In Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the question of reality or magic arises often questioning the root of one’s love.
As the play begins a love triangle is presented with Demetrius, Hermia, and Lysander. This triangle left out Helena, the lovesick woman who is desperately in love with Demetrius. Helena states, “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,” believing that Demetrius has built such a fascination with Hermia that he could not see her own beauty (I. i.234). She set out on a plan to destroy Demetrius’ love for Hermia by ratting her and Lysander out on their plan to run away and get married. On Helena’s journey to win back Demetrius’ love everything gets turned around and she has all eyes on her for once, due to the magic of the fairies in the forest. When Lysander, the poisoned fool, claims his newly risen love for Helena she believes he is mocking her. This shows her confusion in if the love he claimed was from the magic, or reality.
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“The course of true love never did run smooth,” comments Lysander (I.i.134). Lysander had many reasons to state something so strong; he loved woman who had more than one suitor, and her father was routing for the other man to win her love. Not only did this hurt Lysander but once he was mistakenly poisoned by Oberon, the fairy king, he catches a glance of Helena and falls deeply in love with her, abandoning Hermia. As readers, you know that Lysander’s love for Helena is magic, due to the play showing us that the potion was the cause of Lysander’s change of