Animals and love in a Midsummer Night’s Dream -Chris Nielson
In storytelling, animals are often used as excellent examples of symbolism. Shakespeare’s plays are especially full
of this symbolism and its use is quite frequent. Midsummer Night’s Dream uses a lot of animal imagery to convey a
character’s perspective on love and what role that character’s love plays in the story.
In Act 3 Scene 3, Titania’s eyes being opened to the deranged love she had for Bottom in his ass-headed form by the
very person who orchestrated their love is similar to the relationship between an abuser and his victim. “Now thou
and I are new in amity, /and will tomorrow midnight solemnly/dance in Duke Theseus’ house, triumphantly.” (86-
88) Here, Shakespeare shows how Oberon views his relationship with Titania, and the statement they will dance in
triumphant suggests that this triumph he is talking about his triumph over Titania. This idea of achieving victory
over his wife tells the audience that Oberon does not see her as his equal and that this love affair she had with
Bottom is his way of showing his dominance over her. In this instance, Oberon displays a desire to control all things
in his life, even to the detriment of others, a trait that would be called Machiavellian in literature but abusive and
conceited in a real-life relationship. That being said, this sort of domineering relationship is not always a bad thing,
there are plenty of examples of how having one person be the controlling power of the relationship could be a good
thing, as this allows for a clearer vision for decision making and thus more unity.
In Act 2 Scene 1, Helena is referred to as a dog to show her desperation to the love of Demetrius, which describes
her as having feelings more akin to anxiety rather than love. “I am your spaniel, and/… the more you beat me I will
fawn on you.” (203-204) This concern Helena has about being loved by Demetrius is born out of a fear that she will
never be loved by him again and until he does fall in love with her at the end of the play, this fear plays as her main
motivation for everything else she does in the play. She goes into the woods, which are known to be dangerous,
follows Demetrius everywhere, begs for his attention even an abusive type, and continues to pine after him when
Lysander shows interest in her. Helena’s nearly obsessive love for Demetrius is a showcase by Shakespeare about
how people will go to great lengths, even unhealthy ones for all involved, to achieve whatever things they desire
most. Nothing else matters to them; friends who help them, rules or laws, their own safety, or even the opinion of
the person they care for the most will not be able to dissuade them from their quest to achieve that highly valued
thing. Little can be said in benefit of obsession and little should be said.
In Act 2 Scene 2, Hermia cries out for Lysander’s assistance against an imagined danger on her life, which parallels
with the danger she sees against their relationship. “Methought a serpent ate my heart away.” (155) Here
Shakespeare alludes to how Lysander will later be taken from Hermia and how she reacts to this development is like
her reaction to this imagined snake, with panic and fear. The level of panic in Hermia’s actions reflects with
Helena’s own attempts to love Demetrius in terms in desperation, as both are attempting to regain their lost lovers.
However, once things start to turn favorable for Helena, Helena’s paranoia that all this was a joke to take advantage
of her on the part of the other three is a sign that her love maybe more based in fear, since she now fears that she
might be getting what she wants. Hermia has a different reaction, angrily attacking Helena as a seducer of both men,
suggesting the idea that Hermia, while injured by Lysander’s words that he never loved her, has a truer kind of love
than Helena and Demetrius because she fights for and accepts Lysander’s love for her when it comes back to her
without question and without any pining after Lysander or Helena.
In summary, Shakespeare shows how different love looks with a lot of people. For some, it is like with Oberon and
Titania, one is in control, and one is subservient, and the one in control will occasionally reassert themselves as
being the controlling power of the relationship. For others, love is something they give in great quantities to their
partner, all the while hoping that they will receive the same amount in return for their efforts. In this final example,
Shakespeare shows us how love can sometimes be mutually beneficial and therefore can be argued to be more
healthy than other forms of love. For Lysander and Hermia, the sudden confusion that appeared between them
concerning who loved whom was little more than an imagined and temporary danger, much like the snake that
Hermia saw on her chest after waking up. To Shakespeare, “the course of true love never did run smooth” but is still
possible for any who trod along that course.
