How Does Shakespeare Use Repetition In A Midsummer Night's Dream

In Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream, each character has their own take on a persuasive argument. Helena uses many insults and sarcasm, in contrast with Hermia's use of pronouns and repetition of the last thing said. Demetrius and Lysander take a more love driven approach and use much more beautiful pathos until the end of the passage. Much happens within this cut portion of text, and it contains quite the persuasive arsenal.

Lysander uses emotive language as a primary technique of persuasion. We can see this when Lysander says, “Lysander's love, that would not let him bide”. Lysander dramatizes his love for Helena. He does this multiple times in the scene. For example, when Lysander says, “Helena, I love thee; by my life, I do”

he obviously is being dramatic. Lysander is also using emotive language when he calls Hermia a vile serpent. His emotive language is a very effective technique at persuading the audience that he has undergone a change of Heart.

Helena’s word choice clearly shows her distaste towards of Hermia, Lysander, and Demetrius.

Although it must be noted that her persuasive language does make a significant appearance in her lines. In particular her sarcasm and insulting capability become well known in the passage of text. When she says, “O excellent!;” you can practically hear the sarcasm dripping off of it. Her insults are ones to be aware of, she attacks Hermia’s stature as a woman of high society as well as her height many a times. Upon calling Hermia a “counterfeit” and “puppet,” her immediate reaction is that of anger and false realization that Helena’s height is why the men lover her so while Hermia is

small.

The word choice that was issued in Demetrius’s lines shows his passion for Helena over his odium about Hermia. In many lines the persuasive language is very apparent throughout many of his lines shows he uses pathos to convey his love for Helena. In the second time he appears, he says that his love for Hermia has truly dissolved and says if he ever did love “her”-(Shakespeare). This pronoun he uses is directing obviously towards Hermia, saying he has someone else on his mind. The later in the text he fights over Helena with Lysander and Demetrius says he is better by using the words “more than he”-(Shakespeare). In the text he uses these words to convey to Helena that he would be better than Lysander.

The persuasive techniques of Hermia are quite evident of ones used by an individual in an argument.

In the beginning of the act, Hermia only appears to be mildly upset with Lysander for leaving her. Simply calling him out for what he had done, saying “Why unkindly didst thou leave me so?”. As a scene goes on and the argument progresses Hermia begins to use pronouns in her argument, such as “I scorn you not, it seems you scorn me”. However towards the end of the argument things really start to get heated. She uses insults, like calling Lysander a “Juggler” or using repetition, like when Helena calls Hermia a puppet, which causes Hermia to respond with “Puppet, why so..” All of these persuasive methods can allow us to view what is going on inside of the mind of Hernia, she is pissed off. These methods of name calling, repetition, and use of pronouns would typically be used in an argument, such as this

one.

Ultimately, each character had their own take on how to be persuasive with in an argument. The usage of methods ranging from exaggerated pronouns, sarcasm, and emotive language. All of which can be found in an everyday argument. Or the one that took place in this scene, and let’s be honest. Arguments happen all the time, weather it be political or Demetrius stealing your girl, you gotta be ready.