A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 1 Jealousy Analysis

Love is inconstant and even likened to war because it can cause jealousy between each other, it turns us into selfish people and it can overpower one’s mind. All these statements can lead a person to act violently as shown in Shakespeare’s book, AMNSD.

Being in love can cause jealousy which can lead to the likeliness of war between one another. In the book, Helena is extremely jealous of Hermia because she loves Demetrius but Demetrius loves Hermia. In Act 1, Helena tell the reader that she's jealous of Hermia because Demetrius is in love with her friend instead. However, Hermia has eyes only for Lysander. Still, Helena wants to know what special about Hermia and what Hermia as that she doesn’t have: “Helena: O teach me how you look, and

Hermia respond is that she's done her best to get rid of him (because she loves Lysander). Helena wines: “Helena: O that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill! /O that my prayers could such affection move!” (Act 1, Scene 1, Page 8). When Hermia tells her that it's not her fault, Helena says: “Helena: None but your beauty; would that fault were mine!” (Act 1, Scene 1, Page 8). This caused a lot of tension and conflict between the 2 characters. However, in act 3, the tables turn. Once Puck has put the love potion on Demetrius and Lysander, they both fall in love with Helena. Helena is angry at the both of them because she thinks they're making fun of her ways. That's not how Hermia sees it. When she sees the three of them together, she's in shock at first, and tries to talk to Lysander. When she fails, she turns on Helena and says: “Hermia: O me, you juggler, you canker-blossom, You thief of love! What, have you come by night and stolen my love's heart from him?” Helena

O hated potion, hence!” (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 270-275)

Once Lysander falls in love with Helena and not with Hermia, because of Oberon’s love juice, his former love for Hermia turned to hate rather than apathy. This hate towards Hermia and love for Helena causes him to act very irrational, resulting in violence. Another example is that, even though Demetrius does not love Helena, she is still blindly attached to