Analyzing Shakespeare: Illustrations and Relations

Part II: Illustrations
A Midsummer Night's Dream as illustrated by Saddleback Educational Publishing

In this rendition of Shakespeare, Bottom awakens from his rendezvous with Titania. (51) He is disoriented and alone and he immediately dismisses the previous night's events as only a dream. This happens within the span of two panels, which show Bottom in his human form with a necklace of flowers. He is sitting in the forest alone. In the first panel, his gestures show that he is groggy from just waking up. In the second panel, his expression implies that he's had an epiphany--he's just recalled the curious events of the previous night. The text is "dumbed-down" and re-written in plain English.

It's clear that this adaptation is aimed towards a wide audience, since it is very easily understandable. However, a lot of the magic of Shakespeare is lost with this interpretation.


Part III: Relations
Helena/Demetrius

The relationship between Helena and Demetrius throughout the play is much like a roller coaster ride. At first, Demetrius sees Helena as a heavy burden, as she is following him to such an extent that it could be considered stalking. It seems as if Helena accepts the fact that Demetrius loathes her, but she still pursues him despite this. She makes many references to her relentlessness in pursuing her love.
"And as he errs, doting on Hermia's eyes,
So I, admiring of his qualities.
Things base and vile, holding no quantity,
Love can transpose to form and dignity."
(Act 1, Scene 1, Lines 230-233)
When Demetrius falls victim to Oberon's plan, he falls head-over-heels for Helena and, even though this is everything that Helena had dreamed of, she is unable to accept his love because she believes that he is making a mockery of her. She is shocked and appalled at his sudden change of devotion and refuses to accept that Demetrius' love for her is true. She demeans his manliness as a result of her confusion.
"You both are rivals, and love Hermia,
and now both rivals to mock Helena--
A trim exploit, a manly enterprise,
to conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyes
With your derision. None of noble sort
would so offend a virgin and extort
A poor soul's patience, all to make you sport."
(Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 156-161)