Love In A Midsummer Night's Dream

Love, Love, Love and More Love

When you think of love, do you think of many types or just one? In literature love is expressed in a variety of ways. In the story Midsummer Night’s Dream the author William Shakespeare uses many types of love. Usually everyone automatically comes to the conclusion that there is only romantic love. Love can be portrayed in a variety of ways, in this play Shakespeare expressed it in parental, romantic, and friendship love.S

One type of love Shakespeare uses is the most widely known – romantic love. Lysander is in love with Hermia and proves it as he says, “My love is more than his. My fortunes every way as a fairly ranked, (if not with vantage) as Demetrius’. And - which is more than all these boasts can

Egeus is a very protective father as he demands, “He hath my love… And she is mine, and all my right of her I do estate unto Demetrius” (Shakespeare 1.1 96-98). Egues loves his daughter so he tries to pick the man he believes is good for her. Being a protective parent and caring for their son and/or daughter is a very big characteristic of parental love. Titania is not the actual mother of the Indian boy but she is in charge and is the closest thing to the boy's mother that is living. Titania shows parental love as she says, “But she, being mortal, of that boy did die. And for her sake do I rear up her boy, and for her sake i will not part with him” (Shakespeare 2.1 121-123). Oberon is trying to take the boy from Titania, but Titania loves the boy and will not give him up. The Indian boy does not have a mother, so Titania makes herself the parental figure and takes charge of the boy by not giving him up. Another example of parental love also involves Titania as she explains, “ Set your heart at rest. The Fairyland buys not the child of me” (Shakespeare 2.1 106-107). Titania will not trade the boy for anything, not even the Fairyland which is a big deal. She is determined to keep this boy because she loves him, and is the parental

Helena and Hermia have a very close relationship and Helena does not want an argument to get in the way of that when she says, “Is all the counsel that we two have shared, the sisters’ vows, the hours that we have spent when we have child the hasty – footed time for parting us – oh is it all forgotten?” (Shakespeare 3.2 201-204). Helena knows that their friendship is much stronger than just letting a boy get in the way. Also, those memories mean something to Helena because she loves Hermia and their times together. Another example of friendship love is when Helena states, “Farewell, sweet playfellow. Pray thou for us, and good luck grant thee thy Demetrius” (Shakespeare 1.1 220-221). Even though Helena is leaving her friend back she hopes the best for her. Also, the two friends are praying for each other because they care for and love one another. Lastly, friendship love is used when Helena mentions, “So, with two seeming bodies but one heart, two of the first, like coats in heraldry, due but to one and crowned with one crest” (Shakespeare 3.2 215-217). The two friends were inseparable which is another characteristic of friendship love. Nothing in the world, not even boys like Lysander and Demetrius could separate the