"True Love Never Runs Smooth" in Midsummer Night’s Dream Essay Example

It should be known that love never runs smoothly. Along the road, there will be ups and downs. In a Midsummer Night’s Dream love never runs smoothly; for example, in Act 1 Scene 1, Egeus tells Hermia she must marry Demetrius, but she’s in love with Lysander. Meanwhile, a fourth character named Helena is in love with Demetrius. Three scenes that show “True Love Never Runs Smooth” are when Helena is pleading with her love for Demetrius. The love triangle between Hermia, Lysander, and Demetrius. When Lysander did not love Hermia after being put under a spell. Love was hard for Helena at the beginning of the play because the person she loved (Demetrius) did not love her back. Thus, the love triangle goes: Helena is in love with Demetrius, who is in love with Hermia, who is in love with Lysander.Lysander and Hermia experience numerous problems in their pursuit of love. Firstly, Hermia’s father Egeus does not desire her to marry Lysander but instead of her true love, she must marry Demetrius. After Hermia declines her father’s orders to marry Demetrius Egeus gives her an ultimatum; she either marries Demetrius, becomes a nun, or dies. To avoid the choices presented to her, Hermia decides to pursue true love and flees Athens with Lysander to his aunt’s house. Hermia tells Helena her plans and Helena tells Demetrius in hopes that he will change his mind and fall for her. Unfortunately for Helena, Demetrius chases after Hermia and is followed by Helena.  The four characters Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia, and Helena, are victims of Puck and Oberon’s game of love. Oberon and Puck's love game all begins when Oberon sees Demetrius being cruel to Helena as she swears her undying love to him. Oberon declares Demetrius will be the one to chase Helena before dawn. On the way to Lysanders aunts house, Lysander admits to Hermia he has forgotten the way and insists that they sleep in the forest until morning. Oberon orders Puck to seek a young Athenian man pursued by a lady, and puts the juice of the flower on the Athenian's eyes, so when he wakes, he will be in love with the lady. Puck finds Lysander and Hermia, assuming those were the young Athenians Oberon was talking about. Puck spreads the potion on Lysanders eyes and leaves. Helena sees Lysander sleeping and wakes him up; the potion takes effect, and Lysander falls in love with Helena. He declares Hermia is nothing to him, but Helena thinks Lysander is making fun of her, so she leaves angry.  Helena is intensely in love with Demetrius, who loves Hermia. Therefore, Helena is envious of Hermia’s looks, and she claims that she is as beautiful. “For she hath blessed and attractive eyes, /How came her eyes so bright…” (Act 2, Scene 2); this quote indicates Helena is jealous of Hermia. When Puck puts the spell on Lysander and Demetrius, Demetrius begins to show love and attention to Helena. While Lysander leaves and forgets about his beloved Hermia. Both Lysander and Demetrius are ready to kill each other in return for Helena’s love. In consideration of love, Helena and Hermia further scorn one another. When Hermia is in disbelief when Lysander mentions he no longer loves her, but he loves Helena. Hence, Hermia cannot believe that her childhood friend Helena, could be so foul of her. Even though Helena is furious as well, Helena does not believe that both Lysander and Demetrius love her.