A Midsummer Nights Dream – Hermia And Helenas Relationship Essay, Research Paper
A Midsummer Nights Dream – Hermia
and Helenas relationshipHermia and
Helena’s relationship has changed greatly after the intervention of Puck with
the love potion. Once best friends, they have become each others enemies, and
all for the love of Lysander and Demetrius. Hermia and
Helena were best friends when they were at school. «All
school-days’ friendship, childhood innocence?» (Act 3,
Scene 2, Line 201, Helena)They had
complete trust in each other, telling each other their deepest secrets. «Is
all the counsel that we two have shared, The
sisters’ vows, the hours that we have spent,» (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 198 —
199, Helena)They
worked together on everything they did including sewing and singing. «Both
on one sampler, sitting on one cushion, Both
warbling of one song, both in one key,» (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 205 – 206)To some
people, Helena and Hermia became the same person, saying the same things,
thinking the same thoughts and having the same morals and principles. «As
if our hands, our sides, voices, and minds Had been
incorporate. So we grew together,» (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 207-208)Behaving
in the same way, they spent as much time as possible together. This time passed
quickly, whilst the time spent apart was slow and seemed pointless. «When
we have chid the hasty-footed time For
parting us-O, is all forgot?» (Act 3,
Scene 2, Lines 200 – 201, Helena)Although
Helena and Hermia were two separate people, they were, «a union in
partition», compared to a double cherry. «Two
lovely berries moulded on one stem.» (Act 3,
Scene 2, Line 211, Helena)Their
friendship was so strong that they seemed to be connected, the same person in
two different bodies. «So
with two seeming bodies, but one heart,» (Act 3,
Scene 2, Line 212, Helena)This had
lasted all their lives until the intervention of Lysander and Demetrius. The strong
friendship between Helena and Hermia quickly disintegrated when they became
involved with the two men. The love potion was meant to help, but Puck’s
mistake managed to completely reverse the relationship. When both Demetrius and
Lysander were under the influence of the «love-in-idleness» flower,
Helena believed that both were mocking her. «You
both are rivals and love Hermia And now
both rivals, to mock Helena.» (Act 3,
Scene 2, Lines 155 – 156, Helena)When
Hermia seems to take the same attitude, even though she doesn’t know what’s
going on, Helena accuses her of betraying all women by entering into it. «Our
sex, as well as I, may chide you for it,» (Act 3,
Scene 2, Line 218, Helena)Helena and
Hermia quickly enter into a massive argument, accusing each other of stealing
their love. «You
thief of love. What, have you come by night And stolen
my love’s heart from him?» (Act 3,
Scene 2, Lines 283 – 284, Hermia)Their
childhood friendship is forgotten in an instant, completely torn apart by the
two men. It is not
the love potion which has had this effect on the women directly, it is the
performance of the two men, arguing over Helena who have caused the break up.
This exhibition of feelings upsets and confuses both Helena and Hermia. Hermia
feels cheated, and Helena is the first person she can find to blame. «O
me, you juggler, you canker-blossom,» (Act 3,
Scene 2, Line 282, Hermia)Helena,
however, thinks everything is some kind of cruel trick against her, and remains
slightly calmer than Hermia. «Lo,
she is one of this confederacy. Now I
perceive they have conjoined all three To fashion
this false sport in spite of me.» (Act 3,
Scene 2, Lines192 – 194, Helena)As she is
taller than Hermia, she calls her a «puppet». «Fie,
fie, you counterfeit, you puppet, you!» (Act 3,
Scene 2, Line 288, Helena)Hermia
takes this insult as though it is the reason that Lysander doesn’t love her
anymore. «Her
height, forsooth, she hath prevailed with him.» (Act 3,
Scene 2, Line 293, Hermia)She goes
on to call Helena a «painted maypole» and is obviously very worked up
and angry. «And
with her personage, her tall personage,» (Act 3,
Scene 2, Line 292, Hermia)Helena is
afraid of what Hermia might do to her, and Hermia is not short of threats in
her vicious mood. «How
low am I? I am not yet so low, But that
my nails can reach unto thine eyes.» (Act 3,
Scene 2, Lines 297 – 298, Hermia)Helena
does not want to fall out and does not understand why their past was so quickly
forgotten. «Good
Hermia, do not be so bitter with me. I evermore
did love you Hermia, Did ever
keep your counsels, never wronged you » (Act 3,
Scene 2, Lines 306 – 308, Helena)Hermia,
however, feels hard done by. She feels that Helena has caused her true love to
turn against her, and if Helena disappeared, everything would be fine.
«Why, get you gone. Who is’t that hinders you?» (Act 3,
Scene 2, Line 317, Hermia)Helena
also has the solution of running away, but can’t as she foolishly still loves
Demetrius.Helena and
Hermia’s relationship has changed completely, entirely because of the effect of
the love potion on Lysander and Demetrius. The friendship shown before the
argument contrasts greatly to the hostility afterwards. The change has been for
the worse, completely destroying the women’s trust in each other, and all
because of a fight between two men, caused by a mischievous spirit.