AWEJ for Translation & Literary Studies, Volume 6, Number2. May 2022 Pp.120-126
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awejtls/vol6no2.9
Hermia’s Loss of Paradise in Midsummer Night’s Dream: Seeing the Other
Samer Ziyad Alsharadgeh
English Language Centre
Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Email: szsharadgeh@uqu.edu.sa
Received:1/22/2022 Accepted:4/18/2022 Published:5/24/2022
Abstract:
This article analyses the gap between the young (Hermia and Lysander) and old (Egeus and Theseus) generation in Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream from Jung’s (2012) perspective of individuation. Individuation is a process where one gains sense of singular identity separate from the influence of others in a society. This gap between the young and old generation has always been a bone of contention in every age. This article tries to highlight the reasons and solutions necessary to achieve harmony without breaking the bond of respect. Hermia in Midsummer Night’s Dream is a young Athenian girl who falls in love with Lysander, whom her father Egeus dislikes. She cannot marry Lysander without the consent of her father. The gap between the old and new generations comes to the fore. Hermia loses her paradise because she wants to marry Lysander while her father is against this marriage. Thus, a conflict between the individual’s interests starts. This conflict resolves through the process of individuation, where all characters reconcile their differences through a moment of self-discovery that leads to the cultivation of a character, rooted in individuality transcending mere social roles and the expectations of society. This article projects the value of human freedom against suppressing values based on a personal desire to dominate and rule. It also highlights the importance of self-certainty and its conscious integration based on the principle of mutual respect necessary for social dynamism.
Keywords: conflict, individuation, midsummer night’s dream, self-discovery
Cite as: Alsharadgeh, S. Z. (2022). Hermia’s Loss of Paradise in Midsummer Night’s Dream: Seeing the Other. Arab World English Journal for Translation & Literary Studies 6 (2) 120-126.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awejtls/vol6no2.9
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