A Midsummer Night's Dream

The Significance of William Shakespeare’s Hermia: A Possible Protagonist? 10th Grade

In the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, there are many interesting characters who often perform heroic or important actions. Instead of focusing on one of these characters as the protagonist, the play revolves around multiple characters with different, and often conflicting intentions. As the night unfolds it becomes hard to determine who is the hero or protagonist. Despite the lack of emphasis on a protagonist in this play, the character who is closest to becoming the protagonist is Hermia. Indeed, she resembles a true protagonist even in a crowded play because she has a strong connection to the other main characters, she has many obstacles to overcome, and the play’s events revolve around her choices.

Firstly, Hermia is protagonist-like because she is a central character as she has strong connections with the other main characters in the play. Hermia shows that she has a strong connection with Lysander, as he is her lover. Hermia and Lysander are extremely devoted to each other and Hermia is willing to die for this devotion. Hermia says “So I will grow, so live, so die, my lord, ere I will yield my virgin patent up unto his lordship, whose unwished yoke my soul consents not to give sovereignty ”...

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