Emily Koufos
1/14/15
English/Cooke Float

Love at First Sight:
R&J + Midsummer Night’s Dream

The theme “Love at First Sight” was portrayed in both Romeo and Juliet and Midsummer Night’s Dream, which were both written by Shakespeare. In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo meets Juliet for the first time and immediately falls in love with her, and fortunately, so Juliet also falls in love with Romeo. In Midsummer Night’s Dream, the love is more “artificial” when a fairy named Oberon sends Puck (who he takes care of) to go and use a love potion on two Athenian men, Lysander and Demetrius. The potion’s effect is that when the men wake up from their sleep, the first woman they see they will fall in love with.
Love at First Sight is one of the biggest themes that is set in Romeo and Juliet. While a party hosted by Lord Capulet was being held, Juliet, daughter of Lord Capulet, was planning to get married to a man named Paris, who the Capulets dearly loved, but Juliet felt the opposite way. That night, Romeo was attending the party and then spots the most beautiful girl that he has ever seen before. It was Juliet. Romeo has no idea who Juliet is and what she is like, but he instantly falls in love with her the second he lays eyes on her. Romeo says to himself, “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear-Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!”(1.5 45-48). He also says, "Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight, For I never saw true beauty till this night." (1.5 53) Romeo then pulls Juliet aside secretly and immediately expresses his love for her. At first, Juliet is surprised by the actions of this stranger, but suddenly begins to flirt back. Could she start to fall for him too? Soon enough, Juliet allows Romeo to give her a kiss, and it looks like Juliet is falling for him after all, even though this is the first time even meeting each other. Romeo and Juliet end up finding each other after this huge event because they can’t seem to be apart from each other. Both can’t stop thinking of one another and all they want to do is be with each other. Even though Juliet is a Capulet and Romeo is a Montague, they still have the same feelings for each other no matter what family they are from, and that is what shows that they are truly in love with each other from first sight. Later on in the story, Romeo and Juliet’s love grows. They secretly get married, but have multiple struggles throughout the story (which is why they are called “star-crossed lovers”). Romeo and Juliet are some of the most popular fictional characters in the world that originated with the theme “Love at First Sight”. These two young lovers fell in love within an instant, not knowing anything about each other, and they didn’t even let that matter. Yet both of them had other lovers at the time, Romeo and Juliet knew that the moment they met there were no others that would be right for themselves. Romeo and Juliet loved each other right in the moment after exchanging few words and didn’t let anything else in their lives matter at that time. They would sacrifice anything they have to be with each other. That is the definition of true love, which came from love at first sight.

In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Love at First Sight is also a huge theme that takes place in the plot. The King of the fairies named Oberon and his assistant, Robin Goodfellow, have a magic “love potion” that they plan to use. They both interfere with the love between the four characters Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius, and Helena, while also planning to use it on his ex wife, Queen Tatiana. Tatiana is taking care of a young Indian boy who is both close to herself and Oberon. Oberon pleads to be with the child, but Tatiana utterly refuses. Oberon becomes jealous and furious and wants to be able to take the boy and raise him to be a knight, so he finds a plan to get his way. While Tatiana is asleep, he uses his