Justice In A Midsummer Night's Dream

Toba Beta once said: "“Justice could be as blind as love.” Shakespeare 's play A Midsummer Night 's Dream captures the blind bias of both love and justice. Egeus, a respected nobleman in Athens, arranged for his daughter, Hermia, to marry nobleman Demetrius. Egeus tells his daughter that she must obey his wishes: if she does not, she can either choose to become a nun, or die. Hermia, much to her father 's dismay, is deeply in a mutual love with a different nobleman, Lysander. In addition, Hermia 's childhood best friend and Demetrius were in love prior to his sights turning towards Hermia. This crushed Helena, causing her to lose self-confidence, but still: she yearns for Demetrius 's reciprocated love. Lysander and Hermia are in love with each other. Egeus does not approve of his daughter 's chosen love. The couple wishes for Helena to be happy with Demetrius.

Hermia and Lysander want to run away to stay together. While Egeus is trying to convince Hermia to marry Demetrius; Lysander objects, saying, "I am, my lord, as well deriv 'd as he, / As well possess 'd: My love is more than his . . . I am beloved of beauteous Hermia" (1.1.99-104). Lysander compares himself to Demetrius, saying that he is equal to him in every way. Lysander then points out that he has something Demetrius will never have, Hermia 's love. He makes it clear that the couple will do anything to be together. After Egeus denounces his daughters chosen love, Hermia talks to Lysander, agreeing to leave Athens with him in order to get away from the law code that allows marriage to be prohibited. To Lysander, Hermia says, "Keep word Lysander; we must starve our sight / from lovers ' food till morrow deep midnight" (1.1.221-223). Hermia says that both she and Lysander will do anything to be able to stay together, even flee their lives and all they have known. In addition to love, the lovers also run away together because Hermia 's father will only condone a marriage between her and