The supposed true love of Demetrius, Lysander, Hermia, and Helena stand out as the most prominent example of the instability of love. The love of these four individuals seems to run their lives. Every action of these four characters seems to be spurred by nothing more than love. When Lysander and Hermia plan to meet in the woods Hermia’s first response to the idea is to “swear to thee, by Cupid’s strongest bow” (I.i.171). Helena betrays her Hermia’s plan to Demetrius solely to gain the attention and maybe e

The final blow to the romantic and noble ideals of love is the performance of the craftsmen. This ridiculous version of Pyramus and Thisbe is more than a comical relief placed at the end of the play. It is a mocker of a well-known, tragic romance. The performance is a representation of everything the larger play stands for, and thus a mockery of Pyramus and Thisbe is a mockery of the true love of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It is a mockery of love and romance. The love that Bottom the weaver and Flute the bellows mender express is the same frivolous and comical love that the lovers that are watching exhibit through out the play. Thus the mechanics are poking fun at both the love of the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe and the audience of lovers. This theatrical true love is false and ridiculous. The love of Bottom’s Pryamus will disappear like after the performance like a humorous dream.

The romantic image of love is stripped away by the relationship between Theseus and Hippolyta. These characters are the most grounded and stable characters of the play as they are not enchanted and remain sober throughout the play. They symbolize the order, the law, and the general sense of a socially accepted norm, yet their love does not even closely resemble anything like a true love. The two do not even seem to feel emotional love. Their relationship seems to be nothing more than a struggle for power, a formality, and a sexual lust. Theseus seems to only be interested in getting Hippolyta into bed as he indicates through sexual innuendos and references. Thesues’ very words seem to represent nothing more than a lustful love as he says “I woo’d thee with my sword, I won thy love, doing thee injuries” (I.i.16). This quote also shows how the relationship seems to be based upon power and who is dominant. The supposed love is to be no

Some topics in this essay:
Theseus Hippolyta, Bottom’s Pryamus, William Shakespeare, Queen Titania, IIi182 Puck, Lysander Hermia, Pyramus Thisbe, Dream” IVi218, Puck Oberon, IIIii90 Love, true love, love play, night’s dream, pyramus thisbe, midsummer night’s, midsummer night’s dream, lysander hermia, romantic true love, throughout play, idea true, titania fall, beast love, idea true love, love lysander hermia, titania fall love,