Usurpation in Richard II, As You Like It, Midsummer Nights Dream, and Romeo and Juliet :: Midsummer Nights Dream Essays

Usurpation in Richard II, As You Like It, Midsummer Nights conceive of, and Romeo and JulietIn both As You Like It and Richard II, the concept of misdemeanor is illustrated in a political sense by a character substituting himself as ruler. However, Shakespeare employs usurpation in other contexts with characters of all different social positions. These 2 plays, A Midsummer Nights Dream, and Romeo and Juliet feature several kinds of usurpation, which are significant to characterization and plot development. The first instance of usurpation in A Midsummer Nights Dream is Demetrius saying Yield/Thy crazed title to my certain right (I.i.91-2). Essentially he is telling Lysander to give up his pursuit of Hermia, although Demetrius is not in a position to command Lysander. This sets the two characters against each other, and adds to the plays central conflict of whom Hermia will marry. Another kind of usurpation is shown by Egeus choosing Hermias husband he denies her the right to use up her husband based on love. Furthermore, Egeus endangers Hermias life, as Theseus declares she must marry Demetrius or die. This combination starts the plot action, causing Lysander and Hermia to flee Athens. Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius, and Helena occupying the forest exemplifies a third type, which places them in dream-like circumstances. Here, Lysander and Demetrius are forced out of character under the influence of Oberons pansy juice. Both men fall in love with Helena, plainly only Lysander is given the antidote to Oberons pansy juice Demetrius remains in love with Helena and ultimately marries her. Thus going into the forest drastically affects Demetrius character, as he no longer seeks to marry Hermia. A fourth kind of usurpation involves using or agreeing upon things. Oberon employing Puck, a puccha, is an example of this. Although Oberon intends only to trick Titania, Pucks disadvantage dictates both the personality and the actions of several characters, most notably Ti tania, who falls temporarily in love with Bottom, and Demetrius, who falls and remains in love with Helena. The kind of usurpation most present in Romeo and Juliet is the encroachment or impeding of anothers rights. The first example is Capulet promising Juliet to Paris. As in A Midsummer Nights Dream, the fathers wishes contrast with the daughters, causing the daughter character to attempt to flee her family in hopes of escaping her arranged marriage and living with her lover. Although breaking tradition and even practice of law by defying their fathers, these characters define themselves by choosing their husbands they are not simply property to be sold off (with respect to the tradition of dowry).