Connie Jehng

Balden
English IV AP 2
December 10, 2014
Complicated True Love in A Midsummer Nights Dream
An invisible force existing in present time, in reality and in fictional works, love
establishes itself as more than a feeling in William Shakespeares play, A Midsummer Nights
Dream. Without exception, to love is to hurt; it is abandoning yet fulfilling, and this plays plot
prominently emphasizes that concept of true love by employing dramatic and literary elements
such as metaphors and dramatic irony in A Midsummer Nights Dream.
There is a distinction between the individual characters and their show of love, but in this
play, the underlying drive of love is fear. The introduction, which is a discussion between the
protagonist Hermia, and the duke, Theseus, is about a coerced marriage arrangement. Against
her fathers demands, Hermia refuses to marry Demetrius for the fear of not being able to be in a
marriage fulfilled with love, and therefore flees into the forest with her true lover, Lysander.
Although her father and the duke loves Hermia, they do not support or approve of her perception
of true love. Nevertheless, she focuses on her hearts desires and pursues Lysander against her
fathers will. In this act, Hermia is a character who represents mature love. She makes her own
decision to escape into the deep forest with Lysander for the purpose of true love, and she
eloquently presents her dramatic language in the lines, so will I grow so live, so diemy soul
consents not to give sovereignty (1.1.79-81). Hermia is a character who pursues true love
without bounds because she understands that physical bonds and obstacles will wither away and
eventually her ultimate vision of true love will persevere.

Dramatic irony is also incorporated into the play to emphasize the hardships lovers must
endure in the pursuit of true love. Lysander shows the utmost understanding of the course of true
love and the price lovers must pay to receive what they want as he states, for aught that I could
ever read, could ever hear by tale or history, the course of true love never did run smooth. . .
(1.1.132134). Lysanders view of true love is emphasized when even though Hermia and
Lysander successfully escape into the deep forest, Puck reroutes their course of love when he
casts a spell on Lysander and he wakes up and falls in love with Helena. This turn of events falls
dreadfully for the two lovers, as more characters, human and sprites alike, are now involved in
this complicated web of love. Shakespeare introduces more characters to elaborate on his take on
love with the dramatic irony that now Hermia and Lysander have the opportunity to unite and be
peacefully together, nonhuman intervention further prevents them from pursuing their love. This
complication of events is representative of ideal true love because even though love potions
dont exist in real life, obstacles in love appears constantly and at the most unexpected times.
As multiple characters in the play emphasizes, lovers must persevere, treating their
difficulties as a short term of trial and pain for an eternity of romantic bliss. The plays
exploration of the theme of loves difficulties and presage what lies ahead for Lysander and
Hermia : they will face great difficulties but will persevere and ultimately arrive at a happy
ending.