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Analysis Of A Midsummer Night's Dream

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Shakespeare’s comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream has many different plotlines and characters. One of these plotlines is the story of the four lovers which involves Helena. She is clearly envious of her best friend Hermia which results in many different catastrophes throughout the play. Helena proves to be a jealous friend when she asks Hermia how she stole Demetrius’ heart, when she tells Demetrius about Hermia and Lysander’s plan to run away, and when she accuses Hermia of making the two men pretend to fall in love with her. The first we see of Helena is in Act One Scene 1 in The Palace of Theseus. Helena is first seen to be jealous of Hermia when she asks her how she stole Demetrius’ heart. In the play, Hermia is set to marry Demetrius but refuses …show more content…
That fair again unsay.” Demetrius loves you fair. O happy fair! Your eyes are lodestars, and your tongue’s sweet air More tunable than lark to shepherd’s ear, When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear. Sickness is catching. O were favour so, Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go. My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye, My tongue should catch your tongue’s sweet melody. The rest I’d give to be you translated. O, teach me how you look, and with what art You sway the motion of Demetrius’ heart.” (1.1.184-196)
The first mistake that is made in the play soon follows this when Hermia and Lysander tell Helena about their plan to run away. Helena’s next act of jealousy is when she plots to tell Demetrius about Hermia and Lysander’s plan to run away. Just after Helena asks Hermia how she stole Demetrius’ heart, Hermia tells her that he will no longer see her face because she and Lysander are leaving. Once the two exit, Helena plots to tell Demetrius. She is delusional and thinks that if she tells him, he will somehow fall in love with her out of gratitude. “…I will go tell him of fair Hermia’s flight. Then to the wood will he tomorrow night Pursue her. And for this

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