Fate In A Midsummer Night's Dream
In William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hermia's love triangle with Lysander and Demetrius is a complex interplay of both fate and agency. Throughout the play, Hermia demonstrates a strong sense of agency in shaping her own romantic fate, while also being subject to the whims of fate and the supernatural forces at play.
One example of Hermia's agency is her defiance of her father's wishes for her to marry Demetrius. In Act 1, Scene 1, she says, "I do entreat your grace to pardon me. / I know not by what power I am made bold" (1.1.55-56). This quote shows that Hermia is willing to stand up for herself and take control of her own fate, even when it means going against societal expectations.
However, despite her agency, Hermia is also subject to the whims of fate and the supernatural. In Act 2, Scene 1, Puck mistakes Lysander for Demetrius and uses a love potion to make Lysander fall in love with Helena. This quote from Puck illustrates the supernatural intervention in Hermia's love triangle: "I'll put a girdle round about the earth / In forty minutes" (2.1.175-176). This unexpected turn of events complicates Hermia's romantic relationships and shows the extent to which she is subject to external forces.
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In Act 3, Scene 2, Hermia says, "So we grew together, / Like to a double cherry, seeming parted, / But yet an union in partition" (3.2.208-210). This quote shows the strength of Hermia's love for Lysander, even when they are temporarily separated by the chaos of the play's
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895 Words | 4 Pages/ O, then, what graces in my love do dwell / That he hath turn'd a heaven unto a hell!'” which is a quote stated by Hermia; I think this quote is discussing what she think may happen to her if she follows her heart to marry Lysander she is unsure whether she will go to heaven or hell for the disobedient actions she has taken. So as you can see the love/hate triangle going on is very somewhat “Out of whack” There’s not much good coming out of how they feel about each other, definitely not a kind of relationship that I would enjoy getting deep into reading about, but I have to be honest this is a story filled with very eager and brave women who will go after what they want with no problem or scarce in their hearts(Sounds exactly like me)!
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