Section 2: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Answer both questions that follow. Support your answers with evidence from THIS extract and from other relevant parts of the novel that have been covered in class.
How happy some o’er other some can be!
Through Athens I am thought as fair as she.
But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so;
He will not know what all but he do know.
And as he errs, doting on Hermia’s eyes,
So I, admiring of his qualities.
Things base and vile, hold no quantity,
Love can transpose to form and dignity.
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.
Nor hath Love’s mind of any judgment taste;
Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste;
And therefore is Love said to be a child
Because in choice he is so oft beguiled.
As waggish boys in game themselves forswear,
So the boy Love is perjured everywhere;
For ere Demetrius looked on Hermia’s eyne
He hailed down oaths that he was only mine,
And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt,
So he dissolved, and showers of oaths did melt.
I will go tell him of fair Hermia’s flight.
Then to the wood will he to-morrow 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. [Exit]
QUESTIONS(1) With close reference to the extract above, justify the character’s descriptions of Love.
Descriptions of Love:
Love distorts our view so that ‘things base and vile’ appear desirable /valuable.
It is a lover’s imagination /mind that is responsible for deceiving his/her senses.
People in love cannot judge reasonably.
Those in love are often rash and impulsive and make foolish choices.
They also tend to break their promises / are inconstant
People in love also tend to behave rather childishly
Cupid as a symbol of Love:
Cupid is a child ( by extension, lovers tend to be childish / immature / inconstant / fickle in their choice / easily deceived)
Cupid is blind ( in love, people often lack judgment and reason and are sometimes unable to tell the difference between what is ‘worthy’ and what is not.)
Cupid is winged (together with his blindness, this makes him ‘hasty’ in his decisions- he is impulsive / rash)
(2) “If I have thanks, it is a dear expense.” (line 24) What does this character expect gratitude for and at what expense is the gratitude acquired?
What does Helena expect gratitude for?
Gratitude from Demetrius for revealing Hermia and Lysander’s plans to elope.
At what expense is the gratitude acquired?
- Her friendship with Hermia (and Lysander). She is willing to sacrifice her close bond with Hermia in order to regain Demetrius’ affections. Despite Hermia being her closest friend, Helena willingly betrays Hermia’s trust because she is enamored of Demetrius.
- Her chance at potentially regaining Demetrius’ favor in the long run / her chance at happiness in the long run. Helena seems to conveniently forget that although Demetrius may be grateful to her, his gratitude may not last. In fact, Helena forgets that should Demetrius be successful in tracking Hermia in the dark Athenian forest, Hermia may be forced by Athenian law to marry Demetrius.
(3) What theme does Shakespeare allude to in this soliloquy? Describe three other instances in the play that can be used to illustrate the same theme.
Theme(s):
Love makes people do foolish things.
@ Love makes people irrational.
@ Love makes people impulsive and causes a lack of judgment.
@ Love makes fools out of otherwise rational people.
@ Love can cloud one’s judgment.
Love can change a person’s character drastically.
@ Love can alter one’s point of view.
Love is impermanent / transient.
@ Love can change to hate in an instant.
Love can be deceiving
@ People in love are easily fooled
@ At times, Love can be manipulated
Three other instances in the play:
Different themes will require different examples. What is important is HOW you relate the three instances to the points that you want to make with regards to the theme you have chosen.
Instances that can be used as possible examples include:
Theme 1: Love makes people do foolish things
(In the extract, Helena talks about how she will reveal Hermia and Lysander’s secret to Demetrius)
- Titania’s sense of duty and love for the changeling boy’s dead mother causes her to defy Oberon who is her ‘master’. Her stubbornness and defiance lead to further complications in the play (Elaborate)
- Hermia and Lysander’s decision to elope stem from the fact that they are in love and are willing to take such a huge risk to escape Athenian law.
- Hermia and Helena stake their reputations (and virginity) when they follow the men they love into the dark forest.
- Helena is willing to be ill-treated by Demetrius and willingly courts his affections even though she is a woman and should not woo a man.
- Titania is totally enamored of Bottom and bids her fairies treat Bottom well, despite the fact that Bottom is a grotesque part human, part ass creature.
Theme 2: Love can change / alter a person’s character drastically, even for a short period of time.
(In the extract, Helena changes from a loyal to Hermia, to one who betrays her friend for the sake of a lover)
- Theseus has changed into a loving man who is about to marry Hippolyta. He desires a harmonious union with his beloved, a marked change from when he warred against Hippolyta.
- Hermia braves herself to defy Athenian law and her father by refusing to marry Demetrius because she was in love with Lysander.
- Hermia reveals herself to be a less than meek maiden when she confronts Demetrius, thinking that he had murdered her beloved Lysander.
Theme 3: Love is impermanent / transient
(In the extract, Helena describes how loyal and loving Demetrius was until he saw Hermia and fell in love with her.)
- Lysander’s love for Hermia dissipates when he is under the influence of the ‘love-in-idleness’ flower juice. All his oaths to love Hermia forever, are forgotten.
- Demetrius forgets how he viciously spurned Helena and is instead, deeply enamored of her when he is under the love-spell. All previous hatred for Helena has changed to affection and adulation.
- Titania’s adulation (or love) for Bottom comes about from Oberon’s ministrations- he manipulates the ‘love-in-idleness’ juice in order to obtain the changeling from Titania. Later, once the spell is lifted, Titania stops loving Bottom.
