Please edit- suppose to show how love is out of balance in this play- A Midsummer Night's Dream
“One of the hardest things in life is watching someone you love, love someone else” (Dale). A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare is about love’s difficulty. Love almost never goes according to plan just like how Demetrius loves Hermia and she loves Lysander. Everyone has their own perspective about love, just like how Egeus doesn’t view Hermia and Lysander’s love as Hermia sees it. In the play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lysander says, “The course of true love never did run smooth.” Love’s difficulty occurs when love is out of balance.
In a perfect world, everyone would be in love with the right person, and all problems would solve themselves. Helena and Hermia are discussing how Demetrius is in love with Hermia, and Helena is in love with Demetrius. Hermia tries to console Helena by saying, “I frown upon him yet he loves me still”. Hermia constantly rejects Demetrius, yet he continues to be infatuated with her. Love often gets very complex when things don’t go according to plan.
Individuals in love experience it differently. Some may consider it heaven, while others see it as a way to rule and give opinion. Major problems occur when the two opinions collide. Egeus forces Hermia to marry Demetrius while she attempts to convince him to view Lysander as her one true love. Hermia tells her father, “I would my father looked but with my eyes”. Hermia wishes her father would look upon the man she wants to marry with her eyes and appreciate him as she does. Egeus considers his own opinion mightier than his daughter’s. If Egeus happily accepted his daughter’s decision Hermia and Lysander would not have any obstacles to overcome. This proves that everyone has their own perspective about love which can often cause conflicts.
In the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lysander says “The course of true love never did run smooth”. As seen in the play, problems with love arise when everyone is in love with the wrong person and when people around you do not support your choice of who to be with. Love can take on any paths at any moment. Love is very diverse and so are opinions. However this is compounded by the fact that most people want their family/friends to accept their love. When that acceptance is not there, a person faces with a great dilemma -honour their love, or honour their family. Love is never easy; it is always a battle, which is why with love often comes hardship.
In the play A Midsummer Night's Dream, the theme of love being out of balance is evident through various situations and conflicts. One example is the love triangle between Demetrius, Hermia, and Lysander. While Demetrius loves Hermia, she loves Lysander. This imbalance creates a complicated situation where love is not reciprocated in the way that each individual desires. This imbalance becomes even more apparent when Helena enters the picture and loves Demetrius. The unrequited love and confusion lead to chaos and misunderstandings.
Another way love is out of balance in the play is through differing perspectives. Egeus, Hermia's father, views love in a different way than his daughter. He believes that Hermia should marry Demetrius, while she believes her true love is Lysander. This clash of opinions creates tension and conflict within their relationship. Egeus' refusal to accept Hermia's choice of love causes further obstacles for the characters to overcome.
Overall, A Midsummer Night's Dream presents love as a challenging and unpredictable force. The characters experience turmoil and confusion as their love interests are not reciprocated or accepted by others. The play highlights the complexities and difficulties that can arise when love is out of balance, showcasing the challenges and conflicts that can arise in matters of the heart.