A Midsummer's Night Dream/Hermia Analysis

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream In William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, many may argue that Helena believes herself to be worthless and inferior because of her view of Helena and the way she throws herself at Demetrius. Throughout the play Helena makes a fool of herself. She basically brings herself to be viewed as an animal. Helena so desperately wants to be loved by Demetrius that she loses respect for herself. She even talks about herself as a dog. Helena says “I am your spaniel: and Demetrius, the more you beat me, I will fawn on you. Use me but as your spaniel: spurn me, strike me, neglect me…” (2.1.204-206) Helena makes Demetrius seem like a God; someone she’ll go to extreme measures for. On another token, Helena seems to view Hermia as more beautiful than her. She believes Hermia to be worthy of Lysander’s love rather than herself. Hermia states in the play to Lysander “Who will not change a raven for a dove?” (2.2.113) Helena appears to be a woman who does not value herself. Helena shows to be a woman who has very low self-esteem. She belittles herself in many parts of the play. Even after Demetrius declared that he hated Helena and that she made him sick, she still did not realize that she was being mistreated. Helena still praised Demetrius by saying “And I am sick, when I look not on you.” (2.1.214) Helena also did not have confidence in herself. For example, as Lysander confessed his love for her, she did not believe him. Helena thought that Hermia and Lysander were mocking her because she could never be as beautiful as Hermia. Helena seems to be a woman who would do anything for a man’s approval; in the end though not even Lysander’s love brought out Helena’s

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