarryamanofhisownchoosing.NotthatIamnot
sayingIsupportEgeuswhensayingheownsHermia,andshouldhavethepowertochoosewho
shewedsorwhentoendherlife,butinsteadHermiawouldnothavelostmuchifshemarried
Demetrius.
Demetriusisastrong,wealthyyoungmanwhootherwomen,suchasHelena,would
jumpatthechanceofanarrangedmarriagewith.LovehascausedHermiatobecomesostupid
thatshewouldchooseforherfathertobegtheancientprivilegeofAthens(ActI,Sc.1,ll.152)
beingthatsheismine[orEgeus],Imaydisposeofher(ActI,Sc.1,ll.153)thanmarryaman
whoisnothingshortofworthyforherlove.Yes,itmaybesweetHermiaiswillingtodiethan
marryamanshedoesnotlove,butifyouthinkaboutit,itcanonlyresultinunhappinessall
around.IfHermiadidnotloveLysanderasmuchasshedid,Hermiaprobablywouldhave
obeyedherfathersterriblecommandsandkeptherselffromdeath.
HermiasLoveforLysanderwouldhavekilledherselfatthebeginningofherlifeifit
werenotforEgeusapparentchangeinopinionbytheendoftheplay.Thatiswhyitismyfirm
affirmationthatHermiaswillingnesstoriskherlifeforLysanderforloveshowshowloveisa
bullyandourcharactersarevictims.
ThefinalreasonastowhyIbelieveLoveisabully,andthecharactersin
AMidsummer
NightsDream
arethevictims,ishowLysander,whowasverymuchsoinlovewithHermia,and
vowedtoevenmarryHermia,threwhispridetothesidetofollowhisheartwhichinthiscase
wascompelledtoHelena.LysanderverymuchsocheatedonHermia,butdidsounderneatha
spellinwhichPuckplacedhimunderwhichgrantedhimthesympathyoftheaudience.WhileI
amnotsayingIwoulddoanybetterifIwereinLysandersshoes,Idonotbelievehedeserves
suchasympatheticreaction.Lysanderclearly,evenunderneaththespellPuckhadputhim
under,understoodwhatkindofdespicablethingshewasabouttodo.
AconversationbetweenLysanderandHelenawhichundertakesinthewoodsprovesjust
that:


Helena.Youdoadvanceyourcunningmoreandmore.
Whentruthkillstruth,Odevilishholyfray!
ThesevowsareHermias.Willyougiveheroer?
Weighsoathandoath,andyouwillnothing
weigh.
Yourvowstoherandme,putintwoscales,
Willevenweigh,andbothaslightastales.
Lysander.IhadnojudgementwhentoherIswore.(ActIII,Sc.2,ll.13037)

Lysander,inmyopinion,hasoneofthepurestheartsintheplay.Lysanderisnotonly
wealthy,attractive,andstrong,butisalsodeepandkindandrespectfultoprettymucheveryone
hemeets.Althoughitwasnotreal,theLovePuckenchantedLysanderwithmanipulated
Lysandertothepointwherehewascompelledtodoterriblethings.TheartificialLovehasnot
onlybulliedinnocentLysander,butenslavedhim.HeiscaptivetotheLovethathasbeganto
completelycontrolhisbrain!Asaresult,LysandersbetrayaltowardsHermiatochaseHelena
becauseofasuddenimpulseofLoveisonereasonLoveisabully,andthecharactersare
victims.
Intheplay
AMidsummerNightsDream
,thecharactersarevictimstotheeverso
tyrannic,abusive,andcunningLovewiththeevidencetosupportthisbeingHelenaslossof
sanity,Hermiaspoordecision,andLysandersbetrayaltowardsHermia.
Throughoutthisessay,Lovehasbeenpersonifiedasacaptor,demon,orjustdownright
abadperson.Whilethesepersonificationsarestilltrue,itwouldbeappropriatetoacknowledge
Lovesimplyisaweapon.Love,whenplacedinthehandsofaresponsibleperson,canactually
provetobeharmless.However,whenabused,lovecanbefarmoredamagingthanagun.Love
candothingssuchasreuniteabickeringfamily,helpsomeonefindtheirhappyending,or
simplybrightensomeonesday.Theexamplesincludedinthisanalysisareexamplesofhowlove
isusedimpurely,butrestassured,theyshouldnotbeusedasadefinitionofwhatloveis.
Ourprotagonists,sadly,arelefttofacetheconsequencesoftamperingwithit.For
example,Helena,apresumablyfairandsanemaidenbeforeheraffectiontowardsDemetrius
began,hasbetrayedherbestfriendtopursueamanwhocouldnothavewantedlesstodowith
her.Hermia,awisebutstubbornyoungwoman,chosetogamblewithherliferatherthanto
settlewithherfathersdisgustingbutreasonabledemands.Lastly,Lysander,amanofpure
heart,cheatedonthewomanhevowedtomarrybecauseofasuddenimpulseoflovetowards
herbestfriend.
TheseexamplesareperfecttodemonstratehowLoveactsasademon,festeringinthe
heartsofthoseyoungandnaiveenoughtofallforitsdarkallure.Evenwithfictionalloversliving
inthe
ElizabethanAge
,youcanseethatLoveisnotonlymanipulative,butpoisonouswhenused
inappropriately.
Inshort,thecharactersin
AMidsummerNightsDream
arevictimstothebullythatis
LovewiththeevidencetosupportthisbeingHelenaslossofsanity,Hermiaspoordecision
making(choosingthemansheloveswiththeriskofbeingkilledbyherfather),andLysanders
betrayaltowardsHermiatopursueherbestfriendHelena.

Works Cited
"TheCollectedWorksofWilliamShakespeareHisLifeandTimes."
Shakespeare:Life&times
.
Web.09Mar.2016.
"Dating."
ChildTrends
.02Dec.2015.Web.09Mar.2016.
Howard,Jacqueline."NineWaysFallingInLoveMakesUsDoStrangeThings."
TheHuffington
Post
.TheHuffingtonPost.com.Web.09Mar.2016.
Shakespeare,William."AMidsummer'sNightDream."Trans.NoFearShakespeareA
MidsummerNightSDream(BySparkno.(n.d.):n.pag.NoFearShakespeare.Web.
<http://www.portcity.edu.bd/ELibrary/ENG/amidsummernightsdream.pdf>.