Compare and Contrast of Hermia and Helena in a Midsummer...

Throughout the history of books, plays, and stories as a whole, competition over a boy or a girl is a very common element that even occurs in real life. The aspect of this competition provides parallels between two characters, entailing drama, humor, and interesting themes to the story. A perfect example of this element is within William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The two main women of the story, Hermia and Helena, compete over boys in the story, and that, as well as their different personalities makes the story quite interesting. The relationships between the two women changes constantly, as they are competing over boys they love yet remain best friends. The characters differ from each other in a number of ways to make†¦show more content†¦However, the plan backfires because Demetrius follows the couple to win Hermia back. Helena states, â€Å"As if our hands, our sides, voices, and minds,/Had been incorporate, So we grew together,/ Like t o a double cherry-â€Å" (3.2.208-210). This quote shows the normal relationship between the two- they are like the same person, obviously meaning that they are very attached. But, the friendship is tarnished after Lysander and Demetrius come into play. The friendship between the two may be rocky, however it is a good example of a foil and is extremely entertaining. The characters Hermia and Helena contrast each other in a number of ways to make the play more interesting and comedic. Helena and Hermia during an argument pointed out each other’s physical differences and â€Å"shortcomings†. This provides a somewhat comedic approach to the play. Additionally, it gives physical examples of how they foil each other, making each other uncomfortable and feel insecure about themselves. The two characters are falling for different people, meaning they have different interests and tastes. However, confusion still occurs, with a mix up of who loves whom, showing the auth or William Shakespeare made it so that the characters would oppose and contrast each other because he wanted the play to be interesting and have some clash that would excite the audience. That is why he probably addedShow MoreRelatedCompare and contrast Helena and Hermia in A Midsummer nights dream1097 Words   |  5 Pages28 November 2013 How do Hermia and Helena alter and connect in their approach to love and courtship? â€Å"Two lovely berries moulded on to one stem/ so with two seeming bodies but one heart†¦..† In William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Helena confronts Hermia to remind her once again of their relationship. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a play about the two Athenian couples who constantly run through the course of true love. 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