A Mid Summer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare Essay Example For Students

A Mid Summer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare Essay `A Mid Summer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare How do events support Lysanders claim that The course of true love never did run smooth? In this essay I will give my views on the quote: `The course of true love never did run smooth, a statement made by Lysander to his love Hermia. I will find quotes and sections of the play, which support this claim. I will find information from the play, which may have inspired Lysander to say this. At the start of the play Theseus and Hippolyta are talking about their forthcoming marriage and how it came to be. You can see that they are happy and settled together as their `nuptial day is arriving; they are going to be married soon and seem very excited about the approaching event. Yet this had not always been the case, their love had not always been so smooth. It started by means of death and war: `Hippolyta, I wooed thee with my sword, is how Theseus describes the ways in which he won the love of Hippolyta. Theseus is referring to a myth, in which he killed many Amazons (warrior women). He won Hippolytas love by doing this as he showed courage, strength and most of all determination to win and overcome Hippolyta. This supports Lysanders claim as when he made this statement he suggested reasons like `war and `death as factors which affect the course of true love, here they both played a part in the myth where Theseus `wooed Hippolyta. Theseus backs up Lysanders statement even more, as after talking about killing many Amazons he says: `But I will wed the in another key, meaning that even though their relationship started badly, their marriage would be a brilliant celebration, `with triumph and `with pomp. Theseus echoes Lysanders thoughts when he says that their relationship didnt start smoothly but on their wedding day they would forget about the past and think of a glorious future. When Lysander says `true love never did run smooth, he says it in perfect unison with the play, as just prior to this claim we learn that under the `sharp Athenian law Hermia must marry Demetrius, or face the ultimatums of being killed or becoming a nun. Hermias and Lysanders true love is being disturbed by Egeus, Hermias father, as he wants Hermia to marry Demetrius. Theseus knows that the two have true love and sympathises with them, but still has to abide by the law, but he gives Hermia the choice of becoming a nun. One of Lysanders reasons for love not running smooth is: `Ohell, to chose love by anothers eyes. Meaning that social class and family will decide who they are to marry. Egeus says: `As she is mine, I may dispose of her, ensuring Theseus will agree with him. In this day and age, the kind of comment which Egius made would generally be frowned greatly upon. However this situation has contemporary relevance, as in some parts of the world arranged marriages still happen today. These problems still face young couples today; thus adding to the contemporary relevance of the play. Lysander also gives these reasons for love not running smoothly: `Ocross! Too high to be enthralled to low, meaning that high class can not marry into lower classes. `Or else misgraffed in respect of years, meaning that people of different ages can not get married to each other. `O spite! To old to be engaged to young, meaning that someone too old can not marry anyone too young. We also learn in this conversation that Helena and Demetrius used to be together, but while Demetrius now loves Hermia, Helena still loves Demetrius. Lysander says Demetrius `made love to Nedars daughter, Helena. Helena and Demetrius used to be in love, but it did not run smooth and their love became fickle and they eventually broke up as Demetrius fell in love with Hermia; another example of love not running smoothly. Lysander makes a plan to flee Athens with Hermia after their conversation with Egeus and Theseus. They wish to run from Athens and the law, which requires them to do as Hermias father wants: `Through Athens gates we have devised to steal, is what Lysander says when he reveals their plan to Helena. Telling Helena of their plan was Lysanders biggest mistake, as he would shortly learn. If Helena let Hermia and Lysander run away she would be left with Demetrius to herself. However, although she does not say it, I think she must have worried that Demetrius would either run after Hermia, or he may end his own life because he could not be with his loved one. She decides to tell Demetrius of `fair Hermias flight, in the hope that Demetrius will realise that chasing Hermia through the wood is pointless, as she doesnt love him and never will. The theory is that when Demetrius comes to terms with this he will settle for Helena instead. At this point we realise that Helena is a desperate and pitiable character as she loves Demetrius so much she is willing to do anything for him. While Helena is thinking of telling Demetrius of the two lovers plans to flee Athens, as she reveals her thoughts and fellings to the audience in soliloquy. In it she backs up Lysanders statement by saying: `Nor hath loves mind of any judgement taste, meaning that she agrees love is foolish and is too easily tampered with, when it should not be. At the same time she is being very hypocritical; she is saying that love has `no eyes, and that it has blinded Demetrius, making him love Hermia passionately, even though Hermia continues to reject him. Yet Helena is doing exactly the same thing; ever since Helena and Demetrius split up it is clear that she has been hopelessly chasing Demetrius, even though he rejects her. It is not only in this play that we see examples of true love going amiss and making people do things influenced by love, it has a contemporary relevance with todays society. Many murders and assaults happen because of couples committing adultery, and so called crimes of passion. Shakespeare may have been leaving his own little message to the people who read his poetry and plays. The scene of the lovers in the woods, is the main body of the play and in terms of this essay, one of the most important parts, as we can see Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Speach EssayTheseus overrules Egeus: `Egeus I will overbear your will, and states that `these couples shall eternally be knit as they will all get married together. Thus the play is given a magical, happy ever after ending. The whole scene in the wood has in one way or another supported Lysanders claim that true love never does run smooth. Lysander and Hermia were partially split up. The two men had true love for Helena and were both willing to risk their lives to prove it. Also Helena doubted her love for Demetrius as she thought they were all mocking her and that she had no chance of really getting the love of Demetrius. Meanwhile between these goings on we see that it is not only mortals who suffer from the course or true love not running smooth, as the King and Queen of the fairies, Oberon and Titania are very argumentative. This is because Titania was given a boy from a mortal woman before she passed away, and Oberon wants this boy to become one of his henchmen. Yet Titania has promised to look after this boy and will not hand him over to Oberon; we can see immediately that there is no compromise in their relationship and it seems quite immature that they cannot reach some form of agreement. Titania claims `His mother has a votress of my order, as Oberon continued to `beg for the little boy; but Titania would not give in but remains faithful to the promise she made to look after the boy. Not only does this escapade cause trouble for their relationship, which had previously `run smooth, but was now in tatters, but because of their powers it is also affecting the mortal world. The wind had become ferocious, `contagious fogs have come and gone randomly without explanation, rivers have `overborne their continents and have flooded with no clarification, and the `green corn hath rotted. `The seasons alter randomly causing turmoil for farmers. The fairies know they are causing all this trouble yet the persist to dispute: `evil comes from our debate. In the 16^th Century a poor harvest would have been devastating; the trouble the fairies were causing to the mortals was enormous, this gives the play historical relevance which an audience at the time could relate to. We can see why their relationship is no longer running smooth as Oberon believes that he should be all powerful over all fairies, even the Queen. He says `I will go with thee, if Titania will give him the boy. He says this as if Titania desperately wants to be with him but cant in fear of losing the boy; in real life this would be very patronising to Titania and would only worsen the decaying situation. Oberon is so enraged by Titanias actions that he immaturely seeks revenge and he plots to make Titania fall in love with an ugly beast. While she is love struck he hopes to take the boy with her consent, as she would no longer care for him. Ironically, he choose to use the love-in-idleness potion to trick his wife, rather than fix there relationship which at the time was obviously in tatters and giving the mortal world difficulty as well. When this task is carried out, Puck brings the news to Oberon and he is delighted by the way his plan has unfolded: `This is better than I can devise. The fact that she fell in love with a mortal with an animals head is fantastic, as he expected to fall in love with some wild creature; not only is it a wild creature, it is also a mortal too. This makes it even more confusing and humiliating for Titania. Pucks mischief ends up benefiting Oberon is two ways. Oberon not only gets the boy from Titania; he also realises that he still does love Titania after seeing her with Bottom; he wants her back for himself. He uses the `love-in-idleness potion to make her go back to normal and once again love Oberon: `Be of thou wast wont be, meaning that she should not have a new love for Oberon, but should just go back to normal. Once Titania and Oberon had overcome their problems they began to do their job efficiently and let the mortal world be ordinary once again. Now they want to help the love of Theseus and Hippolyta as Titania says they will `dance in Duke Theseus house triumphantly. Yet their relationship is not yet stable and we dont get to find out whether they patch up their mistakes fully, as when they leave Titania says: ` Tell me how it came this night, meaning that Oberon would have to explain what happened. This means that the audience are left to wonder whether their relationship will `run smooth in the future. The workmens play devised for Theseus and Hippolytas marriage is a sub-plot of the play, which is emphasised by comedy; although it seems to be a minor part it has some important meanings. For one we see Bottom attempt to boss around the other workmen and the director, which in turn leads to Puck giving him an asses head, and this mischief plays a vital role in the story of Oberon and Titania. Also the play itself has many meanings, not only for comedy and to entertain the lovers; but more subtle and important meanings. The play has a lot of relevance to the play, as Pyramus and Thisbe, the lovers in the workmens play, are in a similar position as the lovers in A Mid Summer Nights Dream. In the workmens play the two lovers both end up killing themselves for love. Hermia is in a similar position as she has been offered the ultimatum of death or becoming a nun or marry Demetrius. Also Helena claims she would do anything for Lysander, making it clear that she has no other encouragement to be alive if she cannot be with Lysander. Also in the workmens play it tells us that the reason they cannot be together is because their families will not let them be together. This backs up Lysanders claim that true love never runs smooth, as one of his reasons is: `Or else stood upon the choice of friends, meaning that social groups and family groups will decide who people marry.