Love is a significant theme in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and drives the actions of the characters in the play, especially the four Athenian lovers.
“Ay me! For aught that I could ever read,
Could ever hear by tale or history,
The course of true love never did run smooth …”
– Lysander, Act 1, Scene 1
Meaning and context
- Lysander and Hermia have been informed by the Duke of Athens that they cannot marry:
- Hermia’s father, Egeus, objects to the marriage and wants his daughter to marry Demetrius
- The Duke tells Hermia that either she must marry Demetrius or she must face the consequences of her disobedience
Analysis
- Lysander’s statement, now a famous proverb, is a reflection of the inherent challenges of love:
- He expresses frustration and sorrow when he exclaims “Ay me!”, hinting at the depth of his love for Hermia
- By using metaphoric language, when he compares love with the “course” of a running river, he suggests that love is often associated with obstacles and complications
- The choice of the word “smooth” contrasts with the disruption to their relationship
- By commenting on the universality of their experience, that love “never” runs smoothly in “tales or history”, he appeals to the compassion and empathy of the audience and other characters; the challenges of love are not unique
- Lysander’s words foreshadow the complications and misunderstandings that will unfold in the play:
- This prepares the audience for the twists in the romantic relationships of the central characters
- Lysander’s acknowledgement of the challenges of love reveals his understanding of how complex love can be:
- This sets him apart from other characters, who may have more naive views about love, such as Helena
- This quote aligns with one of the play’s most important themes, which is the unpredictable nature of love:
- It reinforces the idea that love is subject to external influences and internal conflicts
“And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays” – Bottom, Act 3, Scene 1
Meaning and context
- Bottom’s head has been transformed into a donkey’s and Queen Titania has fallen in love with him, falling under the spell of Oberon’s potion
- Queen Titania declares her love for him and Bottom does not understand:
- By stating that reason and love have little to do with each other, he implies that love can be illogical
Analysis
- By using personification, Bottom’s statement highlights a disconnect between reason and love in the play:
- The phrase suggests that, in Bottom’s view, rational thinking and love have become estranged and are not often found together
- There is some irony to Bottom’s wise statement as he is not a character who is known for his intelligence, as he states later in the scene (and he is transformed into an ass)
- Bottom’s remark might reflect broader cultural attitudes during Shakespeare’s time:
- It may be a commentary on the popular view that love is often irrational and uncontrollable
- The quote reflects the tension between reason and emotion, which is a theme that resonates throughout the play
“Jack shall have Jill,
Naught shall go ill
The man shall have his mare again,
and all shall be well”
– Puck, Act 3, Scene 2
Meaning and context
- Puck says this after he places the potion on Lysander’s eyelids to lift the enchantment
- The four Athenian lovers have fallen asleep and Puck has been ordered to undo the enchantment so that Lysander is in love with Hermia again and Demetrius is in love with Helena
Analysis
- The use of rhyme contributes to a soothing and optimistic tone, which reinforces the idea of resolution and order being restored
- “Jack” and “Jill” alludes to the traditional nursery rhyme, which suggests a harmonious pairing, implying that love will find its way back to order:
- The simplicity of the rhyme mirrors the idea that love and relationships have a predictable and comforting structure, much like nursery rhymes
- The assurance that “all shall be well” conveys the theme of the restoration of love, harmony and order:
- It reflects the overall structure of the play, where the resolution of conflicts leads to a happy ending