Diction In A Midsummer Night's Dream

Analysis of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

Understanding of love and true devotion is one of the most prevalent themes, if not the theme, in literature since the beginning of time. William Shakespeare often wrote of the implications of love and how truly foolish it can be. This is made most apparent in his work, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in which love is cast about from person to person by the power of a flower’s juice in the eyes of its victim. The scene in which both pairs of lovers reunite after having the love spell cast on them by Puck is one of the best displays of the transient and seemingly foolish nature of love through the use of clever syntax, diction, and vivid imagery for which Shakespeare is known.

In Scene II of Act III, Lysander

rushes after Helena to whom he has fallen deeply in love due to the juice of a flower struck by a stray arrow of Cupid and having said juice placed in his eyes by Puck, the fairy servant of the fairy king Oberon. Soon after their entrance, dramatic irony ensues as Lysander proclaims, “Demetrius loves [Hermia], and loves not you” only to awaken Demetrius whom too has fallen under Puck’s spell, declaring his nascent love for Helena. This irony displays the clever nature of the author, working to show how easily love can be bred and be taken for truth in the fool’s eye. Shakespeare then follows the irony of the embattlement of the young men’s new love for Helena with a juxtaposition of their very fervid love for her and her utter denouncement that any reality of this love could be true. This is potentially her first wise decision having before loved a man to whom clearly has denied all feelings for her despite their previous engagement, promising herself to be his spaniel, and following him into the woods at night to where he is following his hopeless love. Helena, however, sees the men’s love as a trick and a cruel play at her emotions. The juxtaposition of their love and her hate of what she once desired shows the fine line between love and hate. This theme is prevalent throughout the work in the relationship between Egeus and Hermia, father and daughter, yet a father who would rather see Hermia die than marry someone not of his choosing. The relationship of Oberon and Titania, the king and queen of the fairies, also mirrors this easy transience between love and hate as they dispute the custody of this young Indian boy, playing pranks and wishing humiliation on the other. Lysander goes so far as to state, “The hate I bear thee, [Hermia], made me leave thee so”. Hatred is as prevalent as love in this scene only to be switched again later. Shakespeare allows the reader to see the foolishness of this all with their own eyes by dramatizing the shift in affection between the lovers. The last bit of syntax of note in this ending part of the scene is the hypersensitivity with which Hermia is portrayed. She sees Lysander’s hate worse than death, which is literary irony as we can see the only other time death is mentioned in the play is when Egeus threatens Hermia with it in regards to her marriage. She has begotten death now in either path, only now she must live within her death to self. Her sensitivity progresses beyond the absurdity of her reaction to Lysander’s hate and pulls an insecurity with herself out of seemingly thin air. She accuses Helena of insulting her height by calling her a “puppet”, a term meant to show her mean spirited adherence to what Helena sees as a jest. Hermia continues to pull any word associated with size from Helena’s words as an insult to the point Helena concedes and purposefully calls Hermia little and Lysander calls her a dwarf. Shakespeare utilizes many varieties of syntax in his effort to show the absurdity of the situation: juxtaposition, irony, and parallelism of which were all masterfully crafted.
Shakespeare also chooses his diction quite carefully so that he may illustrate the youth’s raw emotions.

Shakespeare well utilizes the ambiguous meaning of words in his texts, this one included. Shakespeare shows the power associated with size and gives merit to Hermia’s concern, although ill founded. Hermia questions if Helena has “grown so high in [Lysander’s] esteem” as to forget their love entirely. The double meaning of growth is hidden within their banter, but also shows the importance that size really did have in how people were viewed in the era. Femininity was important, but power was also valued. That is something that one who deems themselves “dwarfish” cannot attain. The author proceeds to show “growth” of hatred and love throughout the passage such as how Lysander has “grown so rude”, yet also employs several instances of animal imagery. Lysander pits vitriol at Hermia, “Hang off, thou cat, thou burr! Vile thing, let loose, Or I will shake thee from me like a serpent!” The animal imagery distances Lysander from his recently loved enemy, Hermia, making her less and less in his eyes to the point that her love to him is like poison, urging “Thy love! Out, tawny Tartar, out! Out, loathed medicine! Hated potion, hence”. The animal imagery extends to the sisterly love Hermia and Helena once shared, “Both warbling of one song, both in one key” like that of song birds as that is how they find mates and as common warblers, life partners. Diction is used in the rhyme that prevails the piece when the lovers talk. The rhyme functions to keep the play light-hearted and interesting to the audience. Rhyme, however, is sacrificed in select portions to emphasize a point. Helena speaks in prose when she proclaims how close Hermia and herself once were, potentially showing how the loss thereof has caused the joy to also leave her life. Lysander speaks in prose for one line in the beginning of the interaction when he wishes to implore, “Demetrius loves [Hermia], and he

loves not [Helena].” This emphasizes the importance of this once fact, something that she needed to recognize. It was meant to be heard and not lost in rhyme as it had apparently been lost on her before. Shakespeare uses his words very carefully so his audience can recognize the true meaning and brilliance in his work.
Imagery reigns in this scene through the many comparisons made by each character. Lysander uses imagery to describe his love for Helena and his hatred of Hermia. Lysander’s first use of imagery occurs as he wishes Helena to recognize his “badge of faith” to prove his love to her true. Lysander also shows his love by saying, “Fair Helena, who more engilds the night
than all you fiery oes and eyes of light.” He maintains a very fiery use of imagery, one of power and strength. His faith takes the form of a badge, an object often won from battle, and compares Helena to the night with fire and light. He also shows hatred for Hermia in strength as he “will shake [Hermia] from [himself] like a serpent”. Helena, however, maintains a soft way about herself through her imagery, depicting her friendship with Hermia as “Like to a double cherry, seeming parted/But yet an union in partition/Two lovely berries moulded on one stem/
So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart.” She also recalls “All school-days' friendship, childhood innocence?/We, Hermia, like two artificial gods/Have with our needles created both one flower/Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion.” These are very feminine and dainty tasks and memories, very unlike that of Lysander. Hermia’s imagery is likened to that of a carnival or fancy, accusing Helena of thievery by calling her, “O me! you juggler! you canker-blossom! /You thief of love! what, have you come by night/And stolen my love's heart from him?” She also likens herself to a “painted maypole”. Lastly, Demetrius focuses imagery of beauty and positive things on Helena, however holds no particular theme, making comparisons, as “Crystal is muddy. O, how ripe in show/Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow!/That pure congealed white, high Taurus snow,/Fann'd with the eastern wind, turns to a crow/When thou hold'st up thy hand: O, let me kiss/This princess of pure white, this seal of bliss!” Imagery is used in varieties of ways in this seen with a variety of themes, yet all trace back to love and hate.
Shakespeare constructs a well-made piece to show the frivolity of love. Such wide comparisons with intense imagery can be evoked from but a drop of juice in one’s eye. Through the use of juxtaposition to show the similarity of love and hate and themes of speech such as animals or power, the reader is able to see that love is easily controlled if you have the will to question it and seize control for yourself.