Jul 25, 2008

A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Lysander (Character Analysis)

Lysander first appears in I.i with his love Hermia, her father Egeus, and his competitor for Hermia's love, Demetrius. Egeus accuses Lysander of bewitching his daughter, of writing poems for her, exchanging love tokens with her, singing to her by moonlight at her window. After Hermia is given the choice of death or imprisonment in a convent if she refuses to marry Demetrius, Lysander pleads his own worth to Egeus: ''I am, my lord, as well deriv'd as he, / As well possess'd; my love is more than his; / My fortunes every way as fairly rank'd" (I.i.99-101). Furthermore, he accuses Demetrius of...