Examples Of Selfishness In A Midsummer Night's Dream

Despite being a terrible trait, selfishness is a prominent theme throughout “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. Multiple characters in the story display examples of selfishness and self-centeredness. Egeus cares more about his own desires than his daughter’s happiness, Helena betrays her best friend for a man she likes and Puck fools mortals for his own amusement. We as readers get to see the outcomes of their selfish acts, which never result in beneficial outcomes. Here are some of the many ways selfishness is expressed in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Egeus, Hermia’s father, wants Hermia to marry Demetrius, despite being aware that Hermia is in love with Lysander and displays no interest in Demetrius. Here Egeus completely disregards Hermia’s feelings, and wants her to

Egeus states “Either to die the death, or to abjure forever the society of men”. (Shakespeare 1.1 65-66) This further proves his selfishness and that he cares more about his own wishes than the happiness of his child. Not only this, but, it also shows how he believes his daughter is inferior to him. Another example of selfishness is displayed by Helena. Helena is in love with Demetrius, but Demetrius is not in love with her. Instead, Demetrius is in love with Hermia. Despite Helena being Hermia’s best friend, Helena’s obsession with Demetrius leads her to betraying Hermia. Helena betrays Hermia by telling Demetrius about Hermia’s plan to elope with Lysander. This shows Helena’s selfish side, as she is willing to hurt and disrupt her best friend’s life to get what she wants. A line proving this is when Helena says “I will go tell him of Hermia’s flight.” (Shakespeare 1.1 246)