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What Is Love In A Midsummer Night's Dream

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How strong is the passionate love for another? Love is a powerful force which is prominent in William Shakespeare’s famous play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It shows a combination of romantic and comedic scenes, of which involves the ignorant actions with love in between characters. In this play, it portrays the foolishness in love, as it induces the impediment of judgement for their actions portrayed by Helena, Lysander and Titania.
To begin with, Helena, who has unrequited feelings for Demetrius shows that love can cause absurd reckless behaviors. Before Helena helps Demetrius, she makes a plan for Demetrius to love her again, “But herein mean I to enrich my pain, / To have his sight thither and back again” (1.1.256-57). Helena has strong…show more content…
After the love potion was inserted into Titania’s eyes by Oberon, Oberon told puck about his plan which worked “I then did ask for her her changeling child, / Which straight she gave me, and her fairy sent” (4.1.57-8). From this, Titania recklessly gave up the Indian changeling boy of whom she cared a lot about, without taking a thought about what she is doing because she is in a love trance with Bottom. Before giving the Indian changeling boy to Oberon, she had fallen in love with Bottom at first sight who has a donkey head. Just falling in love with a donkey-headed man is already ludicrous showing that she has lost her sanity. This love makes her recklessly give him all the special treatment from the fairies just to make him stay. Moreover, even though she dislikes his qualities like his “mortal grossness” or talking too much. She puts in a lot effort to make him perfect like by getting her fairies to tie up his tongue because he talks too much. In addition, her impetuous love carries on where she has a romantic encounter, sleeping with the unworthy donkey-headed man who is a humiliation for Titania, as the love potion makes her attracted to him. As a result, Titania’s love for Bottom results in making foolish hasty actions.
Therefore, Helena, Lysander and Titania exhibits lack of judgement for their actions originating from the love for another. Affection causes the risk of Helena’s virginity and safety because of her hasty actions towards Demetrius. Forms the risk of harsh punishments for Hermia and Lysander, from Lysander’s thoughtless actions to escape as they would be killed if caught. Also, the impulsiveness of Titania humiliates her reputation and the loss of her changeling boy. Is love really that important to act foolishly impulsive
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