TheCourseofTrueLoveNeverdidRunSmooth.

Doyouagreeordisagree?

LysandersStatement:Doyouagree?
Thecourseoftrueloveneverdidrunsmooth.Believingthatthisstatementistrue
,
therearemanythingsthatcanshowthattruelovedoesntalwayscomeeasy.Onesituationthat
supportsthisstatementiswhenHermiasfather,Egeus,forbidsHermiafrombeingwithhertrue
love,Lysander.AnotherthingthathappenedinthisplaythatbacksLysandersstatementis
whenHelenawantsDemetriustoloveherback,forsheloveshim.ThelastwaythatThe
courseoftrueloveneverdidrunsmoothmakessenseiswhenTitaniaandOberonhavea
difficulttimegettingalongwitheachotherduetothechangelingboy.Thesearereasonswhy,in
myopinion,Lysandersstatementistrue.

LysanderandHermia:DoesHermiasfatheragree?
In
AMidsummerNightsDream,
adilemmaisalreadyannouncedbythefirstscene.
HermiasfatherdoesnotapproveofLysanderandHermiaashusbandandwife.Tobackupthis
statement,providedaresomequotesthatarefromthebook.Withcunninghastthoufilchedmy
daughtersheart,Turnedherobedience(whichisduetome)Tostubbornharshness(Act1,Sc.
1,II.3740).ThisshowsthatHermiasfatherisntfondofLysanderandbelievesthatheisthe
culprittostealinghisdaughtersheart.HeisbasicallysayingthatbecauseofLysander,his
daughterisnownotasloyaltoherfatherasshemighthavebeenbefore.
Anotherquotethatreallysupportstheideathattrueloveneverransmoothis,Stand
forth,Demetrius.Mynoblelord,Thismanhathmyconsenttomarryher.(Act1,Sc.1,II.
2526).ThisquotecansupporttheideathatEgeusdoesnotapproveofLysander.Ibelieveso
becausehecallsDemetriusanoblelordwhichheprobablydoesntseethesamewith
Lysander.HealsoseesDemetrius,oneofthefourlovers,asHermiastruelove.Whathe
doesntunderstandiswhattruelovereallyis.
IbegtheancientprivilegeofAthens:Assheismine,Imaydisposeofher,Whichshall
beeithertothisgentlemanOrtoherdeath,accordingtoourlaw(Act1,Sc.1,II.4245).Egeus
clearlydoesntwanthisdaughtertomarryLysander,forhehasthreatenedhisowndaughter
withdeath.HecallsDemetriusagentlemanwhichalsomeansheseesLysandernotasa
gentlemanbutmaybeathief.IbelievesobecauseinthefirstquotehecallsLysanderoutfor
stealinghisdaughtersheart.ThesethreequotesallsupportthestatementThecourseoftrue
loveneverdidrunsmoothbecausetheyalltrytokeepHermiaandLysanderawayfromeach
other.Lookatitthisway,herfatherwouldgivedeaththangivehisconsenttolethisonlychild
marryLysander.ThisiswhyLysanderiscorrectinsayingthatThecourseoftrueloveneverdid
runsmooth.

Helena.Demetrius.Willtheyworkitout?
Inthisplay,HelenaisstillhopelesslyinlovewithDemetrius,whichisherexlover.Now,
thefeelingsdefinitelyarentasmutualwhenitcomestoDemetrius.HedoesntlikeHelenaand
wantsHermiatowed.SincehehasEgeussapproval,thisisabletobackupmystatementwhen

Isaythatlovecanhitafewroughspots.ThisisevidenceforLysandersstatementbecause
HelenaisundeniablyinlovewithDemetriusandseesitastruelove.Ontheotherhand,he
doesntquiteseeityet.Tosupportthisidea,Ivefoundaquotethathassupportedtheidea.
ThemoreIlove,themorehehatethme.(Act1,Sc.1,II.204).Thissupportsmyinterpretation
ofthequoteThecourseoftrueloveneverdidrunsmoothbecausethisshowsthateven
thoughshecaresforhimandloveshim,buthedoesntlikeevenmore.Now,mostofyousee
thisnotastruelovebutsomethingfardifferentfromit.Remember,though,theyweretogether
once.Sowhycanttheybetogetheragain?
AnotherquotetobackupmyDoIenticeyou?DoIspeakyoufair?OrratherdoInotin
plainesttruthTellyouIdonot,[nor]Icannotloveyou?(Act2,Sc,1,II.206208).Thisquote
showsthatDemetriuswantstogethispointacross.Thisshowsheisveryannoyedandwould
likeforHelenatostopfollowinghim.HeobviouslylikesHermia.Youwouldthinkafterallthis
Helenawouldstopfollowinghimbutshedoesntstop.Although,hetreatshermean,shejust
loveshimevenmore.
ThesequoteshelpsupportmyideabecauseeventhoughDemetriuswantstobewith
Hermia,shedoesntstop.ItprobablywasveryhardforHelenatojustbeabletobenear
Demetrius,butsheknowsheshertrueloveandshewontstopuntilhediscovershistruelove
too,whichHelenahopesisher.ThisiswhymyopinionaboutLysandersstatementstaysthe
same.

TitaniaandOberon:Whenwilltheystoparguing?
Throughouttheplay,TitaniaandOberonfightoverTitaniaschangelingboyfortheirown
self.Titaniawouldnotgiveupthechildforthatboyisverydeartoherheart.Oberonwonttake
itthough.HewantstheboyforduetothejealousytowardshowlovingTitaniaistotheboy.So
hestirsupaplantostealthechildwithoutTitaniaknowing.Tobackupthisidea,Ihave
evidencefromthescript.AndjealousOberonwouldhavethechildKnightofhistrain,totrace
theforestswild.Butsheperforcewithholdsthelovdboy,Crownshimwithflowers,andmakes
himallherjoy.(Act2,Sc.1,II.2429).ThisshowsthathejustwantstohaveTitaniabackfor
himself.Hedoesntwantalittleboyinthewayofthat.Youmightthink,whywouldTitania
cherishtheboyinsuchaway.Well,thisboywasherclosefriends,butaftershedied,Titania
believedshehadtotakecareofhim.
ThiscansupporttheideathatThecourseoftrueloveneverdidrunsmooth,sincethis
canexemplifythattruelovecanbehardwork.Sometimes,youcouldgothroughsomehard
timeswithyourlovedoneslikehowOberonandTitaniadid.Ifitistruelove,though,therewill
alwaysbeawayoutofthesituationfortherewillbeforgivenessandunderstandingmoments.

Intheend...
Intheend,Lysandersstatementis,Thecourseoftrueloveneverdidrunsmooth.I
believeyouwouldtooaftertheevidencegiveninthisanalysis.OnereasoniswhenHermias
father,Egeus,doesnotgivehisapprovalofLysanderandHermiasmarriage.Anotherreasonis
HelenaismadlyinlovewithDemetriusbutheoverthinkedwhat
true
lovereallywas.Lastly,
OberonsjealousyandneedytraitsmadeitespeciallyhardtoletTitaniaandOberonworkthings
out.Thesethreequotessupportthestatementsinceitisabletoshowthattherecouldbe

obstaclesinthewayofyourlove,butintheendyouwillbeabletoreachyourdestination.
Thesearewhy,inmyeyes,Lysanderisrightinsayingthatthecourseoftrueloveneverdid
runsmooth.

WorksCited
Shakespeare,William,andWilliamAldis.
AMidsummerNightsDream.
PlaceofPublicationNot
Identified:Clarendon,1894.Print.