Wednesday, September 14, 2011

How does Shakespeare use Act 3 in A Midsummer Nights Dream to prove Lysander's statement "the course of true love never did run smooth" to be true?

Events become zany in Act III, the high point of the play's comedy, as love potions enter in and mix-ups occur. A little magic on the part of Puck puts an ass's head on Bottom, and a love potion dropped in Titania's eyes causes her to fall in love with the ass-headed Bottom. She's really in love with Oberon, but it will take this diversion for her to give up the Indian boy who has caused her quarrel with Oberon and get her back together again with her true love.


This is also the Act where Puck mistakenly puts the love juice into Lysander's eyes instead of Demetrius's, so that when Lysander wakes up, he falls in love with Helena. Comic mayhem ensues: Hermia can't understand why Lysander, who a few hours ago ran away with her out of love, now despises her and loves Helena. Meanwhile, Helena thinks Lysander's love language is all a joke, meant to mock her. When Oberon uses a love potion to ensure Demetrius will fall in love with Helena, as he meant from the start, the comedy gets even zanier: Helena now thinks she is being mocked by both men pretending to be lovesick, while Hermia is furious and jealous, and the two men are ready to fight over Helena. In none of these cases is true love running smooth. Lysander is no longer in love with Hermia, Helena doesn't believe either man is in love with her, Hermia is confused and the men are at each other's throats.

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