Is it fair to say that love in the dramatic comedy makes the characters in the play to appear foolish?!
"Midsummer Night’s dream“ is unquestionably the most fascinating work of Shakespeare's comedy plays, which is due to his utilisation of crucial features of a dramatic comedy, which also associates with the theme of love thus caused to be presented as comical to the audience. For instance the major 'love square‘, the love between these characters is not real therefore they appear as 'foolish‘ and humorous to the audience. Although there are characters who consist of comedy within themselves, referring to appearance also caused by the unfortunate magic.
For instance Bottom, who is the biggest fool in the play as a result of the dramatic irony used by Shakespeare; for instance 'I see their knavery: this is to make an ass of me’ it’s revealed to the audience that Bottom literally has been made into an ‘ass‘, although the character himself is unaware of this also his name itself. 'Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that. And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together now-a-days.' – Here Shakespeare plays a prank on us, by applying the fool of the play (Bottom) to ironically have some of the wisest insights utlising juxtaposition; through summarising how foolish Titania is behaving, by pointing out that there is no reason for her to love him.
Love turns people into fools likewise happens with Lysander and Hermia in the play, when the two lovers wanted to run away and get married this appears to be foolish because it wouldn't be social-order / condemned in the Elizabethan era for two people that are in love to move away together without the father of the daughter's consent as he wants Hermia to marry Demetrious.
‘Full of vexation come I, with complaint. Against my child, my daughter Hermia.
Stand forth, Demetrius. My noble lord, This man hath my consent to marry her.’
As Theseus did not give them his blessing - "A girl’s male relatives chose her future husband on the basis of status. The man who would bring the most prestige or recognition to a family was considered to be the best candidate." [1] (Duke University). Elizabethan audience would of looked down upon the two characters and find them rather foolish due to their outrageous behavior.
‘Because I am so dwarfish and so low? How low am I, thou painted maypole? Speak.’
Hermia believes Lysander has fallen out of love with her simply because she is short. Here we see the folly of the female characters’ behavior – without excuse of enchantment which the males can claim.
Shakespeare introduces the audience to the character of Puck, whom is the stimulus of all the foolishness "he triggers many of the play’s most memorable events." [2]; making the characters look foolish. Love has been proved to be the main agenda behind the characters‘ foolishness; as a result of the ‚love potions‘ made by Puck. Who also delivered it to the beautiful queen: Tatiana therefore making her 'fall in love‘ with Bottom. The image of Tatiana waking up in love with the donkey-faced Bottom is a classic parody of the utopian love. Puck believing that the beautiful queen could possibly fall for him despite the fact of him having an ass head. Whereas Tatiana, who’s made into a bigger fool, as she believes she’s 'in love‘ with Puck unaware it’s caused by the love potion. Thus both of these characters appear to be made into fools by so called 'love‘ which is only a creation of the love potion. Not only does she realise that, she was literally in love with an "ass", she confesses she can't even look at him now as it disquists her.
Shakespeare suggests that love really is an obstacle course that turns us all into madmen. Through Lysander, he summarises the notion of the play that lovers always face difficulties on the path to happiness - whether it's a disapproving parent, rival lover, or something else "the course of true love never did run
