Unsettled Love Puzzle : MSND Essay, Research Paper
Lysander & Hermia – their first
obstacle was at the beginning of the story when both men, Demetrius and
Lysander wanted to marry Hermia. Egeus complained to the Duke of Athens that
his daughter is refusing to marry Demetrius, her father?s choice. ? Full of
vexation come I, with complaint against my child, my daughter Hermia. Stand
forth Demetrius. My noble lord, this man hath my consent to marry her?. Egeus
demanded a death penalty for her disobedience. ??????????? Hermia then insisted,
even to the Duke that she will not marry Demetrius. Later, Lysander points out
that Demetrius had previously been in love with another young woman called
Helena, but he had changed his mind. ?Demetrius, I?ll avouch it to his head,
made love to Nedar?s daughter, Helena?. Theseus, the Duke of Athens,
told Hermia that she must either obey her father and marry Demetrius or be put
to death. Then he made it clear to her that the penalty is either be put to
death or life in a convent. He warned her that she will not be happy as a nun,
and gave her four days until his wedding to make her choice. Lysander and Hermia then
decided to run away to Lysadner?s aunt?s house and get married there. ? I have
a widow aunt, a dowger of great revenue, and she hath no child, from Athens is
her house remote seven leagues, and she respects me as her only son. There,
gentle Hermia, may I marry thee. And to that place the sharp Athenian law
cannot pursue us?. However, Lysander and Hermia lost their way in the woods
that night and decided to sleep till morning. ? Fair love, you faint with
wandering in the wood and to speak troth I have forgot our way. We?ll rest us
Hermia, if you think it good, and tarry for the comfort of the day?. Hermia didn?t
let Lysander to sleep close to her because they are not yet married. ?Nay good
Lysander, for my sake, my dear. Lie further off yet, do not lie so near?. Oberon, the fairy king, was
watching Helena chasing Demetrius in the woods. She was chasing Demetrius and
did not leave him alone although he spoke very cruelly to her. ?I love thee
not, therefore pursue me not?. So Oberon told Puck, his servant, to treat
Demetrius with the juice so that he will fall in love with Helena. ?A sweet
Athenian lady is in love with a disdainful youth. Anoint his eyes, but do it
when the next thing he espies may be the lady. Effect it with care, that he may
prove more fond on her than she upon her love?. However, while Lysander and
Hermia were asleep, Puck mistakenly applies the juice to Lysander?s eyes,
thinking he was Demetrius. ?Weeds of Athens he doth wear. This is he, my master
said?. Helena did no longer keep up
with Demetrius. Left behind, she saw Lysander lying on the ground and thought
he may be wounded or dead, so she woke him up. ?But who is here? Lysander, on
the ground, dead, or asleep? I see no blood, no wound. Lysander, if you live,
good sir awake?. The result of Puck?s mistake is that Lysander now falls madly
in love with Helena. Lysander leaves Hermia
asleep on the ground, saying that he hates her, and follows Helena. ?Not
Hermia, but Helena I love?. Hermia woke up from a nightmare in which a snake
was eating her heart. She was very anxious and hurt that Lysander has left her
without a word. ?Lysander! What, removed? Lysander, Lord! What, out of hearing,
gone? No sound, no word?? However, Lysander and Hermia know that they were lucky because Oberon
never thought of helping them, but he tried to help Helena and Demetrius to
love each other because he saw Helena chasing Demetrius where ever he went. So
he told Puck, his servant, to treat Demetrius with the juice so that when he
wakes up he will fall in love with Helena. Then Puck’s mistake appeared, but he
then solved it and both couples were both happy with the result. so this event
helped Lysander, because he thought that Hermia had to marry Demetrius, because
of her father, but the duke of Athens was also satisfied with the result. Demetrius and Helena – their obstacle
was also at the beginning of the story when Demetrius never loved Helena and
both men were fighting over Hermia. It was an obstacle when the Duke of Athens,
Theseus and Egeus, Hermia?s father, wanted Hermia to marry Demetrius and if she
doesn?t there will be a penalty of either to become a nun or be put to death.
?Demetrius my consent to marry her?. ??????????? Demetrius and Helena?s
other love obstacle was when Oberon told Puck to put the juice in Demetrius?
eyes, so that he will love Helena, who was chasing him in the woods. So Puck
goes and mistakenly applies the juice to Lysander?s eyes, thinking he was Demetrius.
?Weeds of Athens he doth wear. This is he, my mater said?. After he did so, Helena was
left behind and couldn?t keep up with Demetrius. She saw Lysander lying on the
ground and thought he may be wounded or dead. ?But who is here? Lysander, on
the ground, dead or asleep? I see no blood, no wound. Lysander, if you live,
good sir awake?. She tried waking him up and as he woke up the first creature
he saw was Helena. The result of Puck?s mistake is that Lysander now falls in
love with Helena instead of Demetrius loving Helena. Helena couldn?t believe it
and thought that it was done to make fun of her. Oberon was not pleased when he
realises that Puck has put the juice on the wrong lover?s eyes. ?What hast thou
done? Thou hast mistaken quite, and laid the love juice on some true-love?s
sight?. ??????????? Oberon sends Puck
again to bring Helena and apply the juice on Demetrius? eyes. ?About the wood
go swifter than the wind, and Helena of Athens look thou find?. Lysander was
still following Helena and was desperately trying to prove to Helena how much
he loves her and that he hates Hermia. ?Not Hermia, but Helena I love?. They
both argued so loudly that they woke Demetrius. The first creature Demetrius
saw was Helena. ??????????? Hermia came along
looking for Lysander. Helena still thinks they are all in a plot to make a fool
of her. Soon there was a four-sided quarreling going on. It became so seriuos
that Hermia tried to claw Helena?s face with her nails, and Lysander and Demetrius
go off to fight a duel over Helena. The two women, angry and hurt, go off in
different directions. Oberon did not allow a duel
to result from puck?s mistake and sends him to mislead the two men. He kept
them apart till they lie down to sleep. Soon Hermia and Helena separately find
the same spot in the dark and they too fall asleep.Oberon and Titania – their only
obstacle was over the Indian child. The fairy kingdom has been split by a
serious quarrel between Oberon and Titania over the ownership of the Indian
child. Oberon wanted the boy to be one of his pages and Titania refused to give
him up. ??????????? Oberon and Titania
meet, still quarrelling. ?Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania?. Titania claimed
that as a result of their dispute, the weather and seasons are all at odds and
humans are suffering. ?Therefore the winds, piping to us in vain, as in
revenge, have sucked up from the sea contagious fogs, which falling in the
land, hath every pelting river made so proud, that they have overborne their
continents?. She then explained why she wants to keep the child. ??????????? Oberon decided to
punish Titania and force her to part with the boy. He uses Puck to fetch the
magic flower. ??????????? Titania?s fairies
calmed her to sleep and set a guard, but because Oberon is invisible he is able
to squeeze the magic juice on Titania?s eyelids. Oberon applied the magic juice
on Titania?s eyelids and hopes that she would fall in love with a monster.
?What thou seest when thou dost wake, do it for thy love take, love and
languish for his sake. Be it ounce, or cat, or bear, pard, or boar with
bristled hair, in thy eye that shall appear when thou wakest, it is thy dear.
Wake when some vile thing is near?. ??????????? Without realizing it,
since Titania is invisible, the workmen were rehearsing near where she was
sleeping. This gave him an idea to help Oberon in his plans and placed an ass?s
head on Bottom who was waiting for his cue. When Bottom?s friends saw it they
ran off in terror and Puck lead them around the wood, taking on different
shapes. ?I?ll lead you about a round, through bog, through bush, through brake,
through briar. Sometimes a horse I?ll be, sometimes a hound, a hog, a headless
bear, sometimes a fire?. Bottom sang to show he was not afraid. This woke
Titania and the first human she saw was Bottom and so she fell in love with
him. ??????????? Puck told Oberon what
had happened to Titania and he was very pleased. Oberon watched the results of
his revenge on Titania while she slept with Bottom asleep in her arms. Titania
gave up the Indian child. Oberon the removed the magic with the antidote and
they were happy together again.Theseus and Hippolyta – there was no love
obstacle between these two but it was only their happy mood that was
interrupted by the rival of Egeus and his daughter Hermia, and the two men
Demetrius and Lysander, both of whom want to marry her. ?Stand forth,
Demetrius. My noble lord, this man hath my consent to marry her. Stand forth,
Lysander. And my gracious duke, this man hath bewitched the bosom of my child?. ??????????? It was interrupted
when Egeus complained to the Duke of Athens, that his daughter is refusing to
marry Demetrius, her father?s choice. Theseus told Hermia that she must either
obey her father and marry Demetrius or be put to death. He cannot make her change
her decision, and told her the penalty is either death or life in a convent. He
warned her that she will not be happy as a nun, and he gave her four days until
his own wedding to make her choice. ?Take time to pause, and, by the next new
moon, the sealing-day betwixt my love and me?. ??????????? On Midsummer Day,
Theseus, Hippolyta and Egeus were out early in the forest to celebrate
Midsummer Day and to go hunting. Theseus proudly shows off his hounds to his
fiancee. They suddenly saw the four lovers on the ground asleep, and woke them
up. ??????????? Egeus was furious when
he found out that Lysander and Hermia had planned to elope, but Demetrius
declared his love for Helena. So Theseus, realising that the couples are now
happily paired, and he decided that this is the right outcome. He announced
that all three couples shall be married at a triple ceremony.???????????