Based on an individual’s characteristics, a lot can be distinguished. Some people possess good characteristics, however the bad ones are more prominent (bad characteristics include: envious, jealous, etc.). A final judgement on a person can be made by what characteristics they portray. In the comedic play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” written by Shakespeare, one of the main characters Helena also portrayed many characteristics. Although she possessed good qualities, the bad ones were more distinct. Throughout the events in the play, Helena’s qualities took a negative toll. In the play, Helena acted as a symbol of insecurity, in which she was presented as deceitful, desperate, and foolish.
To commence, Helena was a part of many plot complications
…show more content…
in the play. In which her real qualities were identified. Helena strongly portrayed herself as a deceitful individual. Directly stated from the play, Helena was trusted with a plan no one else knew but her, Lysander, and Hermia. The two lovers, Lysander and Hermia told Helena their plan on how they were going to elope to the magical forest and eventually get married. But, Helena shattered their trust and told Demetrius. “I will go tell him of fair Hermia’s flight/Then to the wood will he tomorrow night/Pursue her. And for this intelligence/If I have thanks, it is a dear expense” (1.1.246-249) remarked Helena. In the quote stated, Helena plans on telling Demetrius about the plan of the two lovers. She assumes that if she tells Demetrius about this plan, he will thank her and would not mind her company anymore. There are many people who will create obstacles for others to achieve their desired needs. Desperateness, is a characteristic that no one should possess. It creates trouble all around. Furthermore, Helena projected the trait of desperate throughout the events in the play. Helena was ready to go through both physical and mental torture to be one with Demetrius. Demetrius had directed many cruel phrases towards Helena. However, Helena was determined to blindly go through any obstacle that came between her and her love. The lover of Hermia, Demetrius, stressed to Helena that he had no feelings towards her, but Helena did not care. Demetrius, with his atrocious mentality had directed to Helena, “If thou follow me, do not believe/But I shall do thee mischief in the wood” (2.1.236-237). Ay, in the temple, in the town, the field, you do me mischief. ………………………………………………………………. I’ll follow thee and make a heaven of hell, to die upon the hand I love so well.
(2.1.238-239, 243-244) This clearly proves that Helena was threatened by her “love” Demetrius and her being desperate had gotten the best of her. She was told that if she keeps irritating, the result will end in her getting sexually assaulted. Nonetheless, Helena’s desperateness took a negative toll. As long as Helena had Demetrius’s presence, she didn’t care about the atrocious remarks Demetrius had said. Based on the behaviour of Helena, the quote “love is blind” can accurately be used to describe her love. People will mistake the meaning of true love for lust. Finding true love can sometimes be very difficult. Foolishness is a trait that either entertains or aggravates. Acting foolish can get you stuck in a bad …show more content…
situation. In addition, there were numerous characteristics that defined Helena. She was obsessed, desperate, deceitful, etc. But, the one characteristic that was striking was foolish. During the time of the renaissance, the women were not permitted to marry men of their liking. The women had to wait for the men to come after them. After all of this, the marriage was not possible without the consent of the two households. The daughter had to be married to the person of the fathers choosing. In the play Helena had neglected the rules that were set for years. Instead of Demetrius trying to obtain Helena’s love, it was the complete opposite. The Athenian girl had no consent of going after Demetrius. But, she did what she wanted. Despite knowing the fact Demetrius admirers another, she was foolish enough to go after him. “I love thee not, therefore pursue me not” (2.1.188). This clearly justifies that Demetrius despises Helena’s presence. However, Helena blindly ignoring the fact her presence is not wanted, foolishly followed Demetrius throughout the play. She wanted to express her feelings towards Demetrius despite knowing the situation. To conclude, in the play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Helena was seen to be untrustworthy, desperate, and unreasonable.
How Helena is portrayed in the play, many people are like that in reality. Numerous amounts of people will do anything to achieve their goals. Shakespeare implied the character of Helena to real life. He wanted to express that characteristics often define a person. Many individuals will see the down fall of others. With distinguishing a person’s characteristics and needs, you can effortlessly draw a conclusion on how that person is as a human. All in all, without determining a individuals characteristics, the relationship is prone to end very
quickly.
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.
Demetrius is a fool because he is unaware that his love changes through out the play. We learn from Demetrius that he has loved Helena before bestowing his affections on Hermia ( 1.1 106-107 , 242-243 ). It is not for nothing that he is termed “spotted and inconstant man'; ( 1.1 110 ). Athough at the start of the play Demetrius no longer loves Helena. ( 2.1 195 ) Demetrius says, “I love thee not , therefore pursue me not.'; ( 2.1 201 ) “Hence , get thee gone , and follow me no more.'; In Act 3 Scene 2 , Demetrius after being juiced begins to love Helena. ( 3.2 172-176 ) Demetrius says , “Lysander , keep thy Hermia; I will none. If e’er I loved her , all that love is gone. My heart to her but as guest – wise sojourned , And not to helen is it home returned , there to reamain.'; This proves how fickle he is , for he is not aware of his changing love once for Helena then for Hermia then returning to Helena with the help of the mystical father Oberon.
William Shakespeare’s plays included different characters and different methods of characterization. The two plays that will be compared and contrasted are William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and Hamlet. As for the characters from each play, Beatrice, Benedict, Don John, Don Pedro, Claudio, and Hero will be assessed from Much Ado About Nothing and from Hamlet, Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, Polonius, Laertes, and Ophelia. The importance of the above characters from each play is that they serve as the basis for identifying characteristics.
Shakespeare’s plays show the complexity of human beings. Everyone is different in reactions, actions, and thought. Shakespeare explores various themes throughout his writing career. Each play is unique, and their themes are handled in a very distinct way as Shakespeare writes each work with great care. Two major themes are appearance versus reality and relationship between motive and will; Othello, Hamlet, and Henry IV, Part 1 all portray these two themes in similar and different ways.
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.
An understanding of William Shakespeare’s philosophies reinforces the meaning of the human condition found in the play Hamlet. The revenge tragedy is an example in the exploration of good versus evil, deceit, madness, inter-turmoil, and utter existence. Shakespeare, fascinated by the human mind and human nature, clearly and completely illustrates the meaning of “self.” Hamlet is a drama that examines one’s personal identity. From the beginning of the story atop the castle when the guards enter the platform to the conclusion of the performance as Hamlet lies, dying in Horatio’s arms every characters’ psychological type is
Transparent Helena! Nature shows art, That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart."(2.2.103). This is what Demetrius says to Helena when he sees her. He has fallen in love with her. This is where the comedy of this love mix up begins.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare, is a play that illustrates a good picture of woman’s lack of freedom. It is a story of several couples, among which there is a fairy king, Oberon, who proves his sovereignty over the queen of the fairies, Titania. The two have an ongoing conflict about who should keep the Indian boy, whose mother had recently died. Titania doesn’t want to give him up because she and the boy’s mother knew each other very good; whereas Oberon has no relations to the boy, but really wants him as a servant. Ultimately, Oberon wins the boy by using a trick of his on Titania, revealing her weakness. Shakespeare uses Oberon to show this power of man over woman and to expose woman’s unheard, meaningless, and feeble opinions through Titania. In several scenes throughout the play, the female character, Titania, struggles to do as she desires; however, Oberon takes things under his control and helps to portray the female as weaker than the male.
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
She thinks it is a cruel joke and tells him to stop abusing her. Helena says, "Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born? When at your hands did I deserve this scorn? Is't not enough, is't not enough, young man, that I did never, no, nor never can, deserve a sweet look from Demetrius' eye, but you must flout my insufficiency? Good troth, you do me wrong, good sooth, you do, in such disdainful manner me to good.
Therefore, through these visually descriptive and figurative languages, readers can identify characteristics of these central characters. Firstly, Hamlet’s characteristics are revealed through imagery in his speech. Secondly, Claudius’ characteristics are revealed through the imagery in the Ghost and Hamlet’s descriptions of him. Thus, Shakespeare effectively uses imagery to characterize these central characters.
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...
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.
[Intro, thesis, 3 aspects,] Appearance is how someone is viewed on the outside, almost jumping to conclusions similar to stereotypes, whereas reality is who that person truly is. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet appearances versus reality is a common occurrence for example Gertrude questioning Hamlet “if it be, / Why seems it so particular with thee?” (1.2.74-75). Hamlet responds with “Seems, madam! Nay, it is; I know not ‘seems.’” (1.2.75). [explain] The thing that remains unchanged throughout the play is appearance versus reality. The main characters introduced to us throughout the play appear to be honorable and relatable, but in reality, they are disguising their plan. They deceitfully hide behind a mask of integrity. There are three main characters which have their appearances disguising their realities with honorability or blamelessness Hamlet, Claudius the king and Hamlets
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