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Discuss The Use Of Archetypes In A Midsummer Night's Dream

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Twisted Tales of Love: Satirization of True Love by Classic Literature

Writers have contemplated and written subjects on romance and love throughout history. Many writers have also sought to perceive and challenge society’s views on romance. In A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Princess Bride, William Shakespeare and William Goldman examine archetypes to satirize societal norms and beliefs about romantic concepts, ultimately revealing society's flawed views on true love.

Shakespeare and Goldman employ character archetypes to satirize social norms and beliefs about romantic concepts, revealing that society’s false view of true love. Helena, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, embodies the passionate and idealistic nature of the lover archetype …show more content…

In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Puck applies the love potion to Lysander (who was sleeping near Hermia). Later, he realizes he made a mistake when he saw Hermia, “but not [Lysander]” (Shakespeare 3.2. lines 41). In this scene, Lysander’s eyes were streaked with the love potion instead of Demetrius, and Lysander fell in love with Hermia when she woke him up. This situation employs the situational archetype of supernatural intervention through Puck’s mistake in applying the love potion, leading to absurd and chaotic situations where characters fall in love with the wrong people. Shakespeare satirizes the concept of the predestination of love, challenging the belief that love is an infallible force. Through the utilization of the supernatural intervention archetype, Shakespeare highlights the flawed societal view of true love. In The Princess Bride, Miracle Max, a retired wizard, “was on the case” to resurrect Westley when Fezzik and Inigo brought him (Goldman 308-329). Through Miracle Max’s supernatural powers, Westley was resurrected, thus intervening in the natural order of life and death. Through the supernatural intervention archetype, Goldman showcased the absurdity of society’s perception of love conquering all (without outside intervention), conveying the unrealistic and exaggerated ideals that society upholds of

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