Love and Desire in A Midsummer Night’s Dream :: Midsummer Nights Dream

Love and Desire in A Midsummer Nights intake Some of the most prominent themes in A Midsummer Nights Dream are the omnipresence of love and desire and the tendencies of characters to manifest their delimitate traits. Helena and Hermia are two perfect examples of this. Hermia is the lover, and Helena the desirer, and both thrive off of their obsessions. In fact, both women are so tied to these traits that when they are taken away, their characters deflate and fall static. From the beginning, Hermia defiantly denies her fathers attempts at an arranged marriage, in favor of her whirlwind romance with and marriage to Lysander. In her defense, she uses words of chastity and incorrupt sinlessness to claim her fidelity and love towards Lysander and inability to wed Demetrius I know not by what power I am made blustering / nor how it may concern my modesty (pp). The concern, or befitting, of Hermias modesty, by not wedding Demetrius, is protecting the very essence of her womanhood from someone whom she feels isnt price of the ultimate consummation of love marriage (and the subsequent sex). This is continued in her next dialogue, where Hermia states that she would rather die quote (pp) or become a nun buoy than give up her virgin privilege quote (pp). Hermias claims of privilege and sovereignty validate her chastity and moral purity as something that should only be shared with Lysander, not Demetrius. However, the sovereignty of Hermias claims also fits in with Demetrius arguments regarding his rights to Hermias hand in marriage quote (pp). Demetrius use of sovereignty and right turns the vatic love of Hermia and Demetrius arranged marriage into a legal contract, where Hermia is property and social placeholder instead of a loving companion. Lysander pitches in to support Hermias claims of purity Demetrius, Ill avouch it to his head.. quote (pp). Here, Lysander claims that Demetrius slept with Helena and is therefore a spoiled and inconstant man quote (pp). OED. EDITORS gloss spotted as morally stain quote (pp). The Oxford English Dictionary also defines spotted as something disgraceful. This only emphasizes the uncouth premarital and in Hermias line of logic, immoral relationship amid Demetrius and Hermia. This moral impurity is a compromise to Hermias chastity and perpetuates her commitment to love that is already evident in this passage.Another instance of Hermias dedication to her chastity and purity as a demonstration of comes in II.