FREE ESSAY ON MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

After a night of wandering through the woods, chasing fairies, having various potions
rubbed over their eyes, falling in and out of love, and threatening each other's lives
and limbs, the four lovers of A Midsummer Night's Dream wake up in the forest to the
trumpeting of horns and find themselves surrounded by nobility. It's no wonder they are
confused, and cannot truly say . . . (IV.1.7) how they ended up where they are and what
happened the night before. But what they are sure about is how they feel towards one
another. Whether it's a love that has faded, grown anew or been there all along, the four
lovers possess a certainty about who (m) they love that is as strong if not stronger than
it is at any other point in the play.
Lysander is the first of the four paramours to react to Theseus' wonderment at their
situation. He admits that I shall reply amazedly, /Half sleep, half waking. But as yet, I
swear, /I cannot truly say how I came here. (IV.1.145-7). In this excerpt, Lysander's
tone is understandably a bit dazed and unsure, and his response is littered with
uncertainty. This tone of astonishment is also present in the thoughts of Demetrius,
Helena, and Hermia. Methinks I see these things with parted eye, /When everything seems
double (IV.1.188-9) exclaims Hermia, and Helena agrees that So methinks.(IV.1.190).
Demetrius is so bewildered that he finds it necessary to ask the others Are you sure that
we are awake? It seems to me/ That yet we sleep, we dream. (IV.1.192-4). The underlying
tone throughout this 'waking scene' is one of uneasiness and confusion between dreams and
reality; but the only time the lovers express real uncertainty is while they are sorting
out what just happened in front of them involving the Duke and his hunting party.
Demetrius asks the others Do not you think/The Duke was here, and bid us follow him?
(IV.1.194-5), and only concludes that Why, then, we are awake. (IV.1.197) after receiving
confirmation from the others. 
But this tone of uncertainty fades when the four talk about their true loves. Demetrius
admits that I wot know by what power . . . (IV.1.163) that his love for Hermia has Melted
as the snow . . .(IV.1.165), but he is sure that The object and the pleasure of mine eye,
/is only Helena. (IV.1.169-70). Lysander and Hermia don't even refer to their love as
anytime being in doubt--their confusion again only pertains to what is happening
presently; what Hermia sees as if out of focus, with parted eye . . . (IV.1.188). 
While it would take a whole other paper to debate whether or not Demetrius is really in
love with Helena in his drugged state, she at least is convinced of his love. In the
woods, Helena was sure that Demetrius' vows of adoration were to scorn her, and even as
he claimed to love her, she lamented Wherefore speaks he this/To her he hates?
(III.2.227-8). But the next morning, she regards his vows with less doubt, and instead
reflects that she has Found Demetrius, like a jewel/Mine own and not mine own.(IV.1.190).
She acknowledges that Demetrius was lost to her own at one point, but more importantly
she now knows that he is found. Helena's new acceptance of Demetrius' love could be
because his vows are much more concrete than they were in the woods. There Demetrius
proclaimed his love through claims of admiration and idolatry; using spin words of poets
without real depth, like when he awakens and out of the blue declares Helena to be a
goddess, nymph, perfect, divine . . . (III.2.137). In the morning his declarations carry
an air of more reason, and focus not on empty catch-phrases of beauty and passion.
Instead, Demetrius declares more what he feels, saying Now I do wish [for Helena's love],
love it, long for it, /And will for evermore be true to it.(IV.1.174-5). His feelings of
love are now more certain and confident, thus he is able to express them with language
more concrete.