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How Does Shakespeare Present Helena In A Midsummer Night's Dream

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How Does Shakespeare Present Helena In A Midsummer Night's Dream
Helena’s Desperate Love
Helena disgraces all women of her time by desperately chasing Demetrius. Shakespeare uses Helena’s character to show women can be pursuers just like men and in doing so comments on his feminist views on women. In the end, Helena is rewarded with Demetrius’ love.
In Helena’s desperation to win Demetrius’ love, she betrays her friend, Hermia. Helena reveals to Demetrius Hermia’s and Lysander’s plan to meet in the woods and run away together. Helena is jealous of Hermia because Demetrius loves Hermia and not her. Helena tells Demetrius of the plan and says to herself: “I will go tell him of fair Hermia's flight. Then to the wood will he tomorrow night/ Pursue her. And, for this intelligence/ If I have thanks, it is a dear expense” (1.1.252-254).” Helena hopes that …show more content…
Placing herself and her virtue in danger, Helena desperately follows Demetrius into the woods. She pursues him even though Demetrius is constantly reminding her that his heart lies with Hermia. Helena says: “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind” (1.1.240). Demetrius threatens her, tells her she makes him sick, and runs away. Yet Helena continues to follow him, saying "I'll follow thee and make a heaven of hell, / To die upon the hand I love so well." Helena believes Demetrius only loves Hermia for her beauty. She is convinced that if Demetrius will just listen to her, she can get him to love her again. Helena’s careless and relentless pursue of Demetrius places women to shame since in Shakespeare’s time, women expected to be treated as precious and delicate jewels. He flips Helena’s story as Demetrius runs away while she begs him to love her. This is like Apollo and Daphne when “Apollo flies and Daphne holds the chase” (2.2.237-238). Shakespeare makes Helena take control of her surroundings; thus, changing the audience perspective on the roles of men and women in
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