A Midsummer Night's Dream Group
Question:
bookjunkie
Student
High School - 9th Grade
Love is the central theme in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Describe the diferent types of love that are portrayed in the play.
Think about, young love, parental/child, fantasy love, lust, friend love, unrequited love, false love and the love triangle.
Answers:
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lit24 Teacher
DoctoratePosted by lit24 on Saturday May 17, 2008 at 4:20 PMTo begin with we have the love story of Theseus and Hippolyta. Theseus has fought many battles and risked his life in order to win Hippolyta:"I woo'd thee with my sword / And won thy love, doing thee injuries."
Next we have the pair of romantic lovers Hermia and Lysander and Helena and Demetrius who undergo many trials before they are united
Finally, we have the fairy couple Oberon and Titania who are finally reconciled after a long period of separation.
What is common to all these different 'love stories' is the fact that 'the course of true love never did run smooth'.
Shakespeare reveals to us that love at all levels, whether it is the royalty or the ordinary folk, or in the supernatural has to undergo a rigorous trial before it succeeds.
True love will succeed if the lovers are faithful to their partners and remain patient during their time of separation and trial.
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kwoo1213 Teacher
College - FreshmanPosted by kwoo1213 on Saturday May 17, 2008 at 8:24 PMOther types of love include the love of the friends (Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia, and Helena), unrequited love (when Helena refuses to give into Demetrius or Lysander when they are under the spell of the love potion), false love (for the same reason as above--the love potion causes false love), fantasy love (when Bottom is loved by Titania), young love (the four young lovers), and love triangle (Demetrius, Hermia, and Lysander, then Helena, Demetrius, and Lysander when the love potion is used). There is also the parental/child love when you have Titania and Oberon fighting over the new child Titania has inherited.