“Lord, What Fools These Mortals Be!” to What Extent Do the Human Characters in ‘a Midsummer Night’s Dream’ Suggest Puck Is Correct?

1167 Words5 Pages
Joey Wong 9K “Lord, what fools these mortals be!” To what extent do the human characters in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ suggest Puck is correct? Set in ancient Athens, William Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream utilises the universal emotion of human love to explore the place of imagination in the ordered world. The foolishness of the young lovers Lysander, Demetrius, Helena, and Hermia corresponds to Puck’s exclamation ‘Lord, what fools these mortals be!’ Yet the fairies, Titania and Oberon, act equally as foolish as the lovers, contradicting Puck’s statement that it is only humans that are fools. Furthermore, the mechanicals, the Athenian King and Queen Theseus and Hippolyta are arguably not as foolish as the young lovers, but mature characters thereby also disagreeing with Puck’s statement. All characters are foolish to an extent, some more than others, but this foolishness in turn assists them in the process of becoming mature and learning the importance of characters and rationality. In some ways, Puck’s statement is strongly supported. Human characters are often foolish, being often overcome by excesses of emotions and immaturity in the flush of young love, as exemplified by Helena, Hermia, Demetrius and Lysander. The young lovers are living in the world of irrationality depicted in their poetic language and their declaration of love. Hermia and Lysander plan to escape to the wood so that they can get married in the house of Lysander’s aunt. They make their intentions against the King and Queen’s orders to Helena, who is still in love with Demetrius even though he jilted her. Hoping to reunite with him, she tells Demetrius their plan who stalks into the forest after Hermia and Lysander. Helena follows behind him. Lysander, who previously fervently pursued Hermia, now equally as fervently pursues Helena. “Happy with Hermia? No, I repent the

More about “Lord, What Fools These Mortals Be!” to What Extent Do the Human Characters in ‘a Midsummer Night’s Dream’ Suggest Puck Is Correct?

Open Document