Week 6- Midsummer Night’s Dream
When I was reading the first act of Midsummer Night’s Dream one section stood out in particular.
“Then let us teach our trial patience,
Becuase it is a customary cross,
As due to love as thoughts, and dreams, and sighs,
Wishes and tears, poor fancy’s followers”
(1.1.154-56). Hermia says this to Lysander when they’re planning their runaway together. It’s a beautiful sentiment talking about how they must be patient for love. It’s always interested me how in every movie, book, or play- there has to be conflict with the two main lovers. And it was Shakespeare who finally put it so eloquently into words, pointing out that with love comes many trials and tribulations, but with patience happiness can be achieved.
Patience is something stressed in these lines. That is a common lesson throughout Shakespeare’s plays. He says often that if young love not be tamed then there will be a bad ending- like what the friar told Romeo and Juliet, and we all know what happened to them.It’s even mentioned in the bible “Love is patient, Love is kind…” This theme has been popping up a lot in my life with a lot of friends my age getting married. My first thought is, “what’s the rush?” Be patient, if the love is real it will still be there in years to come. Love is not easy- “poor fancy’s followers.” We’re all poor dopes who have to play by love’s rules to reap the benefits.
When thinking about love patience isn’t necessarily thought of first, but it actually does have a huge part to play in love. For Helena for example, she has to be patient for Demetrius, Hermia and Lysander must wait for each other- it’s a large theme in the book. But when looking at the big picture- patience is the glue that can hold marriages together. We all forget from time to time that you need to put work into a relationship for it to be successful. As Shakespeare says through Hermia, patience is “customary.” It’s just as important as the good things and the bad.
Only with patience will love be steady and long lasting. Think of what would have happened in Romeo hadn’t acted so drastically and drank the poision. Maybe then Romeo and Juliet would be a comedy like Midsummer Night’s Dream, and not a tragedy about to impatient teenagers.
(ooo) she bop 
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