Control In A Midsummer's Night Dream

A Midsummer’s Night Dream by William Shakespeare is a dreamy, romantic comedy. The way love is portrayed varies depending on what type of characters are looked at. In terms of the young lovers, Lysander and Hermia, their love is very pure, and matter-of-fact. They are in love by default of their character, rather than what the audience sees from them. They are in love simply because that is ingrained into their characters. Oberon and Titania’s love is built more on the basis of control. They play games with each other, trying to get the upper hand in the relationship. In the end, one being in control is more attractive to Oberon than the actual connection between the people in the relationship. This is what draws him to Helena. The love between

Helena and Demetrius is incredibly superficial and naive. Helena is more obsessed with Demetrius than truly in love with him, and there does not seem to be much basis for her infatuation. In the process of loving Demetrius, she deprecates her own character. Oberon appreciates the devotion Helena has for Demetrius and wishes Titania had her qualities, so he pities her, and assists with her conquest of Demetrius. However, his process takes Demetrius’s will away, much like how he sought to humiliate Titania. This is more similar to rape than love. Although the happy ending is with Helena and Demetrius together, their relationship is more similar to that of Bottom and Titania than Hermia and Lysander, which is what the audience is supposed to infer by their placement in the story. The characters of Helena and Oberon parallel each other throughout the play.
Oberon seeks to humiliate Titania because she will not surrender the Indian boy to him, who he wishes to make his page. His plan to humiliate is to make her fall in love with someone unordinary, or animalistic (2.1 180-182). Very quickly after deciding to use the love potion on Titania, he decides to help Helena, as well. He sees it as sympathy, as she is “a sweet Athenian lady [who] is in love” (2.1 260-263). There is no reason that a young man should not fall in love with a nice young woman. In this context, putting Demetrius under a spell is only a way to accelerate the inevitable. However, enchanting Demetrius to love Helena, with the way Helena views herself, is more similar to the humiliation of Titania. Helena calls herself “as ugly as a bear” (2.1 100) and claims “beasts that meet [her] run away for fear” (2.1 101). Whether or not she is actually as unattractive as she believes herself to be, Helena is more similar to Bottom than Hermia. If Titania being in love with Bottom is humiliation, Demetrius being in love with Helena is more of a long-con, rather than true love. If Demetrius were to fall out of the spell, there is no telling that he would actually love Helena. The way he treats Helena pre-love spell is similar to how Titania speaks of Bottom post-love spell. Demetrius states that he is “sick when [he] [does] look on [Helena]” (2.1 212), and Titania says that she “loathe[s] [Bottom’s] visage now” (4.1 76), so it would make more sense that he would react the same at the end as he did in the beginning. His reaction may even be worse, as he did not want Helena before the love spell--Titania did not know Bottom prior to becoming infatuated with him, but she knew when it was over that she did not want him. The spell did not have lingering effects. If Demetrius were to awake from the spell, he would most likely feel the same way about Helena, or worse.
Oberon assists Helena because he sees an opportunity to build a relationship that echoes what he wishes for in his own.

Helena’s doting, obsessive behavior should be rewarded, since most women do not behave that way, as Helena says (2.1 241). Since Oberon appreciates Helena, he meddles in a way that puts her in control of her peers, whether she wants it or not. Once Demetrius is put under the spell, their roles are swapped--he becomes the complimentary, infatuated, fool, and she the [confused person who receives that attention]. When Demetrius and Lysander drown her in praise, Helena believes they are mocking her (3.2 150-151). However, she now has the upperhand--they both desire her, and if she wishes, she can choose between the two. Before, both men desired Hermia, and she was left helpless and hopeless. Now, with the help of Oberon, she is in control--which is the outcome that he desires for himself by putting Titania under the love spell. She has the power of the men, and she also has the power over Hermia. In the first act, Helena is like holy shit Hermia you’re SO cool like teach me to be like you!!! (1.1 195-197). However, later, Hermia asks “[w]hat love could press Lysander from my side?” (3.2 182). This echoes Helena’s confusion to why Demetrius would not love her. Hermia has now taken on the role Helena occupied at the beginning of the

play.