Shakespeare’s “Midsummer’s Night Dream” is a story about the complex relationships between people. Moreover, in this story, the author shows the sophisticated love and challenges one has to face to finally be with their loved ones. The couples Shapespear depicts are Hermia and Lysander and Demetrius and Helena. When portraying relationships in the “Midsummer’s Night Dream,” Shakespeare shows that love can be challenging to pursue.
The central theme of this play is the love and disparities caused by this feeling. As Lysander states, “the course of true love never did run smooth” (Shakespeare, 1959, p. 134). For example, the love triangle between Hermia, Demetrius, and Lysander is one example of how Shakespear portrays relationships. Hermia is in love with Lysander, but her father wants her to marry Demetrius. The Athenian law allows Egeus, the ruler, to choose whom Hermia should marry. Here, her choice and feelings are not as relevant, and the relationships between people are regulated by motives other than emotions. The relationships between couples are further complicated by the fact that Helena loves Demetrius, who hates her. Thus, in this play, two men, Lysander and Demetrius, have feelings for Hermia, while Helena’s feelings are rejected. In the end, the couples are allowed to marry their loved ones.
Overall, in “Midsummer’s Night Dream,” Shakespeare reveals the theme of relationships in a couple. The play’s main motive is love and inequality in love, which causes people to face difficulties. In the play, Shakespear shows complex relationships between couples, where Hermia is forced to marry someone she does not love and Helena struggling because she is in love with Demetrius., who does not love her.
Reference
Shakespeare, W. (1959). A midsummer night’s dream. Penguin Books.