Love As Portrayed In A Midsummer Night's Dream

The Different Types of Love as Portrayed in A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

There are many forms of love that exist in Shakespeare’s, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Each type of love portrayed is very powerful both in the play and in real life. There is the love of a parent for their child, the love between two people that are romantically involved, and a hopeless love. The love that a parent has for their child is usually described as unconditional. This means that this love is constant despite what changes happen in life. The parent will always love their child no matter what they have done wrong or how the child treats them. This love seems to have run out between Egeus and his daughter Hermia. Egeus at first seems to want the best for his daughter by having her marry a man that he sees fit to be her husband, much like any father. This quickly turns when Egeus asks the king to pass judgement on his daughter for not following his command to marry

This line is told to someone that is hopelessly in love with someone that does not love them back. Helena responds with, “You draw me, you hardhearted adamant!” (Shakespeare, 2014, 2.1.195). Even with all the ways that Demetrius tells her that he does not love her, Helena still pursues him and tells him that the more he pulls away, the more she is drawn to him. Helena is hopelessly in love with Demetrius because he does not feel the same way about her that she does for him. By chance, Oberon overheard the two speaking and felt bad for Helena. Oberon sent Puck to remedy the one sided love by using a love potion of sorts. The potion worked with Demetrius and Helena ending up together, but if it was not for Oberon’s meddling they would have remained apart. This makes the ending of the play less tragic, but in real life, there is no such love potion to help a poor soul that is hopelessly in