Caley Cook
October 20, 2007
Love Conquers All, or does it?
Writers use themes to set the scene for every type of literature there is from informative to narrative. Although different views are expressed in A Midsummer Night's Dream, by William Shakespeare, the most prevalent is that of love and the effect is has on us all one such example of this theme at play is in Act 1, scene 1 lines 232-239, "Things base and vile, folding no quantity, Love can transpose to form and dignity: Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind: Nor hath Love's mind of any judgment taste; Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste: And therefore is Love said to be a child, Because in choice he is so oft beguiled." To fully appreciate Shakespeare’s quote from you must dissect it into small pieces and examine them closer to recognize the full scope the writer used in describing Love and the effects it has.
When Helena speaks lines 233 and 234 she is telling us that even though there are things that are vile, ugly and worthless in this world, love has the power to make them worthy, and beautiful making everyone else around them see that they are amazing. This helps us to see that even though Helena may have been snubbed by Demetrius she still holds a small hope. a hope that her love for him will make him see how attractive and precious she really is. As readers we begin to feel for her and identify with her as a character who doesn't always get what she wants.
Helena goes on to say "Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind: and therefore is winged cupid painted blind." (lines 235-236) this is Helena’s way of saying that when we're in love we do not necessarily see things with our eyes, but with our psyche; and for that reason, paintings of Cupid, the god of love, always depict him as blind. Helena’s words bring about the sense that love is unseeing and boundless and offers the reader a feeling that love lives on devoid of judgment.
In the last four lines of this excerpt of A Midsummer Night's Dream, "Nor hath Love's mind of any judgment taste— Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste. And therefore is Love said to be a child, Because in choice he is so oft beguiled," Helena is expressing that in her opinion that love does not have high-quality judgment either. She also relays that Cupid has no wings or eyes, and thus is bound to be irresponsible and reckless. Therefore people say that love is a child because like children so often do it makes bad choices without thinking or meaning to. This section of the quotes makes the reader go from feeling that love is blind and caring without pause, to a feeling that even though it does care without condition it also can be reckless with your heart causing a person to fall to easily or not at all.
By the end of this monologue, the reader has been drawn into the play not only making it personal but believable and pertaining to their own lives making us all through examples of emotions we all share and strive to relate to on a daily basis. This play teaches us about love, hope and the importance of perseverance, in an uncanny, humorous, love triangle filled way. The reader is left with an important message at the end of this play. Love conquers all.
