Jealousy In A Midsummer Night's Dream By William Shakespeare

It is estimated that 35% of teens have an uncommitted relationship through adolescence. Teenagers during the time period in which A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare, takes place are the ideal age for courtship and marriage. Within the play, a story of a father, Egeus, who denies the courtship of his daughter, Hermia, and her soulmate, Lysander, results in a runaway couple hoping to elope. Their dreams drown, when Hermia’s best friend, Helena, who tells it to Hermia’s fiance, Demetrius, as she hopes for a relationship with him. The love between the Athenian lovers from A Midsummer Night’s Dream focuses, at a core, on the same themes and clichés of forbidden romance, running away, jealousy/one-sided love, and the infamous fight for someone's love that teens experience when dating in modern days.

Amidst Lysander’s speech of his passion and devotion for Helena, and continues his rant describing, “Demetrius loves her and he loves not you/ …Be not so For you love Hermia;/ And yours of Helena to me bequeath” (3.2.139-169). It is obvious that their love for Helena drives their quarrel over Helena’s devotion. Similarly, this can be seen in adolescents today as they feud over a girl, and can be taken a step further when violence takes control. Additionally, during the fight between Hermia and Hermia yells out of anger and jealousy, “Her height, forsooth, she hath prevailed with him. And are you grown so high in his esteem because I am so dwarfish and so low?... I am not yet so low but that my nails can reach unto thine eyes.” (3.2.308-313). Hermia is envious of Lysander’s love for Helena causing her to throw insults at her and eventually resulting in threats Hermia is ready to fulfill. These actions of envy and jealousy are driven by love, which can be seen mirrored in the actions teens can be seen