Hermia And Lysander And Helena And Demetrius example essay topic

CHARACTERS A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedy of situations and confusions, which are further complicated by a group of fairies interfering and interacting with human beings. In short, the play resembles a pleasant dream where no one can be sad or disappointed for long. The interest lies not in the evolution of characters but in the development of the actions and the events that contribute to them. Hence, the characterization is rather shallow with most of the characters not changing from beginning to end. Theseus Theseus is the Duke of Athens, whom Shakespeare depicts as a warrior, a good administrator, and a man of action and emotion. He is the first character seen in the play, as he talks to his fianc " ee, Hippolyta.

Although he has met her on the battlefield as Queen of the Amazons, he has fallen deeply in love with her. They are to be married in four days, and Theseus is eager for the time to pass quickly. When Egeus interrupts the scene between the lovers. Theseus proves he is capable of immediately changing his role to that of an important and respected leader of the people. Although Egeus is consulting him about a personal problem related to his daughter Hermia, Theseus listens carefully and agrees to enforce an ancient Athenian law at his request. Although he thinks that Egeus is being harsh on his daughter, he knows he must be a fair ruler who enforces the laws that exist.

Theseus is not seen again until much later in the play, when he comes into the woods to begin the wedding festivities with a hunting expedition. An expert hunter who is proud of his hounds. Theseus is eager to successfully use his skill; however, he brings the hunting party to an abrupt stop when he notices the two pairs of lovers. When Lysander and Demetrius tell him about their problems, Theseus is not afraid to ignore the protests of Egeus and orders that the weddings of Hermia and Lysander and Helena and Demetrius take place along with his own wedding. This action proves that he is a kind, understanding man who is able to share his own limelight. After the marriages take place, Theseus is seen again.

He is in a festive mood and obviously enjoys the marriage celebration, ordering it to continues for a whole week. When Philo stane tells Theseus about the entertainment that is available, he chooses to see the play prepared by the craftsmen. He can hardly wait to see a "tragical mirth", even though the master of ceremonies warns him that it is worthless. During the interlude, Theseus is patient with unprofessional actions and gives his full attention to the play, even though he cannot pass up the opportunity to make several witty comments, which shows his good sense of humor. When Hippolyta speaks about the mediocrity of the play, Theseus takes a charitable view.

In summary, Shakespeare has created Theseus as a very likable noble. He is a wise and fair leader of the people, an understanding and kind man, a gentle lover, and an outstanding hunter and warrior. Additionally, he cares about the citizens that he leads, is not too proud to share his limelight, and has a good sense of humor. Hippolyta Hippolyta is the Queen of the Amazons, a group of woman warriors who had earlier laid siege of Athens, challenging Theseus. By the beginning of the play, she has surrendered to Theseus and fallen in love with him; her only role is to be his loving fianc " ee. She speaks little and acts less.

In the opening scene, Hippolyta speaks only once, in reply to the love-lorn Theseus; she assures him that the next four days and nights before their wedding will pass quickly. When Hippolyta is seen again in the woods with Theseus, she is portrayed as more of a warrior, speaking about her past experiences with famous heroes, like Hercules and Cadmus. During the wedding festivities, she speaks more than in other parts of the play and has a more assertive tone. When Theseus lightly brushes aside the lovers' version of the previous night as a figment of their imagination, Hippolyta says that however strange the stories may be, they have been corroborated by everyone and must have some truth in them.

She also is not as generous as her husband about the quality of the interlude. She finds little pleasure in the play, calling it the "silliest stuff" she has ever heard; she also criticizes the actors, saying they have no imagination. In truth, Hippolyta plays a very insignificant role in this play. Except for marrying Theseus, she has no part to play. Hermia Of the four young lovers portrayed in the play, Hermia is the liveliest. Bold and intelligent, she has clear-cut views on life, love, and marriage.

She is brave enough to oppose her father's choice of her husband and refuses to marry Demetrius, even though Egeus threatens to have her punished if she does not obey. Hermia knows what she wants in marriage and has chosen to make Lysander her husband. In the court of Theseus, she boldly argues with the Duke and defends her love for Lysander, stating that he is a most worthy man. When she finds that her pleas are falling on deaf ears, she wants to know "the worst that may befall me in this case / If I refuse to wed Demetrius". When the Duke renounces that Athenian law calls for the death sentence, Hermia bravely decides to die rather than yield to man whom she does not love. When Lysander suggests that the two of them run away and get married, she does not hesitate to accept his offer.

After the mischief of Puck, when both Lysander and Demetrius fall in love with her good friend Helena, Hermia is very upset. Unable to understand the change in her lover, she at first thinks he is teasing her. When she realizes that Lysander's professions of love for Helena are earnest, she turns her anger on her friend, accusing her of stealing away her true love. The two women quarrel, but the self-pity and hysteria, which mark Helena's speech, is conspicuously absent in the words of Hermia.

Although upset, she is much more in control of her emotions. When Lysander's spell is broken and he again shows his love for Hermia, she seems to forgive her lover and accept what has happened as a strange dream. Once her marriage to Lysander has been approved by Theseus and Egeus, Hermia has little more to say. She does not speak again until the end of the play. Hermia is in many ways a typical heroine of one of Shakespeare's comedies.

Although she is intelligent, lively, and well liked by the audience, she is not a full-fledged heroine, like Viola of Twelfth Night or Portia of Merchant of Venice. She is limited in the play, because she can only act in one of the three worlds represented by Shakespeare; unable to step out of her world of the Athenian gentry, she must share the limelight throughout with other characters. When Puck plays a trick on her, she does not have the power to outwit him, as Portia could do with Shylock. But in her own limited way, Hermia is the heroine of the play.

Lysander Like Hippolyta is to Theseus, Lysander is to Hermia. His only real role in the play is to become Hermia's husband. He is strongly disliked by Egeus, Hermia's father, because he is a challenge to the father's choice. Egeus claims that Lysander has "bewitched the bosom" of Hermia and "filched" her.

Wise and in control of his emotions, Lysander allows these allegations to go unanswered. In fact, the first time he speaks in the play is when he begs Demetrius to "let me have Hermia's (love)". Later he puts forth his case to Theseus that in every respect he is equal to Demetrius and has the added benefit of enjoying Hermia's love. Additionally, he informs the Duke about the unworthy nature of Demetrius, who has proved himself fickle; he has earlier loved Helena, Hermia's good friend, but quickly deserts her when he is chosen by Egeus as Hermia's future husband. When he cannot at first convince the Duke to grant him permission to marry Hermia legally, he comes up with the plan to run away with Hermia to the home of his aunt, who lives seven leagues away; there, he and Hermia can be married, for they will be outside the cruel law of Athens. In the wood, Lysander, like Hermia, becomes a helpless victim when Puck mistakes him for Demetrius and puts the magical flower juice on his eyelids.

When he wakes, he believes that he is madly in love with Helena; when Hermia tries to talk to him, he is outwardly rude to her. But he can be forgiven, for he is not in control of his emotions, but is a victim of circumstance. Once the spell is removed from Lysander, he proves his worth by returning. Hermia's love and confessing to the Duke about their plans to run away and marry.

Helena Helena is the good friend of Hermia who is greatly grieved because her lover, Demetrius, has deserted her in favor of Hermia. An emotional women, she wallows in self-pity, never trying to solve her problems. She merely keeps wishing that she had the charm of Hermia to keep Demetrius for herself. When Hermia and Lysander tell her about their plans to run away and be married, she chooses to reveal the plans to Demetrius in hopes of winning him back. Demetrius, however, only goes into the woods to find Hermia and Lysander. The helpless Helena merely follows behind him.

As she pursues Demetrius in the woods, she pleads with him to love her again. When he tells her he does not love her, Hermia says, "I am your spaniel; and... the more you beat me, I will favor on you". Although such pleading fails to impress Demetrius, Oberon, the King of the Fairies, hears her sad words and is moved by her situation. He decides to help her and asks Puck to squeeze the magical juice of the flower into the eyes of Demetrius so that he will fall in love with Helena.

Unfortunately, Puck mistakes Lysander for Demetrius and makes him fall in love with Helena. When Lysander professes his love for her, Helena is sure he is playing a cruel trick on her. When Demetrius falls under the fairy spell and also professes his love for her, Helena assumes that both men are conspiring together against her. Later, when Hermia comes on the scene, she also accuses her of being a party to the mischief. She is so focused on herself and her own problems that she fails to realize that Hermia is being treated badly too.

It is no wonder that Hermia argues with Helena, accusing her of stealing Lysander's love. When the spell is removed and Demetrius still professes his love for her, Helena is overjoyed. She exclaims, "I have found Demetrius, like a jewel". She is even more delighted when Demetrius proposes to her and when Theseus suggests that the two of them marry at the same time he marries Hippolyta. Helena's dream has come true. Demetrius When the play opens, Demetrius is pictured as a fickle young nobleman.

He has been in love with Helena, but quickly deserts her when Egeus suggests that he marry Hermia. Although he is eager to wed her, Hermia has no interest in him. She has chosen Lysander to become her husband. In comparison with Lysander, however, Demetrius seems to have more going for him; the law, the Duke, and Egeus are rigi nally on his side, which gives him self-assurance. He is proud and nonchalant when Lysander speaks about his earlier affair with Helena and how he has deserted her. He demands of Lysander, "Relent sweet Hermia: and Lysander yield / Thy crazed title to my certain right".

Demetrius does not seem to care that Hermia feels no lover for him. In his eagerness to marry Hermia, Demetrius is rude to Helena and treats her badly. Ironically, when Oberon intervenes and brings him finally under the magic spell, he falls in love with Helena and sees the faults of Hermia. When his spell is broken, he still loves Helena and accepts the love that Hermia has for Lysander. When he proposes to Helena and agrees to be married at the same time as Theseus, Demetrius redeems himself. Fairies The fairies are introduced into the play to enhance the atmosphere of the dream-like quality of the drama.

With their splendid costumes, their singing and dancing, and the exquisite poetry they always speak, the fairies almost create a masque; they also serve as a sharp contrast to the craftsmen, who are crude and commonplace by comparison. The real purpose of the fairies, however, is to interact with the Athenian gentry, causing confusion and adventure in the plot. Titania is the Queen of the Fairies, who is used to having her own way. She has her own entourage of attendant sprites, such as Peace-Blossom, Cobweb, and Moth, who are always ready to do her bidding. Because she is spoiled, she refuses to give up the Indian boy that Oberon so desires; as a result, the king and queen quarrel. For much of the play, they do not even speak.

In retaliation for Titania's refusal, Oberon places the magical flower juice on her eyelids. When she wakes, the first creature that she sees is Nick Bottom, wearing the ass's head. She falls madly in love with him, which adds humor to the play. Of all the fairies, Puck is shown to have the most personality and individuality. He is full of mischief and often interferes with domestic activities of other fairies and humans. Additionally, he takes the shapes of animals to frighten people or misleads travelers at night by creating false lights.

Although he can be a troublemaker, Puck's intentions are not to inflict cruelty; he just wants to have a good time. His master, Oberon, knows about Puck's mischief and often checks on Puck's motives in doing something. When Puck mistakes Lysander for Demetrius and casts a spell on the wrong young man, Oberon is not sure that Puck did not do it intentionally. The world of the fairies is an important part of the entire plot and helps to unify the three different worlds, for the fairies interact with both the gentry and the craftsmen. Additionally, the fairies, especially Puck, contribute immensely to the development of the plot by causing confusion in the affairs of the Athenian lovers and the craftsmen actors. Fortunately, however, the intentions of the fairies are never evil, and they never cause lasting damage.

Oberon Oberon is the fairy king who has demanded that Titania give him the Indian boy to be his attendant; when Titania refuses, the mischief of the play begins. Oberon decides to make her give up the pageboy by casting her under a magical spell, which makes her fall in love with Bottom, one of the craftsmen. When Oberon sees Helena grieving over Demetrius, he decides to help her, proving he is a gentle soul at heart. He entrusts Puck to cast a spell on Demetrius that will make him love Helena; unfortunately, Puck mistakes Lysander for Demetrius, which creates additional problems in the plot.

When Oberon realizes Puck's mistake, he chides his attendant and makes him set things right, again showing his sensitive side. When he sees Titania in love with a crude ass-headed Bottom, his heart even goes out to her, and he says, "Her dotage now I do begin to pity". When Titania agrees to give up the Indian boy, Oberon is glad to break Titania's spell and befriend her again. After they are reconciled, they go in to Athens to bless the bridal beds of Theseus and Hippolyta, Hermia and Lysander, and Helena and Demetrius.

Nick Bottom Nick Bottom, the weaver, is destined to steal the play within a play presented by the craftsmen. Totally conceited, he believes that he is a cut above the rest of the group and should be allowed to play all of the parts. Even though Peter Quince has thought of the play, Nick Bottom tries to run the show, eagerly directing and correcting his friends. Bottom is delighted to be assigned the main role of Paramus, but wishes his character were a tyrant rather than a lover. He feels he is a better actor in fierce roles. As a result, when Snug is offered the lion's role, Bottom insists on being the lion himself.

He says that he can roar so loudly and fiercely that the Duke would shout, "Let him roar again; let him roar again". It is rather ironic that in real life Bottom is made to play the role of an animal. The mischievous Puck places an ass's head on him, a most appropriate symbol for the conceited braggart of the play. When Titania is cast under her spell, it is the ass-headed Bottom that she first sees upon waking; as a result, she falls in love with this ridiculous man, who is here complete opposite. Because of fairy magic, Nick is totally unaware that he is wearing an ass's head. When his friends run away from him in fear, he thinks that they are trying to frighten him.

His constant reference to an ass when he reprimands his friends contributes to the humor of the play, and Bottom becomes the main comic character. He is also the favorite amongst the craftsmen. According to them, he has the best wit and sweetest voice in all of Athens. They are also certain that if he acts in front of Theseus, he will be awarded a pension of six pence a day for an outstanding performance.

During the play, however, Bottom behaves ridiculously and makes himself appear like the fool that he is. PLOT In A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare has strung together three different stories, each one complete in itself, yet complemented by the other. First is the story of the Athenian nobility, which at first focuses on the forthcoming marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta who have fallen deeply in love after fighting each other in war. Next comes the story of Hermia and Lysander, who are determined to marry in spite of the protests of Egeus, Hermia's father. He is determined that his daughter will marry Demetrius. Demetrius, however, is a fickle man who has recently been in love with Helena, Hermia's good friend; therefore, the Helena / Demetrius story gets involved with the Hermia / Lysander story.

Theseus is made aware of both of the love stories, because Egeus goes to him to request that the Duke enforce an ancient Athenian law that will put Hermia to death for refusing to obey her father. The craftsmen's story, the second one in the plot, is introduced to the play and related back to the gentry because these men have been asked to put on a play as an entertainment during the marriage festivities. When Bottom "disappears", there is a great fear that the interlude cannot go one. Fortunately for the group, he reappears just in time to put on the play.

The third story in the plot centers on the world of the fairies. They wander in and out of the first two stories, interacting with both the humans of the gentry and the humans of the working class. They cast spells on Lysander and Demetrius, both noblemen, and manipulate whom the men will love. Additionally, Titania falls in love with Bottom, a craftsman actor, after she wakes from her magical spell.

All three of the worlds come together in the woods, where the fairies dwell, when the gentry gathers, and where the craftsmen rehearse. This sameness of setting for all the groups helps to unify the plot. Like all other romantic comedies by Shakespeare, the world of A Midsummer Night's Dream is a fantasy world of romance, love, humor, music, dance, song, and poetry. It exudes a dream-like quality and almost all the characters speak about having had a "strange or rare vision"; the dream becomes the unifying image of the entire plot and is even carried through to the title. As a stage production, the play has all the characteristics of a pageant; in fact, some critics have concluded that it may have been intended to be a masque presented at the wedding of an English noble.

THEMES The major theme of A Midsummer Night's Dream is love in its various forms. The play opens with Theseus professing his love for Hippolyta. The days when they both fought as enemies are over, and now they are under the overpowering spell of love, both eagerly awaiting their marriage. Theseus declares, "Hippolyta I wooed thee with my sword / And won thy love doing thee injuries". Now, however, Theseus and Hippolyta have conquered hatred and enmity and have surrendered themselves to the purer emotions of love and passion. The love of Hermia and Lysander is the idealistic love, born out of clear understanding, respect, and emotion.

They are so deeply committed to one another that they are willing to put up a fight against anyone who opposes their love, be he an unwilling and obstinate father or a ruler of the city-state. When no one will grant them permission to marry, they take matters into their own hands, deciding to run away to a place where Athenian law cannot forbid them to marry. Demetrius is the typical inconstant lover. He has been in love with Helena but then dotes on Hermia. Before the end of the play, and with the help of the fairies, he abandons Hermia and again loves Helena. In contrast to him, Helena is the constant lover who suffers but still continues to love.

In spite of desertion and the ensuing cruelties she suffers, she remains faithful to Demetrius and feels she has won a jewel of a man when he proposes to her near the end of the play. Additionally, there is the humorous love caused by magic spells, which makes people fall in love with the most unlikely partners. Titania, the fairy queen, falls in love with Bottom, a commoner dressed in an ass's head. Lysander falls in love with Helena, the best friend of Hermia, his true love. Demetrius falls in love with Helena -- again - after previously deserting her for Hermia. In the end, all the love described in the play turns out well.

Titania is released from her spell and she allows Bottom to return to Athens in time for the interlude. The other three couples are happily united in matrimony. Only the interlude, the play within a play, has an element of tragic love, but even this ends in tragic mirth and lamentable comedy, which causes merriment and laughter rather than heartbreak and tears. In this atmosphere of overpowering love, there is not much room for the development of minor themes.

The sub-plot of the craftsmen deals somewhat with the "fall" of Bottom. Though his pride is temporarily punished, his story does not have a serious moralistic tone. Bottom is really just a light-hearted diversion, and his short fall from grace is passed off, even by him, as a strange dream. This thought leads to the other minor theme, that life is sometimes like a dream and dreams are sometimes very life-like. Throughout the play, entitled as a dream, the characters wander in and out of both real and fantasy worlds.