ENGL-3000
M/W 5:30
The Ability of Love
"Lord, what fools these mortals be"(act 3 scene 2 line 116) this is what basically sums up the nature of human behavior. We do many things different, and the reasoning behind many things we do is sometimes non-existent, yet we continue to act the way we do; we're slaves to our emotions. In the Shakespeare play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" love had multiple effects on the main characters Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius, and Helena, as it seems to do in real life.
In my opinion the greatest effect of love is foolishness. A prominent man can be moved to appear a fool and perform ridiculous acts in the name of love. This has held true since the beginning of man. The ancient Greeks even developed myths in accordance with this verity. The mythological character, Cupid, was developed and created as an ambassador of love. He had the control to make a woman fawn and a man woo. He was also drawn blind, as an infant with arrows, and with wings. What does this tell us about love in ancient Greece that could apply to love today? Love is blind, for starters. If you love someone there will be things about that person which may be plain to everyone else but have never even occurred to you. Love is fleeting and foolish, hence the child with wings. All these things can be encompassed within the situation between Helena and Demetrius. Helena is obviously stricken with this blindness when she says things like "I am your spaniel, and, Demetrius / The more you beat me I will fawn on you."(act 2 scene 1 lines 203-204). Encompassed along with these is one of the most commonly known and experienced facts about love; it hurts.
M/W 5:30
The Ability of Love
"Lord, what fools these mortals be"(act 3 scene 2 line 116) this is what basically sums up the nature of human behavior. We do many things different, and the reasoning behind many things we do is sometimes non-existent, yet we continue to act the way we do; we're slaves to our emotions. In the Shakespeare play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" love had multiple effects on the main characters Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius, and Helena, as it seems to do in real life.
In my opinion the greatest effect of love is foolishness. A prominent man can be moved to appear a fool and perform ridiculous acts in the name of love. This has held true since the beginning of man. The ancient Greeks even developed myths in accordance with this verity. The mythological character, Cupid, was developed and created as an ambassador of love. He had the control to make a woman fawn and a man woo. He was also drawn blind, as an infant with arrows, and with wings. What does this tell us about love in ancient Greece that could apply to love today? Love is blind, for starters. If you love someone there will be things about that person which may be plain to everyone else but have never even occurred to you. Love is fleeting and foolish, hence the child with wings. All these things can be encompassed within the situation between Helena and Demetrius. Helena is obviously stricken with this blindness when she says things like "I am your spaniel, and, Demetrius / The more you beat me I will fawn on you."(act 2 scene 1 lines 203-204). Encompassed along with these is one of the most commonly known and experienced facts about love; it hurts.