In the play,Hermia and Helena are the main female protagonists and 2 of the four lovers. They have some similarities in their personalities as they are both girls that are headstrong people that want things to go their way and won’t give up until it happens. Even though it is inevitable that they share some common personality traits that are interchangeable between them,However, that is not true. While they both do some similar personalities,they actually have very different personalities.
Being two of the four lovers,they are obviously in love with someone in the play. However,what separates them is their desire to love someone or to be loved by someone. Hermia is in love with Lysander while Helena is
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Helena appears to be a more timid,quiet,low self-esteem,whinny and a girl with zero confidence. Hermia is the complete opposite of Helena because she is lough,arrogant,headstrong,bold and a girl with a lot of confidence. Hermia's personality traits are first shown in act 1 scene 1 when Theseus questions her obedience to her father and when he persuades her to think about Demetrius in which Hermia stands her ground and refuses to obey either her father or even the Duke of Athens Theseus. This shows the arrogant,bold side of Hermia as she won’t listen to the two men and is also taking a big risk just show she can be with Lysander. It can also be argued that Hermia displayed a lot of confidence in this scene, because back then where the plays time setting is supposed to take place,it took a lot of guts for people, especially women to argue and refuse to listen to the Duke back then. On the other hand, Helena has shown the opposite of each of these personalities that are possessed by Hermia. Helena is shown be a lot different because, during the first act and scene,she is shown to pout when Hermia calls her fair as a compliment and greeting.She is shown to have a low self-esteem by the fact that just because Demetrius likes Hermia more than her, she comes to the conclusion that she is inferior to the smaller girl. An example …show more content…
Some key differences is their how desperate they are for someone to love them,their personalities when they’re jealous,and their overall personalities to any individual.Hermia doesn’t feel the necessity for someone to love her the way Helena does. During some point in the story,the two of them felt jealous towards one another because of their crushes feeling towards the other person. Helena wasn't angry towards her friend or making insults to her, which was the complete opposite of Hermia who bashed out insults and started to feel angry towards Helena. Another difference between the two is they have some personality differences in their behavior to other people.Helena is bit more timid and shy,while Hermia is not shy,and bold. The differences between these set them apart and make them as 2 different individuals that play a key role in the drama in the play. They have similarities,but they are meant to be polar opposites to create an air of drama and themes about love to the
An important passion shown in this story is the passion of friendship from Helena. Lysander and demetrius were both deeply in love with Hermia, but suddenly they became slaves for Helena, under the spell of a love potion. This antagonises Helena and she blames it all on Hermia and her cruel joke. She says to Hermia, “The sisters’ vows, the hours that we have spent, when we have chid the hasty-footed time for parting us,-o is all forgot” (III.II.199-201)? Helena asks her if she has forgotten about their friendship, about the vows they took to be like sisters and never leave each other. This shows that although Hermia may have forgotten their friendship, Helena will always remember because friendship is really important to her. Friendship is a bond Helena feels really passionate about and takes very seriously. Another quote that shows Helena’s passion for friendship is “ Both warbling of one song, both in one key, as if our hands, our sides, voices and minds have been incorporated”(III. II. 207-208). This represents that Helena took their friendship sincerely and she believed in them and nothing could break their bond. Her last bit of her anger com...
Undermined by sexual attraction when we discover that Helena is in love with Demetrius, the suitor that Egeus has chosen for his daughter Hermia to marry. All these complexities of the love theme I will have to reveal both as a director and in the performance of the two young women, Hermia and Helena. Hermias’ costume is quite simplistic but very feminine. It is pink Elizabethan linen with purple lining and a gold rim at the bottom. It has puffy sleeves and it cuts across her shoulders with gold lace also around the rim.
The views on women in this play are shown through Hermia’s recklessness, Helena’s desperation, and Hippolyta’s hypocritical behavior. The women in this era of when Shakespeare wrote this play were subservient to men and had no will and choice of their own. This included marriages that were usually arranged by a powerful male relative instead of giving the woman the opportunity of choosing a husband that she loved. First, Helena was a woman who chased after men. She contradicts her gender by breaking society’s rules. Helena even says, “We cannot fight for love, as men may do; we should be woo’d and were not made to woo” (Rogers, 1998, Act 2, Scene 1, 241-242). Second, Hermia disobeys her father and cannot decide on marriage. She is disrespectful towards her father’s commands. Hermia goes on to say, “I do entreat your grace to pardon me. I know not by what power I am bold” (Rogers, 1998, Act 1, Scene 1, 58-59). Lastly, we have Hippolyta who pretends to love King Theseus and is a liar. She stands by through the oppression of different women in the play. Although, Hippolyta shows dominance in her words. “Four days will quickly steep themselves in night; four nights will quickly dream away time” (Rogers, 1998, Act 1, Scene 1, 6). We see the King’s impatience at having Hippolyta, but Hippolyta has the control and patience. “Hippolyta, I wooed thee with my sword, And won thy love,
There are many moments throughout the play where there are comparisons between Hermia's and Helena's appearances. Descriptions show that Hermia is the beautiful one out of the two. Having both
Four lovers each with his or her own challenge in love, Lysander and Hermia who love each other but may never be together, and Demetrius who loves Hermia and rejects Helena’s truthful devotion. Shakespeare’s writing style is the essence that brings forth the emotions within his works. Throughout a Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, commonplace literary devices are used to emphasize his style of writing. , Shakespeare depicts the theme of love’s difficulty, especially with the use of figurative language, such as metaphor and personification, to show that though complications arise in complex situations, the ability to overcome becomes the true meaning of love. wise
In act two scene two Lysander continues to insult Hermia. For example in the book it states “ Content with Hermia? No, I do repent…” (2.2.118-120). This shows that Lysander wants Helena’s love, but he is trying to hard to get it. In act three scene two Helena finds that both Lysander and Demetrius are “mocking” her. For example in the book it states “ ...I pray you,though you mock me, gentlemen.” (3.2.314). This shows that Helena doesn’t believe that Demetrius and Lysander “love” her. Oberon and Lysander find it impossible to control love.
Infatuation causes Helena to lose all sense of dignity, as can be seen when in the woods, she desperately pleads with Demetrius to ?but treat me as your spaniel?. Here, Helena also becomes irrational, obsessed with pursuing Demetrius, though it is obvious that Demetrius is fixated on winning Hermia?s hand in marriage. Helena?s infatuation also causes her to see things from a skewed perspective, for she falsely believes that when she divulges Hermia?s plans for eloping with Lysander, Demetrius? love for Helena will rekindle. As the audience, we know that the most probable course of action for Demetrius upon hearing such news is to pursue Lysander and Hermia, or to report them to Theseus or Egeus. Clearly, infatuation has clouded Helena?s ability to think clearly, and she sees things in her own idealistic way.
Despite the fact that all the difficulties lovers face, eventually everyone gets along and they get their loves and problems seems to be fixed at least for the time being. The Duke finally supports Lysander and Hermia's marriage and Helena gladly accepts Demetrious although she is skeptical of his unexpected change in his behavior. The Duke changing his mind over Lysander and Helena's love and deciding not to enforce the Athenian rule that requires him to support Hermia’s father’s poition. Even after the opposition from Hermia’s father he allows to Lysander to marry Hermia in his own wedding day along with Demetrious and Helena. The story gets a happy ending unlike many of the Shakespeare work such as Romeo and Juliet. Although the characters journey to their love were full of challenges, ultimately they are victorious in achieving their love.
Hermia is in love with Lysander, however her father does not care. He wants her to marry Demetrius and at the beginning of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream it seems as though he is never going to change his mind and allow his daughter to choose the person she wants to spend the rest of her life with. As her father it is his right to choose whom she marries, and if he does not find a suitable suitor he is the one that will be taking care of his daughter for the rest of his life, and she would then become the responsibility of another male relative, until they either find a suitor for her, or she dies. The entire premise of this Shakespearian comedy revolves around Hermia and her love for a man her father does not approve of, and the fact
Helena was the younger sister of Hermia. It often bothered her that her sister got all the attention, and she even want it. Helena was madly in love with Demetrius, However Demetrius was arranged to marry Hermia. Helena truly believe she was not good enough, and could not understand why Demetrius did now want
During much of the play, Helena relentlessly chases Demetrius, giving him love no matter how many times he spurns her. While in pursuit of him in the woods, where he tells her that he will never reciprocate her feelings, she tells him, “I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius,/The more you beat me, I will fawn on you” (II.i.203-204). She is so desperate to win him over that she lowers her own status, calling herself his dog; no matter how many times he may abuse her, she will always adore him. Out of love, Helena is willing to swallow her pride to prove her devotion to him. More evidence of Helena’s blind love towards Demetrius can be found in her overlooking the flaws in Demetrius’ character. For example, he proves himself to be quite insensitive towards Helena: when they are in the woods, he says he will “leave [her] to the mercy of the wild beasts” (II.i.228) if she doesn’t stop following him. He also says to her, “…I am sick when I do look on thee” (II.i.212). Lastly, he threatens her, saying “…if thou follow me, do not believe/But I shall do thee mischief in the wood” (II.i.237). Helena acknowledges this aspect of his character, though choos...
Due to this, Helena easily gives up her friends in their times of need. Helena mentions, “I will go tell [Demetrius] of fair Hermia’s flight” (1.1.252). Rather than letting her friends be happy, Helena wants Demetrius to trust her. Thus, she is willing to give up her friends because she is selfish. Because of this, Helena also spends less time focusing on her relationship and spends more time on other’s relationships. She outs Lysander and Hermia and tries to ruin their relationship instead of trying to improve her relationship with Demetrius. Helena says, “Pursue her. And, for this intelligence/If I have thanks, it is a dear expense./But herein mean I to enrich my pain,/To have his sight thither and back again” (1.1.254-257). Helena should be focusing on her own problems and her own relationship with Demetrius instead of hurting her friends. Helena just wants what Hermia has because she is selfish. Lastly, Helena runs away from her problems. When she finds that both Demetrius and Lysander love her she believes they are mocking her. She cries to them, “You are both rivals and love Hermia, And now both rivals to mock Helena” (3.2.158-159). When Helena finally has love she is too blinded to see it. She cannot believe that two men would truly love her, so she runs away. Hence, Helena is incapable of making reasonable decisions because of her
The relationship between Demetrius and Hermia is problematic, in that Demetrius is seeking the affections of Hermia, while she is in love with Lysander. However, Hermia’s father approves of Demetrius and tries to force her to marry him, but Hermia refuses because of her love for Lysander (A Midsummer Night’s Dream 1.1.22-82). Lysander points out the flaw in the situation through this comment, “You have her father 's love, Demetrius –/Let me have Hermia 's. Do you marry him,” (A Midsummer Night’s Dream 1.1.93-94). The second flawed relationship is between Lysander and Helena, as a result of an enchantment put on Lysander that made him fall in love with Helena. Helena does not want the affections of Lysander, but rather the love of Demetrius, and believes that Lysander is taunting her. In addition, this relationship creates tensions because Hermia is in love with Lysander (A Midsummer Night’s Dream 2.2.109-140). Both relationships are not desirable due to a lack of mutual admiration and the creation of non-peaceful and unsatisfying
To some people, Helena and Hermia became the same person, saying the same things, thinking the same thoughts and having the same morals and principles.
Demetrius, Helena, Lysander, and Hermia are the for young teens of the story. At the beginning of the play it is Lysander and Helena who are madly in love, and are planning to to escape from Athens to elope. Helena is in love with Demetrius, and Demetrius cared for Helena and liked her a lot but was not in love with her. As soon as Demetrius sees Hermia he immediately stops having any feelings for Helena whatsoever and is deeply in love with Hermia. Demetrius thought that he had fallen in love at first sight, but Helena was determined to show him differently. Demetrius: ³ Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit,/ For I am sick when I do look on thee.² Helena: ³And I am sick when I look not on you.² (Act II, sc. i, lines 218-220) This piece of dialogue shows how much Demetrius is now in love with Hermia from just seeing her, and how disgusted he feels when he looks upon Helena who he used to care about. Helena is simply just expressing how much she is love with Demetrius and how bad she feels that he is treating her in such a manner of hatred.