Final Essay
To Believe in Love
Final Humanities Essay
Cheyenne Gaudreault
While the lovers have a very complicated and decidedly different love adventure than most in the play “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” by Shakespeare, I would argue that Shakespeare is using this odd romance to reinforce the ideals of the typical love that we learn through socialization in the way that he showed how the lovers never changed their affections until magic influenced them. He was trying to say that, in a typical romance, love can not be swayed by anything. People could argue against this by saying for example that Titania falls in love with a donkey! Or, Demetrius is only in love with Helena at end of play because of magic… but if Shakespeare believes in traditional love, maybe he thought that Demetrius would have fallen for Helena without magic over time, he just wanted Hermia for the wrong reasons: A trophy wife. Yes, it’s weird that Titania falls in love with a donkey, BUT this shows that he is reinforcing traditional norms of romantic love because he’s making fun of it. The same goes for how Lysander falls in love with the ‘wrong’ person. So I guess this boils down to whether one sees Shakespeare's’ comedy as a satire; where he is making fun of traditional forms of love, OR if he is being serious. In short, I’m saying that Shakespeare is creating a traditional form of socialization around love.
While Pyramus and Thisbe might be a cautionary tale, I will argue that it is also a lesson in the devotion of love. In the play, the wall that separates the lovers also connects them in the way that it allows them to speak with each other. I think the lesson that Shakespeare took from that play was that love connects people, because you would do anything for that person that you care for, but love also blinds and seperates people. In the case of Pyramus and Thisbe, love made Pyramus think irrationally and take unneeded action, but even though they died, they were completely devoted until the end. In a Midsummer Night’s Dream, all the lovers, with the exception of Demetrius, ended up with the person they had originally loved. In that play it seemed that fate had meddled, but the lovers ending up together could also be interpreted as a subconscious devotion to the one they truly cared for; a devotion similar to Pyramus and Thisbe. “And yet,to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays.” - Bottom.
In the project that we did about the cycle of socialization, we learned about how we are taught to love from a young age. “Our identities are given to us at birth with no decision, choice, or effort from us. It is outside of our control,”- Bobbie Harro. The typical romance is one where each person is in love with the other and even though their affections may temporarily stray, if the love is true they will always come back to each other. In all the stories we are told as children, true love is repeated as if adults are giving children something to hope and strive for in our lives. The idea is if the world was filled with true love, it would be much better. Those kind of ideals have been around for a long time; since Shakespeare and before. Shakespeare presents this in many of his plays such as Romeo and Juliet.
Romeo and Juliet is extremely similar to the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe. The difference is that Romeo was in love with another before he was in love with Juliet. I think because of that, Romeo is also similar to Demetrius. Romeo falls in love with Juliet at a “magical” party one with fun, mischief, and excitement. Demetrius falls in love with Helena in a magical forest. “Love looks not with the eye but with the mind, therefore is winged cupid painted blind.”- Helena. Both characters drastically change their affections within a strange and exciting environment throughout the course of the story. It seems as if Shakespeare is trying to promote a different kind of love, but if the ideals of true love and “fate” found throughout many stories including his hold true in these plays, then maybe Demetrius was always secretly in love with Helena.
While I think that Shakespeare was trying to portray the typical kind of romance we learn through socialization with the Athenian lovers, I would say that with Oberon and Titania he was taking on a different point of view. Both people in that relationship were in love with the Athenian lovers, Theseus and Hippolyta. “ How canst thou for shame, Titania, glance at my credit with Hippolyta, knowing I know thy love for Theseus,”- Oberon. In the beginning of the play, they had a big fight which caused Oberon to play tricks on Titania. Even though they didn't have a “normal” relationship, they still seemed to be in love. At the end they made nice.
Shakespeare has many plays and most portray a variety of different romances. Weather these stories are promoting a typical love or exploring different types of romance is up for interpretation. The lovers are strange but through them you may be able to see Shakespeare making fun of traditional love in order to enforce it. Through Romeo and Juliet we see that he shows a love gone wrong. Maybe Shakespeare never tried to promote or discourage any one type of love. Love is a complicated thing and may not be able to fit into a box.
Structure: (75 points)
The introduction and thesis summarizes your upcoming argument in a clear and
concise manner
25/25 I think that the introduction might be a little scattered but it gets the point across well.
Each paragraph begin with clear topic sentences
20/25 “While Pyramus and Thisbe might be a cautionary tale, I will argue that it is also a lesson in the devotion of love.” It connects to the thesis but could be more clear.
Each paragraph's evidence is relevant and clear. The analysis following the evidence
explains how the evidence proves the topic sentence.
20/25 “In the project that we did about the cycle of socialization, we learned about how we are taught to love from a young age. The typical romance is one where each person is in love with the other and even though their affections may temporarily stray, if the love is true they will always come back to each other.” I have good analysis but my evidence could use work.
Craftsmanship: (75 points)
There are no spelling errors or punctuation errors (esp. comma splices, incomplete
sentences, incorrect semicolons)
25/25 (Entire paper is evidence)
Evidence is cited correctly
10/25 “In the project that we did about the cycle of socialization…”My evidence was cited but not correctly.
Sentences are dynamic; they vary in length and use multiple structures (especially
concessive sentences or NPA's)
25/25 “While Pyramus and Thisbe might be a cautionary tale, I will argue that it is also a lesson in the devotion of love”
Creativity: (50 points)
The thesis infers a hidden meaning beneath the obvious facts of the subject
17/20
Each paragraph creatively interprets the meaning of the evidence to further prove the
thesis: 15/15
The conclusion wraps the different layers of meaning into an easily summarized (yet
still complex) series of thoughts:
13/15
Final grade: 170/200
Final Humanities Essay
Cheyenne Gaudreault
While the lovers have a very complicated and decidedly different love adventure than most in the play “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” by Shakespeare, I would argue that Shakespeare is using this odd romance to reinforce the ideals of the typical love that we learn through socialization in the way that he showed how the lovers never changed their affections until magic influenced them. He was trying to say that, in a typical romance, love can not be swayed by anything. People could argue against this by saying for example that Titania falls in love with a donkey! Or, Demetrius is only in love with Helena at end of play because of magic… but if Shakespeare believes in traditional love, maybe he thought that Demetrius would have fallen for Helena without magic over time, he just wanted Hermia for the wrong reasons: A trophy wife. Yes, it’s weird that Titania falls in love with a donkey, BUT this shows that he is reinforcing traditional norms of romantic love because he’s making fun of it. The same goes for how Lysander falls in love with the ‘wrong’ person. So I guess this boils down to whether one sees Shakespeare's’ comedy as a satire; where he is making fun of traditional forms of love, OR if he is being serious. In short, I’m saying that Shakespeare is creating a traditional form of socialization around love.
While Pyramus and Thisbe might be a cautionary tale, I will argue that it is also a lesson in the devotion of love. In the play, the wall that separates the lovers also connects them in the way that it allows them to speak with each other. I think the lesson that Shakespeare took from that play was that love connects people, because you would do anything for that person that you care for, but love also blinds and seperates people. In the case of Pyramus and Thisbe, love made Pyramus think irrationally and take unneeded action, but even though they died, they were completely devoted until the end. In a Midsummer Night’s Dream, all the lovers, with the exception of Demetrius, ended up with the person they had originally loved. In that play it seemed that fate had meddled, but the lovers ending up together could also be interpreted as a subconscious devotion to the one they truly cared for; a devotion similar to Pyramus and Thisbe. “And yet,to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays.” - Bottom.
In the project that we did about the cycle of socialization, we learned about how we are taught to love from a young age. “Our identities are given to us at birth with no decision, choice, or effort from us. It is outside of our control,”- Bobbie Harro. The typical romance is one where each person is in love with the other and even though their affections may temporarily stray, if the love is true they will always come back to each other. In all the stories we are told as children, true love is repeated as if adults are giving children something to hope and strive for in our lives. The idea is if the world was filled with true love, it would be much better. Those kind of ideals have been around for a long time; since Shakespeare and before. Shakespeare presents this in many of his plays such as Romeo and Juliet.
Romeo and Juliet is extremely similar to the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe. The difference is that Romeo was in love with another before he was in love with Juliet. I think because of that, Romeo is also similar to Demetrius. Romeo falls in love with Juliet at a “magical” party one with fun, mischief, and excitement. Demetrius falls in love with Helena in a magical forest. “Love looks not with the eye but with the mind, therefore is winged cupid painted blind.”- Helena. Both characters drastically change their affections within a strange and exciting environment throughout the course of the story. It seems as if Shakespeare is trying to promote a different kind of love, but if the ideals of true love and “fate” found throughout many stories including his hold true in these plays, then maybe Demetrius was always secretly in love with Helena.
While I think that Shakespeare was trying to portray the typical kind of romance we learn through socialization with the Athenian lovers, I would say that with Oberon and Titania he was taking on a different point of view. Both people in that relationship were in love with the Athenian lovers, Theseus and Hippolyta. “ How canst thou for shame, Titania, glance at my credit with Hippolyta, knowing I know thy love for Theseus,”- Oberon. In the beginning of the play, they had a big fight which caused Oberon to play tricks on Titania. Even though they didn't have a “normal” relationship, they still seemed to be in love. At the end they made nice.
Shakespeare has many plays and most portray a variety of different romances. Weather these stories are promoting a typical love or exploring different types of romance is up for interpretation. The lovers are strange but through them you may be able to see Shakespeare making fun of traditional love in order to enforce it. Through Romeo and Juliet we see that he shows a love gone wrong. Maybe Shakespeare never tried to promote or discourage any one type of love. Love is a complicated thing and may not be able to fit into a box.
Structure: (75 points)
The introduction and thesis summarizes your upcoming argument in a clear and
concise manner
25/25 I think that the introduction might be a little scattered but it gets the point across well.
Each paragraph begin with clear topic sentences
20/25 “While Pyramus and Thisbe might be a cautionary tale, I will argue that it is also a lesson in the devotion of love.” It connects to the thesis but could be more clear.
Each paragraph's evidence is relevant and clear. The analysis following the evidence
explains how the evidence proves the topic sentence.
20/25 “In the project that we did about the cycle of socialization, we learned about how we are taught to love from a young age. The typical romance is one where each person is in love with the other and even though their affections may temporarily stray, if the love is true they will always come back to each other.” I have good analysis but my evidence could use work.
Craftsmanship: (75 points)
There are no spelling errors or punctuation errors (esp. comma splices, incomplete
sentences, incorrect semicolons)
25/25 (Entire paper is evidence)
Evidence is cited correctly
10/25 “In the project that we did about the cycle of socialization…”My evidence was cited but not correctly.
Sentences are dynamic; they vary in length and use multiple structures (especially
concessive sentences or NPA's)
25/25 “While Pyramus and Thisbe might be a cautionary tale, I will argue that it is also a lesson in the devotion of love”
Creativity: (50 points)
The thesis infers a hidden meaning beneath the obvious facts of the subject
17/20
Each paragraph creatively interprets the meaning of the evidence to further prove the
thesis: 15/15
The conclusion wraps the different layers of meaning into an easily summarized (yet
still complex) series of thoughts:
13/15
Final grade: 170/200
Project Reflection
Project Reflection
In this project we studied some of Shakespeare's plays and we put on our own performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. My role in this particular project was sound design and I also played Titania's Fairy. We did close reading on some of the speeches from Shakespeare plays. Then we started to put the play into motion. I connected to this project because I like acting and I think that many of the ideas Shakespeare presents in his plays are still true today, such as his ideas of love and magic. One of the things that I liked most about this project is the Pyramus and Thisbe seminar that the class had. I think seminars are important to learning because you gain the ideas of your peers which can change or add on to your own original ideas on the topic. This seminar was enjoyable for me because I liked sharing my opinions on the subject of Pyramus and Thisbe’s love and many of the things that the other people said added on to my thoughts and rounded out my knowledge on that play and some of Shakespeare's similar plays. One thing that was difficult in this project was figuring out what to wr |