To say that any element of William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is problematic or unrealistic simply based on the premise alone is not enough to hold any issue with the work itself. Not withstanding the fact that the entire premise of the play revolves around that of fairies tampering in the love affairs of young Athenian, what can be possibly construed as silly, are the actions of those same young Athenian lovers. In Act III Scene II line 115, Robin exclaims, “Lord, what fools these mortals be!” The actions of Demetrius, Lysander, Hermia, and Helena, while noble at times, are, for lack of a better word, silly. It is known that Lysander is deeply in love with Hermia and intends to run away with her since Hermia is expected to marry Demetrius, despite the fact that Demetrius once loved another woman. It is also known that Helena is in love with Demetrius despite the fact that Demetrius also intends on marrying Hermia. While the three aforementioned characters are set in their ways regarding their intentions to marry the ones that they are love, or proclaim to love, Helena is almost thrown to the wayside in an almost comical manner that can only be taken seriously in a piece of work by Shakespeare.

 

This also brings about the hilarity of the four characters’ immaturity, as Hermia and Helena, two characters who were once friends, are engaged in a bout of vicious verbal warfare. In Act III Scene II Helena says to Hermia in regards to their relationship,

“Lo, she is one of this confederacy!

Now I perceive they have conjoined all three.

To fashion this false sport, in spite of me.—
Injurious Hermia! Most ungrateful maid!
Have you conspired, have you with these contrived
To bait me with this foul derision?
Is all the counsel that we two have shared,
The sisters’ vows, the hours that we have spent
When we have chid the hasty-footed time
For parting us—oh, is it all forgot?
All schooldays’ friendship, childhood innocence?
We, Hermia, like two artificial gods,
Have with our needles created both one flower,
Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion,
Both warbling of one song, both in one key,
As if our hands, our sides, voices, and minds,
Had been incorporate. So we grew together,
Like to a double cherry—seeming parted
But yet an union in partition—
Two lovely berries molded on one stem;

So, with two seeming bodies but one heart,
Two of the first, like coats in heraldry,
Due but to one and crownèd with one crest.
And will you rent our ancient love asunder
To join with men in scorning your poor friend?
It is not friendly, ’tis not maidenly.
Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it,
Though I alone do feel the injury.”

Helena believes that Hermia is in cahoots with Lysander and Demetrius to play some sort of cruel trick on her, so as to humiliate her. This is strange, as the impression has been given that they have been friends for a very long time. I think that it is safe to say that Lysander and Demetrius’s squabble can be chalked up to blind rage and a bout of too much honor, and perhaps, too much pride. The four Athenian lovers squabble is laughable, but works to push the play forward, as the their carelessness plays right into the fairies’ hands.