A. Hall
A. Casey
ENG 1010
January 17, 2015 The similarities and differences of Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius, and Helena relationships

Relationships are hard. Many people go about life with hopes of one day finding true love. Then there are others who are compelled to love a person although the person they love does not share the same love interest. In some cultures relationships are arrange amongst parents while other cultures leave love to the free will of the individuals in love. In Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream the readers are introduce to two couples who share some of these similarities and quite a few differences. While many people misinterpret lust as love, love is an act of free will because love cannot be forced, in order for love to prosper there has to be a mutual affection between two people, and thus concluding that love is more powerful force than lust. The play A Midsummer Night’s Dream takes place in Athens under an Athenian society. In Athenian culture, the law of a father holds that a father has control to choose his daughter’s perspective suitor. This portrays in the start of the play with Egeus and his daughter Hermia. Egeus files a complaint against his daughter Hermia with the king of Athens, Theseus. Full of vexation come I, with complaint/ Against my child, my daughter Hermia. I beg the ancient privilege of Athens: / As she is mine, I may dispose of her, / Which shall be either to this gentleman/ Or to her death, according to our law
(1.1.21-22, 41-43).
Egeus filled with anger and discontentment in his daughter’s choice to seek a loving relationship with Lysander since he has chosen Demetrius to be her suitor. The similarity in this instance is the love shared for Hermia, from both Lysander and Demetrius. However, the difference in this situation is the love with Lysander reciprocates mutually