Unrequited Love In A Midsummer Night's Dream

Chapter 3:Unrequited love

Women during the Elizabethan period were not allowed to woe the men they loved but be wooed by them, but in the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream it is the opposite. For example when Helena used to keep pursuing Demetrius and she even told Demetrius that Hermia would be running away with her love, Lysander and thus both Demetrius and Helena were in the forest. It is because Oberon took pity on Helena’s unrequited love that he told Puck, his servant to squeeze the juice of the Cupid’s flower on Demetrius’ eyes who was the man that Helena loved. Puck had squeezed the juice of the Cupid’s flower on the wrong man instead and Oberon had to correct Puck’s mistakes thus Oberon’s attention got distracted from Titania

“O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent To set against me for your merriment.” (III.2.145-146) Helena is a very pretty lady but due constantly being turned down by Demetrius, her self- esteem became lowered. Oberon who was in the forest and had witnessed Helena being insulted and rejected by Demetrius, had decided to help her. After all her love was true and she loved Demetrius to such an extent that she felt it would be an honor to be even treated like a dog by him. “What worser place can I beg in your love - And yet a place of high respect with me - Than to be usèd as you use your dog?” (II.1.207-210) Oberon takes pity on Helena and thus decided to help her. “Thou shalt fly him, and he shall seek thy love.” (II.1.246) Oberon is also thought of as a kind and benevolent king as he decided to help Helena but the opposite happens. Demetrius was supposed to fall in love with Helena, but Lysander did as well and this mishap that was caused by Puck separated Oberon from Titania for some time. This also made Oberon stop spying Titania with Bottom her new lover, for a while. This also shows us that Titania isn’t always Oberon’s priority although he loves

And for her sake do I rear up her boy, and for her sake I will not part with him.” (II.1.135-137) Titania would not part with the Indian changing because he was the son of a dear friend. Titania would spend a lot of time with that friend and the two of them would converse with each other until late into the evenings. Titania had also begun to love the changeling who was just a child and thus she also felt protective of the changeling. The changeling was a boy and so Oberon probably felt jealous of him as he got all of Titania’s attention, while she didn’t give any to Oberon. Oberon was also probably furious as the child was not his and also because when Oberon requested Titania to hand over the child she refused and as a fairy king Oberon was probably not used to being refused. This also probably why Oberon had made a plan to distract Titania when by making serve another man who she had fallen in love with, while Oberon would take the changeling away. “I’ll watch Titania when she is asleep, And drop the liquor of it in her eyes.” (II.1.177-178) Oberon is petty in a manner because he made actually planned so that he could get the changeling. Oberon is also very cunning as thought of this plan but he didn’t really need to. If he had patience then when the changeling died Oberon would have Titania’s attention. The changeling was not a fairy and Oberon could have stopped Titania from trying to make the changeling