Different Types Of Love In A Midsummer Night's Dream

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When you think of love, do you think of many types or just one? In literature love is expressed in a variety of ways. In the story Midsummer Night’s Dream the author William Shakespeare uses many types of love. Usually everyone automatically comes to the conclusion that there is only romantic love. Love can be portrayed in a variety of ways, in this play Shakespeare expressed it in parental, romantic, and friendship love.

One type of love Shakespeare uses is the most widely known – romantic love. Lysander is in love with Hermia and proves it as he says, “My love is more than his. My fortunes every way as a fairly ranked, (if not with vantage) as Demetrius’. And – which is more than all these boasts can be – I am beloved of beauteous Hermia” …show more content…

Egeus is a very protective father as he demands, “He hath my love… And she is mine, and all my right of her I do estate unto Demetrius” (Shakespeare 1.1 96-98). Egues loves his daughter so he tries to pick the man he believes is good for her. Being a protective parent and caring for their son and/or daughter is a very big characteristic of parental love. Titania is not the actual mother of the Indian boy, but she is in charge and is the closest thing to the boy's mother that is living. Titania shows parental love as she says, “But she, being mortal, of that boy did die. And for her sake do I rear up her boy, and for her sake i will not part with him” (Shakespeare 2.1 121-123). Oberon is trying to take the boy from Titania, but Titania loves the boy and will not give him up. The Indian boy does not have a mother, so Titania makes herself the parental figure and takes charge of the boy by not giving him up. Another example of parental love also involves Titania as she explains, “ Set your heart at rest. The Fairyland buys not the child of me” (Shakespeare 2.1 106-107). Titania will not trade the boy for anything, not even the Fairyland which is a big deal. She is determined to keep this boy because she loves him, and is the parental

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