Francesca Pondevida

Period 7
Prompt 1: The characters in the play will do anything for love. (List 3)
Love Knows No Bounds
Maya Angelou once said that love jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at
its destination full of hope. These words of hers summarize the obstacles overcome by the
characters in Shakespeares colorful comedy, A Midsummer Nights Dream. In his play, ridiculousness
ensues between the fairies of the wood, and the citizens of Athens. Though it is woven of multiple
threads, the heart of the script lies with the idea of love, and the lengths people will go through to
maintain it. Indeed, love is vastly different from the picture-perfect scenarios and visions we so often
dream about. In reality, we struggle to sustain love, and at times it can be painful. However, when it is
real, we hold onto it in spite of the rough patches. Shakespeare demonstrates this willingness to do
anything in the name of love through the various relationships seen in A Midsummer Nights Dream.
Love can be a powerful and intense entity- often being likened to fire, with phrases such as
"an old flame", and the "burning passions" held for someone. And just like a real fire, love can be
stomped on, or it may start to dwindle over time. Continuing to fuel that flame requires
commendable effort, and those efforts are exemplified by the young lovers Lysander and Hermia.
Together, the two are the poster couple for budding romance, but their relationship is placed at odds
when Hermias father, Egeus, engages her to a man named Demetrius. Unfortunately, Demetrius is
blatantly favored over Lysander, so discussion over the engagement is not an option. Rather than
accept the fate that separates them, they resolve to eloping into the woods, as shown in the following
scene:
Lysander: ...There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee;
And to that place the sharp Athenian law
Cannot pursue us. If thou lovest me, then
Steal forth thy fathers house tomorrow night,
And in the wood a league without the town
(Where I did meet thee once with Helena
To do observance to a morn of May),
There will I stay for thee.
(Act I, Scene 1, ll. 158-170)
The two lovers decision to run off expresses just how far they are willing to go in order to be together.
After all, they practically chose the reverse of a rags-to-riches story by ditching their place as nobles
in Athens for the wilderness of the woods. Not only do they forfeit the luxuries of higher class, but
they also forfeit familiarity. Their plan consists of them leaving their home, their friends, their familyeverything they have ever known! Simply the thought of giving all that up would overwhelm the
majority of us, but Hermia and Lysander do not seem to have any qualms about it. Furthermore, they
risk getting caught in the act, as all tropes in which characters attempt to sneak off go. In this case,

failing to run away would result in facing the wrath of Egeus, and quite possibly the Athenian Law,
which are both implied to be severe forces. Even with all these uncertainties, Hermia and Lysander
launch their drastic idea, because the prospect of being together weighed significantly heavier than
the consequences. In their eyes, everything would turn out fine, so long as they ended up together.
We may view that as naivety, but in the context of this play, it is simply loves desire.
Another example of this is Helena's attempts to pursue Demetrius. Although their relationship
is clearly one-sided, Helena's affections go unperturbed. In fact, she is so desperate to capture his
attention by any means necessary that she reveals Hermia and Lysanders plan to elope, which was
confided to her earlier by Hermia. This is depicted in the following lines:
Helena: I will go tell him of fair Hermias flight.
Then to the wood will he tomorrow night
Pursue her. And, for this intelligence
If I have thanks, it is a dear expense.
But herein mean I to enrich my pain,
To have his sight thither and back again.
(Act I, Scene 1, ll. 252-257)
Even though it is apparent Demetrius does not requite her feelings, Helena is still willing to breach her
friendship and trust with Hermia- a bond revealed to have been built from years spent together:
Helena: ...The sisters vows, the hours that we have spent
When we have chid the hasty-footed time
For parting usO, is all forgot?
All schooldays friendship, childhood innocence?...
(Act III, Scene 2, ll. 204-207)
Friendships are precious things, and they are unique in how they are forged on choice and genuine
chemistry. PsychCentral even states,Friendships are vital for wellbeing, but they take time to develop
and cant be artificially created. In a world where deceit and cruelty are commonplace, it is nice to
know you have people who care for and connect easily to you. This sentiment is what leads many to
value friendship over romance. On the other hand, Helenas actions show that she would rather opt
for a potential relationship with Demetrius, over the one she has been nurturing with Hermia for a
long time. Her resolve to commit such treasons, just to earn a mere thanks or bat of the eyelash, is
testimony to how blinded she is by her obsession with him. While her wistful reminiscing of her
memories with Hermia show that she does care for her, her infatuation with Demetrius overpowers
all else, at the end of the day. This idea, and the extremity of it, is what really highlights how love can
be the greatest motivator of all- even if it is not in the healthiest fashion.
Veering off from the trend of romance, Shakespeare also takes into account the strength of
familial and platonic love- which is manifested through Titania and the changeling boy. While the boy
is only mentioned briefly, it is evident how dear he is to Titania through Shakespeares words:

Titania: ...But she, being mortal, of that boy did die,

And for her sake do I rear up her boy,
And for her sake I will not part with him.
(Act II, Scene 1, ll. 140-142)
This was said by Titania as she was confronted by Oberon, the King of Fairies, and told to relinquish
ownership over the changeling. From this, it is revealed her attachment to the boy is a result of her
friendship with his now deceased mother. Her passing motivated Titania into essentially adopting the
boy and becoming his maternal figure. Such an undertaking was not required of her, but she did so
out of her own free will, which is quite the feat considering Titania's stature. She is the queen of all
fairies and possesses power so strong she can influence the weather! And yet, she chooses to use that
power to protect a child who is not even hers. In fact, the entire war between fairies is over ownership
of the boy. She put so much on the line- her power, peace, and order - all for the childs sake. Titanias
preparedness to enter such a conflict demonstrates how protective she is of him: an instinct that can
only be explained by love. Love not only toward the changeling boy, but also toward his mother.
Whereas Helenas friendship with Hermia is rough around the edges, Titanias loyalties to her friend
extend to even after death.
The characters in A Midsummer Nights Dream travel to the deep woods and back on a chaotic
journey, with love being the recurring incentive for their actions. While we may shake our heads at the
situations they land themselves in, we should remember that between the lines of the script lies a
bead of truth. And that truth is: when the weight of the world attempts to keep us apart from the
people we adore the most, we shrug it off.

Works Cited
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Library, Folger Shakespeare. "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Http://www.folgerdigitaltexts.orgContents
(n.d.): n. pag. Web.
"The Importance of Friendship." Psych Central. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.
"So Much for Stealth - TV Tropes." TV Tropes. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.
"Nobility." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobility>.