In A Midsummer Nights Dream, Shakespeare believes that there isn’t just one specific feeling of love. Shakespeare show in his story A Midsummer Nights Dream important aspects of comedy using tragic points, true love, and jealousy.
To begin with, in the first act of scene one, Egeus starts the story off with a big problem for his daughter Hermia, which then structures the story later on with Lysander and Hermia as lovers. The problem eventually becomes tragic fo the characters of A Midsummer Nights Dream, this makes Lysander and Hermia run off to avoid what Egeus says to Theseus on how he owns Hermia and she has two choices, either marry Demetrius or have her killed. Egeus states, “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 Immediately provided in that case.”(I.i.42-45). The type of comedy that is shown at the beginning of the story goes with tragedy because it starts causing the main characters that are in love to have anxiety and sorrow during their time in the woods. As an audience, they don’t view this as something sad but something to show sympathy and care about Hermia and what’s to come from this.
However, In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the story also shows how there is a darker side of it. When we are shown the chaos that develops our lovers throughout the night in the woods, we are shown examples of our characters going through negative emotions. In the middle of the story, Helena chases Demetrius into the woods, desperate for his love and acceptance since Demetrius likes Hermia, he then loses patience and beings to threaten to attack her and how she should be careful, eventually, he leaves Helena in the woods by herself as he leaves. “The scene is written to be funny, though his threat of rape in a different situation would be horrifying.”(The Nature of Comedy). A Tragedy is being shown by making the audience feel bad for Helena since she is not wanted by Demetrius. This is one out of many aspects that shape up this story.
Secondly, True love is a type of love that Shakespeare shows in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hermia and Lysander’s relationship represents what true love really is. “The course of true love never did run smooth.”(I.i.136). This line delivered by Lysander shows the nature of true love. True love is seen as strong and independent at times. The course of Hermia and Lysander’s does not run smoothly for many reasons. Egeus, Hermia’s father. By law, he has the power over his daughter, as a result of that, Hermia is expected to be dutiful of her father and she must obey him. Egeus’s over-protective parental love demands Hermia to disobey him and be with Lysander, but the couples determination to support true love at strong, even though there are obstacles in front of them. Nevertheless, The play ends with a hope and future for Hermia and Lysander after they get married at the end. “Though the final outcome may seem unrealistic, we don’t complain because things end up the way we secretly hoped they would.”( The Nature of Comedy). True love is shown by the end of A Midsummer Night’s Dream when Lysander and Hermia marry because they went through obstacles throughout the story and they go through it and still loved each other at the very end because the couple showed true love. True love makes this story enjoyable for the audience as they have something to look forward to at the very end.
The last type of love is jealousy. Jealous love is shown through Titania and Oberon’s relationship. “I’ll met by moonlight.” Says Oberon. (II.i.62) this shows how there are complications in their present relationship between the two king and queen of the fairies since they appear that they are not on good terms over changeling boy, Titania’s late friend’s son. Oberon would like to possess the child but Titania refuses to let him go. This shows that love can be troublesome and that the love between Titania and Oberon is not running smoothly. “What jealous Oberon.” Said Titania. (II.i.63) Oberon does not deny his jealousy over Titania and the changeling boy, this shows the audience how this couple is different than any other couple in the play because, with Titania and Oberon’s relationship, there are jealousy and pride all mixed in love when both of them return to good terms at the end of the story.