A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Exploring the Dream World of Love and Magic Through PsychologyA Midsummer Night’s Dream is a fantastical comedy depicting the confusion and entanglement of love caused by the mischievous fairies. The love stories between humans and fairies, unfolding deep within the forest, are as beautiful as a dream and filled with a mysterious charm.
However, the true appeal of this play lies beyond its fantastical settings and plot developments. Shakespeare skillfully portrays the complex emotions hidden within the characters’ hearts, such as love, jealousy, and desire.
In this exploration, we will utilize the insights of modern psychology to analyze the characters’ actions and relationships from multiple angles, revealing the truths of human psychology hidden within this fantastical comedy.
- Hermia: Unwavering Will and “Attachment Style” Hermia is forced to marry Demetrius, the suitor chosen by her father, in accordance with Athenian law. However, she chooses Lysander, whom she truly loves, and decides to escape the constraints of her father and the law.
From the perspective of attachment theory, Hermia’s actions can be seen as indicative of a “secure attachment” style. People with secure attachment have strong affection and trust in a specific person and strive to maintain that relationship. At the same time, they value expressing their own opinions and emotions openly and building an equal relationship.
Resistance to Social Norms Hermia defies Athenian social norms and her father’s authority. This represents an important aspect of the identity establishment she experiences during adolescence (the process of forming one’s own values and beliefs and becoming independent).
She is a woman with a strong will and independence, respecting her own choices and striving to maintain her love for Lysander without succumbing to external expectations or pressures.
Hermia in the Modern World In a modern context, Hermia could be a progressive activist who confronts gender roles and social biases.
She would question old customs and discriminatory systems, actively working towards a society that respects gender equality and diversity, involving those around her.
- Lysander: A Loving and Devoted Partner Lysander is a loving young man who deeply loves Hermia and respects her will.
He does not give up on his love for her despite opposition from Hermia’s father and Athenian law, and he tries to escape Athens with her. His actions suggest an attachment style that values “intimacy.” Intimacy is the cherishing of emotional connection and mutual understanding with another person.
Lysander strives to understand and empathize with Hermia’s feelings, aiming to be a safe and secure presence (a secure base) for her.
Lysander in the Modern World In a modern context, Lysander could be an understanding husband who supports his partner’s career and dreams. He would actively participate in housework and childcare, valuing an equal relationship with his partner.
- Demetrius: The Influence of Social Learning and “Conditioning” Demetrius is the suitor chosen by Hermia’s father, but he is initially in love with Helena. However, due to the fairies’ magic, he suddenly falls in love with Hermia and coldly rejects Helena.
This abrupt change in his attitude can be explained from the perspective of behaviorist psychology through “classical conditioning.”
Classical conditioning is a learning process where a stimulus that does not initially elicit a response (neutral stimulus) becomes associated with a stimulus that does elicit a response (unconditioned stimulus), eventually triggering that response itself.
“Conditioning” of Romantic Feelings In Demetrius’s case, Hermia was not initially an object of romantic affection for him (neutral stimulus). However, due to the fairies’ love potion, he experiences strong romantic feelings (unconditioned response) upon seeing Hermia. As a result, Hermia becomes a conditioned stimulus for him, triggering romantic feelings, and he becomes infatuated with her.
Demetrius in the Modern World In a modern context, Demetrius could be a consumer easily influenced by advertising and media, sensitive to trends.
For example, if he repeatedly sees advertisements for a particular brand of perfume (neutral stimulus) paired with an attractive woman (unconditioned stimulus), he might start associating that perfume with romantic feelings or sexual arousal (unconditioned response).
Immature “Emotional Intelligence” His actions also suggest an immaturity in “emotional intelligence” (the ability to understand and control emotions). He does not try to understand the reasons behind his emotions and acts solely on impulse.
- Helena: Unrequited Love and “Cognitive Bias” Helena is a devoted woman who is in love with Demetrius but whose feelings are not reciprocated.
Distorted Self-Perception She lacks confidence in her appearance and feels inferior when comparing herself to Hermia. Helena’s low self-esteem suggests that she might be perceiving reality in a distorted way. This can be attributed to the influence of “cognitive biases,” which are distortions in human thinking.
One such cognitive bias, “selective attention,” refers to the tendency to focus only on information that is convenient for oneself and ignore inconvenient information. Despite being treated coldly by Demetrius, Helena focuses only on the slight signs of his affection, wanting to believe he is a good person, and fails to see his true feelings.
Helena in the Modern World In a modern context, Helena could be a woman who lacks confidence and always experiences failures in love. She might compare herself to her attractive and talented friends, feel inferior, and give up on finding love with her ideal partner.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Her low self-esteem could also be causing a “self-fulfilling prophecy.” A self-fulfilling prophecy is a phenomenon where believing in a prediction makes it come true. Helena’s belief that she is unworthy of love might manifest in her actions and attitudes, ultimately leading to rejection by Demetrius, creating a vicious cycle.
- Oberon and Titania: Conflict, Jealousy, and Reconciliation Oberon and Titania are the king and queen of the fairy world, but they are fighting over an Indian boy.
Power Struggle and Jealousy Their conflict can be seen as a manifestation of power struggles and jealousy, similar to those observed in human relationships. Oberon is angry that Titania does not obey him and seeks revenge by using a magic potion on her.
Titania also resists Oberon’s control and tries to assert her own will. Their conflict brings chaos to the fairy world and even affects the human world.
Relationship Repair However, they eventually reconcile, restoring order to the fairy world. This suggests the importance of communication and compromise in human relationships.
Oberon and Titania in the Modern World In a modern context, Oberon and Titania could be co-CEOs fighting over control of a company.
They are partners who have led the company to success together, but conflicts arise due to differences in management philosophies and power struggles, negatively impacting the entire company. However, they might eventually choose to respect each other’s opinions, find common ground, reconcile, and work together again to grow the company.
- Puck: Between Playfulness and Irresponsibility Puck is a fairy who serves Oberon and enjoys causing mischief, bringing chaos to both the human and fairy worlds.
Developmental Psychology and Underdeveloped “Frontal Lobe” From a developmental psychology perspective, his actions resemble those of a young child with an underdeveloped frontal lobe (the brain region responsible for thinking, judgment, and impulse control).
He acts impulsively without considering the impact of his actions on others.
Puck in the Modern World If Puck lived in the modern world, he might be a YouTuber who posts malicious prank videos that cause online outrage.
He would act without ethical considerations or regard for the impact on others, driven solely by the desire for attention, ultimately causing significant problems.
Pleasure Principle and Lack of Responsibility His actions can also be interpreted as being driven by the “pleasure principle” (the fundamental human desire to seek pleasure and avoid pain) in Freudian psychodynamic theory.
He prioritizes his own enjoyment and lacks a sense of responsibility for the consequences of his actions.
- Bottom: Desire for Recognition and “Self-Display” Bottom is a weaver with a simple and pure heart, but he is also attention-seeking and wants to play the leading role in the play.
Self-Love and Need for Recognition His actions can be interpreted in relation to fundamental human needs such as “self-love” and the “need for recognition.” He enjoys being in the spotlight and has a strong desire to be acknowledged by others.
However, this desire sometimes backfires and confuses those around him.
Desire for Transformation When Puck transforms his head into that of a donkey, Bottom accepts his new appearance and receives Titania’s affection. This might suggest that he has escapist tendencies and seeks solace in a fantasy world.
Bottom in the Modern World In a modern context, Bottom could be a young person who wants to be popular and tries out for an audition program, perhaps a bit of a show-off.
He would enjoy being in the spotlight and frequently post selfies on social media.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A “Theater of the Mind” Where Fantasy and Reality IntertwineA Midsummer Night’s Dream is a play that humorously depicts love, fantasy, and the complexities of human psychology.
The characters experience various trials due to the fairies’ magic and their own emotional fluctuations. By shedding light on their actions and emotions through psychology, we can gain a deeper understanding and enjoyment of this work.
And their stories might provide us with an opportunity to re-examine the struggles within our own hearts