Discussion Topic
Lysander's fear and plan in A Midsummer Night's Dream
Summary:
Lysander fears that societal norms and Egeus's disapproval will prevent him from marrying Hermia. To overcome this, he plans to elope with her to his aunt's house, which is outside of Athenian law's reach, where they can marry freely.
What is Lysander's plan in A Midsummer Night's Dream?
Lysander’s plan is to run away with Hermia to his aunt’s house, where they can be married beyond the reach of Theseus and Egeus.
Hermia wants to marry Lysander, and he wants to marry her. Hermia’s father Egeus wants her to marry Demetrius, and he hauls her before the Duke of Athens so he can force her to marry him. Hermia is upset, but Lysander has a plan.
I have a widow aunt, a dowager
Of great revenue, and she hath no child:(160)
From Athens is her house remote seven leagues; ...
There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee;
And to that place the sharp Athenian law
Cannot pursue us. (Act 1, Scene 1)
They decide to sneak away at night, and go through the woods to Lysander’s aunt’s house. Since she considers Lysander like a son, she will help him. Once there, they will be out of Theseus and Egeus’s reach. They...
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can marry, and live happily ever after.
The plan might have worked, except that Hermia told Helena, and Helena told Demetrius. Helena wanted to marry Demetrius, and was angry at Hermia. The next thing you know all four of them are chasing each other through the woods. Eventually, they each get married to the right person.
What is Lysander's fear in A Midsummer Night's Dream?
In Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Lysander's only apparent fear is losing his beloved, Hermia. Although she reciprocates his feelings and wants to be with him, their relationship is in grave danger. Legally, Hermia and Lysander cannot marry in their home city of Athens. Because Demetrius also wants to marry Hermia and Hermia's father Egeus prefers Demetrius as a suitor over Lysander, Egeus has promised Hermia in marriage to Demetrius.
The local law says that Hermia can't defy her father to marry Lysander. As Theseus explains in Act 1 Scene 1, she has two options under the laws of Athens to avoid being executed: to obey her father by marrying Demetrius, or, "To live a barren sister all your life" (line 74) as a nun in a temple of Diana. Facing these as the only legal options with Hermia must scare Lysander, because he shows no hesitation in eloping with her in defiance of her influential father and the law.
At the end of the scene, Lysander also indicates he is afraid he might lose Hermia by her choosing not to risk running off with him. He feels the need to implore her to not stand him up. He says, "Keep promise, love" (line 182).