Pursuing Of True Love Hermia Literary Analysis

Brief Summary and Historical Background

Those words come from Lysander, a man who love Hermia and is loved by Hermia. When he is in front of Theseus, the duke of Athen, with Demetrius, a “certificated” fiancé of Hermia, Hermia and Egeus, father of Hermia, and is accused by Egeus that Lysander steal Hermia`s heart. And when Lysander says those words, it is apparently that Demetrius, with the support of Egeus and Theseus, is over Lysander.

The geographical setting is an ancient but flourishing city, Athen.(你适当说一下为什么重要 the most important point, it is the cradle of democracy. The respect of human nature originated from here.

Pursuing of True Love and Free Love

Right before Lysander says those words, he showed his respect to Demetrius --

This accusement can be done by Demetrius in the way that he points out Hermia violates her father`s words and Lysander steals Hermia`s heart. And it is a very small love dispute, but they come to the duke to solve it. But, in my opinion, Hermia 's father and the duke are indispensable characters. This conversation is not only Egeus and Demetrius`s accusement to Lysander, but also Lysander and Hermia`s accusement to home dictatorship, represented by Egeus, and old law, represented by the duke. And the author also set a very satirical thing here--Demetrius once loved Helena and then loves Hermia after he met Hermia while he was in love with Helena. It is obviously that Demetrius is a bad man to fall in love with, but Egeus persists in marrying his daughter to him without any distinct reason. It is ridiculous for a father to marry his daughter to someone who is not loyal to love. However, this happens to Hermia and because of the home dictatorship that the daughter must obey her father, no one can change it, even Lysander`s accusement to Egeus and Demetrius.

Comparing the Lines in the Original Version to That in the No Fear Version

I insist that the lines in the original version is better than that in the no fear version, besides I love reading the no fear version because it is easy to understand. I give three small points below to prove my opinion:

“can be”

“Can be” means able to be. Linked “can be” with the whole sentence we can feel that the meaning Lysander wants to give is that how much you love Hermia is no matter, or even just boasts, because the most important point is that Hermia loves who. But I cannot feel this meaning in the no fear version.

“should not” (1.1.106)

The “should not” in the original version is changed to “shouldn`t” in the no fear version. When I read the original version, the “not” caught my eyes immediately when I saw it. The “not” expresses a strong rhetorical question given by Lysander and when you read it, you should stress the “not”. However key “not” becomes a “n`t” with “should” in the no fear version.

“prosecute my right” (1.1.106)

“Prosecute my right” is changed to “be able to marry her” in the no fear version. The “Prosecute my right” is not only “be able to marry her”, but also “why I cannot do what I want and I think it is right”. “Prosecute”, meaning pursue, give a deep feeling of revolt against the home dictatorship and old law which restrict natural human rights.

Connections to the Play as a Whole by Reading Shakespeare 's Words Rather than the Modernization

Shakespeare 's words are more like a whole body and the words more like a poem instead of boring, explicit black-and-white