A Midsummer Night’s Dream Group

Question:

ohsacul
ohsacul
Student
High School - 10th Grade

What do you think Shakespeare is saying about love and infatuation in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"?

 

In Act 4, several characters look back at prior infatuations with disbelief. What do you think Shakespeare is saying about love and infatuation?

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Posted by ohsacul on Thursday March 19, 2009 at 6:44 PM and tagged with a midsummer night’s dream, act 4, changes, demetrius, dream, helena, hermia, infatuation, love, lovers, lysander, midsummer nights dream, shakespeare.

Answers:


  1. robertwilliam

    eNotes Editor

    DEMETRIUS:
    These things seem small and undistinguishable,
    Like far-off mountains turned into clouds.

    HERMIA:
    Methinks I see these things with parted eye,
    When every thing seems double.

    HELENA:
    So methinks;
    And I have found Demetrius like a jewel,
    Mine own, and not mine own.

    DEMETRIUS:
    Are you sure
    That we are awake? It seems to me
    That yet we sleep, we dream. Do not you think
    The Duke was here, and bid us follow him?

    The lovers, left alone, standing there in the morning light, start to consider what has happened to them. There have, of course, been some weird changes. Hermia and Lysander went into the forest in love: and then Lysander fell in love with Helena. He's now back in love with Hermia. Demetrius went into the forest hating Helena, and has come out in love with her. He now doesn't love Hermia anymore.

    Everything has changed.

    And that's what they say, in short. Demetrius can't tell whether everything is real or not: like a far off mountain that touches the sky, he can't tell whether it's actually a physically-real mountain, or a wispy, unreal cloud.

    Hermia thinks that everything seems doubled. Helena muses that she has found Demetrius, but not found him. She's not sure whether his feelings are real (and she might well, as he's still under the potion of the flower).

    What is Shakespeare saying about love and infatuation? That in a way, it's like a dream; vivid and real and scary while it lasts, but then quickly over and gone. And when it has gone, you can't believe how you used to feel - you look back in absolute disbelief.

    Hope it helps!

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/midsummer-text/act-iv-scene-i?start=2

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    Posted by robertwilliam on Friday March 20, 2009 at 2:51 AM