How does Shakespeare present love in the first three scenes in A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream?
William Shakespeare presents love in many complex ways in the first three scenes of A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream. The first three scenes introduce us to eight lovers. A part of the comic plot comes from a father, Egeus, attempting to thwart his daughter’s and Lysander’s relationship. Egeus threatens his daughter with life in a Nunnery if she refuses to marry his chosen suitor Demetrius. He does not paint a picture of this being a happy life, referring to it as “barren”, “cold” and “fruitless”. Despite him knowing that Hermia would rather die, “so die, my lord, ere I will yield my virgin patent up” than marry Demetrius, her father believes that he is doing the loving thing as he thinks that Lysander “hath bewitched the bosom of my child.”
Interestingly this aspect of the play is similar to that of the story of ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ which Shakespeare wrote at a similar time. Both plays depict a girl trying to escape from a forced marriage, however the outcome in A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream does not encompass the same tragic ending. However in the beginning of the play the author does not tell the audience that Lysander and Hermia will be so lucky. Shakespeare shows the power of love by the similarity of the two plays; if Egeus had achieved his plans, Lysander and Hermia may have also taken their own lives in despair. Instead they plan to run away together and married where Lysander’s aunt lives; “There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee.”
The love that the mature couple Thesus and Hippolyta have contrasts that of the younger lovers. Thesus fought Hippolyta but now he loves her. His change of attitude illustrates how Shakespeare wanted to present love as irrational but powerful. It is clear that Thesus sincerely loves his bride to be “fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour draws on apace”, fascinatingly Shakespeare makes it unclear about whether Hippolyta is happy to be marrying Thesus or whether she is reluctantly playing her part in a peace treaty. Although she is
Interestingly this aspect of the play is similar to that of the story of ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ which Shakespeare wrote at a similar time. Both plays depict a girl trying to escape from a forced marriage, however the outcome in A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream does not encompass the same tragic ending. However in the beginning of the play the author does not tell the audience that Lysander and Hermia will be so lucky. Shakespeare shows the power of love by the similarity of the two plays; if Egeus had achieved his plans, Lysander and Hermia may have also taken their own lives in despair. Instead they plan to run away together and married where Lysander’s aunt lives; “There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee.”
The love that the mature couple Thesus and Hippolyta have contrasts that of the younger lovers. Thesus fought Hippolyta but now he loves her. His change of attitude illustrates how Shakespeare wanted to present love as irrational but powerful. It is clear that Thesus sincerely loves his bride to be “fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour draws on apace”, fascinatingly Shakespeare makes it unclear about whether Hippolyta is happy to be marrying Thesus or whether she is reluctantly playing her part in a peace treaty. Although she is