Thursday, August 1, 2024
Oberon and Titania: Similarities and Differences
Here is another question I answered from Study.com about the play A Midsummer Night's Dream. I wrote this earlier but polished it today.
- What are some of the ways that Oberon and Titania are similar to each other, and what are some of the ways they are different from each other?
There are several ways in which Oberon and Titania are similar to each other and different from each other. The most important similarity between Oberon and Titania is that they are both fairies. They both have a retinue consisting of other fairies. Titania's retinue consists only of fairies while Oberon's retinue appears to have a goblin named Puck or Robin Goodfellow. Robin Goodfellow is a mischievous goblin and he makes Oberon smile with his tricks and antics. Titania's retinue consists of fairies like Peaceblossom, Moth, Cobweb and Mustard seed. These fairies are extremely disciplined and do chores such as gathering honey, nuts, sing lullabies, collect dew drops etc. They help Bottom and eagerly do his bidding. Unlike Puck they are not mischievous.
At the end of the play Oberon and Titania find common ground and forget their differences and bless the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta and the two young Athenian couples. They are equally sincere in wishing blessings upon the marriages.
Titania and Oberon are married to each other. Both accuse each other of being unfaithful. Oberon accepts the accusations as true. Titania does not.
When Oberon wants something from Titania he tricks Titania to obtain what he wants. Titania on the other hand does not trick anyone to get what she wants. Oberon likes an Indian boy being raised by Titania. He wants the Indian child to be his henchman and so asks Titania for him. Titania refuses by saying that the Indian boy is given to her by his mother who died in childbirth. Since the boy's mother was a close friend, Titania does not want to give him to Oberon. Oberon devises a plan to get the Indian boy. He gets a flower called love-in-idleness and applies its juice upon Titania's eyes and casts a spell upon her. Because of the spell Titania falls in love with a person called Bottom who has been fitted with a ass's head. While Titania is besotted with Bottom, Oberon asks Titania for the Indian child and Titania without protesting gives the Indian child to Oberon. Thus Oberon gets what he wants from Titania by tricking her.
Oberon chooses to intervene in the affairs of humans. Oberon asks Puck to apply the potion on the eyes of Demetrius so that he would see Helena who is following him and so Demetrius could fall in love with Helena whom he has been spurning.
However Puck to whom he gives this responsibility mistakenly applies the potion to the eyes of Lysander who forsakes his true love Hermia to fall in love with Helena. Oberon's intention in telling Puck to apply the potion on the eyes of Demetrius is motivated by compassion toward Helena but it is debatable if human emotions can be tampered with in such a way by using potions. Oberon only wanted Demetrius to like Helena who had been pursuing Demetrius throughout the play but Demetrius has to choose Helena by himself and not because of a potion. Titania on the other hand does not interfere in the lives of the human characters in the play. She remains completely aloof.
When Puck by mistake applies the potion on Lysander causing the true love between Lysander and Hermia to be broken temporarily Oberon fixes the matter by undoing the effect of the potion on Lysander's eyes.
Titania is very devoted to Bottom while the love potion is working on her. Oberon finds Titania's love for Bottom amusing.
Titania is not a very submissive wife to Oberon due to what she considers his unfaithfulness. When Oberon asks for the Indian child she refuses to give the child to Oberon. She only relents under the effect of the potion.
These are the differences and similarities between Titania and Oberon.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment