"A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare frequently explores the complex types of love. Love is timeless subject. It will forever be the theme of much popular entertainment and the source of conflict for many men and women. No one understands the theme of love greater than Shakespeare and therefore I will look at how conflict is developed through love in "Midsummer Night's Dream"
At the start of the play, Shakespeare explores the theme of love through the characters Theseus and Hippolyta. Theseus seduces Hippolyta. "I wound you with my sword and one by love" The quote shows the conflict caused by love between Theseus and Hippolyta in form of a battle. Shakespeare's purpose was to introduce the idea that love involves conflict through this scene. The audience begins to engage with the theme of love as it creates crises to the plot.
This idea that love involves conflict is developed when Hermia and Lycander are bought in front of Theseus.
English: "Midsummer Nights Dream Act IV Scene I--A...
Washington Allston's 1818 painting Hermia and Hele...
William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Fi...Hermia wishes to marry her romantic love Lysander but her father Igneus has power over her as by law and paternal love. Shakespeare presents for us the conflict between eternal and romantic love. "The course of true love never went so smooth"-Lysander. This quote proves that love brings hard times and conflicts during its timeless life. The audience develops the theme of love and the conflict that can be caused by inter-relation of love.
The conflict between relations of love is developed further as Helena's love for Demetrius is not returned to her but to her best friend Hermia. Shakespeare shows how the platonic love between Helena and Hermia suffers due to Helena's obsessive love towards Lysander and Hermia's romantic love for Lysander.
"Sickness is catching, yours would I catch!"-Helena to Hermia. The effect of this is...