“Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind. And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind” (Shakespeare 17). When we are in love, we don’t see with our eyes, we see with our minds. That is why paintings of Cupid, the god of love, is always shown as blind. Since Cupid has no eyes, but has wings, he is bound to cause trouble. Love is the same way. It does not have good judgement and it causes trouble.
Is cupid painted blind?
Shakespeare is, and always has been, a staple of English literature – and probably always will be. “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.” (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) This means that it shouldn’t matter what a person looks like, you love them for their personality and what’s inside.
Why is Cupid winged and boyish?
Cupid is winged, allegedly because lovers are flighty and likely to change their minds, and boyish because love is irrational. His symbols are the arrow and torch, "because love wounds and inflames the heart.".
Why is cupid painted blind in A Midsummer Night Dream?
The quote "Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; / And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind" sets a humorous and ironic tone for A Midsummer Night's Dream. Thanks to Puck and some love potion, the exact opposite of this quotation proves true throughout the play as lovers fall in love with a mere look and no thought at all.
Why is Cupid the god of Love Blind?
This is why Cupid, the god of love, is portrayed as blind. Lovers decide whom to love based on all the qualities of the beloved and not on appearance alone. Of course, in this play, the exact opposite is true, and that's what makes this quotation both ironic and hilarious.
What does Helena mean when she says Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind?
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind meaning” Meaning. This quote suggests that love does not use eyes to see one's beloved but the mind. Love depends on one's perception of another person. It is a direct reference to what Helena believes is keeping Demetrius in love with Hermia.
What does Helena mean by it is not night when I do see your face?
The line "It is not night when I do see your face" creates a mood of romantic love.
What is the meaning of wings and no eyes figure Unheedy haste?
Nor hath Love's mind of any judgement taste;Wings, and no eyes, figure unheedy haste. This quote from A Midsummer Night's Dream means that love does not look with reason (with the "eyes") but with the imagination ("the mind").
Who Wrote Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind?
William ShakespeareQuote by William Shakespeare: “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind...”
What does Helena's statement I am your spaniel reveal about her?
What does Helena's statement "I am your spaniel" reveal about her? It shows that as long as she can be with him, she doesn't care how Demetrius treats her. Bottom uses words incorrectly: We will meet, and there we may rehearse most obscenely and courageously.
What insult does Helena say about Hermia's appearance?
As Lysander and Demetrius become love struck over Helena, they are cruel to Hermia, making blatant racist jokes about her dark complexion. Lysander calls her an ''Ethiope,'' meaning a dark-skinned person from Africa. He also calls her a ''tawny Tartar,'' meaning someone of Asian descent.
What is winged Cupid?
Cupid is winged, allegedly because lovers are flighty and likely to change their minds, and boyish because love is irrational. His symbols are the arrow and torch, "because love wounds and inflames the heart."
What does love is blind mean in English?
Definition of love is blind —used to say that people do not see the faults of the people that they love.
What does Unheedy mean?
: not attended or listened to : not heeded unheeded warnings.
What is so ironic about Bottom's name?
Bottom's name is ironic because, for the most part, he tends to act like another name for 'bottom' while on stage. He is very proud and spends much of his time bragging. 20. What does Oberon tell Puck to do with the love juice after seeing the conversation between Helena and Demetrius?
What did Hermia dream about why is her dream ironic?
Lysander has just abandoned Hermia in pursuit of Helena because of the love potion. It is ironic that Hermia has this dream that Lysander has abandoned her, with a snake eating her heart.
What strange dream did Hermia?
145: Hermia wakes suddenly from a nightmare she had, crying out for Lysander to help her. She dreamt that a snake was eating her heart while Lysander sat by and watched, smiling. She then realizes Lysander isn't near her after all, and she gets scared.
What does the quote "Love is blind" mean?
This quote is basically the adage, "Love is blind." What he means is that if you love someone, you generally love them not for what they look like, but for who they are inside. Out of context, the quote is quite romantic. In the context of the play however, the quote is quite ironic; later Titania will fall in love with Bottom after he's been given a donkey head. Bottom's character is not admirable, so there is really no reason--heart or mind--for her to love him, and that's where irony enters the situation.
Why is Shakespeare's quote "Love is blind" important?
As for the meaning, the quote is important because it represents one of Shakespeare's many ideas about love, and Shakespeare is often considered to be an expert at getting to the heart of human emotions. This quote is basically the adage, "Love is blind.".
What does the quote "Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind" mean?
The quote "Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; / And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind" sets a humorous and ironic tone for A Midsummer Night's Dream. Thanks to Puck and some love potion, the exact opposite of this quotation proves true throughout the play as lovers fall in love with a mere look and no thought at all.
Why does Demetrius love Helena?
When the play begins, he's in love with Hermia, and Helena indicates that the main reason is because Hermia is prettier. By the end of the play, Demetrius has found his true love in Helena. He was looking for love with his eyes; however, he wasn't finding true love.
Is love blind in Puck and Puck?
Thus in this play, love is far from blind. It appears as the direct result of seeing another person (at least if the seer has love potion on his eyelids). What's more, love has nothing at all to do with the mind, but rather with Puck's magical flower and clumsy ways. Helena's words about love not looking with the eyes but with the mind turn out to be hilariously ironic indeed. In the end, though, Puck finally sorts everything out, and both couples, Demetrius and Helena and Lysander and Hermia, marry and presumably live happily ever after.
Important Vocabulary to Know
Cupid: a reference to the son of Venus and Mars in classical mythology. IN this case, the name is a metaphor for love itself. One might read the quote as “winged love is painted blind.”
Where Does Shakespeare Use This Quote?
Shakespeare uses this quote in Act I, Scene 1 in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It is spoken by Helena at the end of the scene. It is part of a dramatic monologue that sets a humorous tone for the rest of the play. Readers will realize as the play progresses that the exact opposite of the quotation proves to be true.
Why Did Shakespeare Use This Quote?
Shakespeare used this quote as a prelude to the rest of the play. It is striking humorous, and ironic when one knows what will happen next. That is the exact opposite of what the quotation suggests. When Helena speaks this quote, she’s considering the relationship she wants to have with Demetrius (and that Demetrius wants to have with Hermia).
FAQs
What does Helena mean when she says, “Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind?”
Other Resources
Baldwin, Emma. "Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind". Poem Analysis, https://poemanalysis.com/shakespeare-quotes/love-looks-not-with-the-eyes-but-with-the-mind/. Accessed 21 February 2022.
What does the quote "Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind" mean?
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.Nor hath Love's mind of any judgement taste;Wings, and no eyes, figure unheedy haste. This quote from A Midsummer Night's Dream means that love does not look with reason (with the "eyes") but with the imagination ("the mind").
What do Lysander and Hermia confide to Helena?
Lysander and Hermia confide to Helena that they have decided to run off together to Lysander's aunt's house , which is beyond the Duke's' authority. Helena decides to use this information to show Demetrius that Hermia doesn't love him—that he can never marry her—and to win Demetrius back for herself.
What does Helena feel about Demetrius?
Helena is left alone at the end of the scene, and in her monologue, she confesses that she's envious of Lysander and Hermia, jealous of Demetrius's love for Hermia (what does he see in Hermia that he doesn't see in her?), and feels that Demetrius made a mistake in preferring Hermia to her —but that she loves him anyway and wants him back.
What does Hermia rebel against?
Talking with Lysander later in the scene, Hermia rebels against the idea that she must conform to her father's wishes and reinforces this motif:
Do people in love look at their beloved?
However, people in love do not behave reasonably or perceive the beloved with objective eyes. Instead, when we say they LOOK at the beloved with their imagination, we mean the lover has created an idea in his or her mind of what the person they love looks like that may bear no relationship to reality.
Why is Cupid winged?
Cupid is winged, allegedly because lovers are flighty and likely to change their minds, and boyish because love is irrational. His symbols are the arrow and torch, "because love wounds and inflames the heart." These attributes and their interpretation were established by late antiquity, as summarized by Isidore of Seville (d. 636 AD) in his Etymologiae. Cupid is also sometimes depicted blindfolded and described as blind, not so much in the sense of sightless—since the sight of the beloved can be a spur to love—as blinkered and arbitrary. As described by Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1590s):
What does the cupid symbolise?
Particularly in ancient Roman art, cupids may also carry or be surrounded by fruits, animals, or attributes of the Seasons or the wine-god Dionysus, symbolizing the earth's generative capacity. Having all these associations, Cupid is considered to share parallels with the Hindu god Kama.
What is the meaning of the image of a cupid as a bee?
The image of Cupid as a bee is part of a complex tradition of poetic imagery involving the flower of youth, the sting of love as a deflowering, and honey as a secretion of love. Cupids playing with a lyre, Roman fresco from Herculaneum.
What is the meaning of the word "cupid" with a dolphin?
In other contexts, Cupid with a dolphin recurs as a playful motif, as in garden statuary at Pompeii that shows a dolphin rescuing Cupid from an octopus, or Cupid holding a dolphin. The dolphin, often elaborated fantastically, might be constructed as a spout for a fountain.
What kind of arrow does a cupid carry?
Cupid carries two kinds of arrows, or darts, one with a sharp golden point, and the other with a blunt tip of lead. A person wounded by the golden arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire, but the one struck by the lead feels aversion and desires only to flee.
How many arrows does Cupid have?
A variation is found in The Kingis Quair, a 15th-century poem attributed to James I of Scotland, in which Cupid has three arrows: gold, for a gentle "smiting" that is easily cured; the more compelling silver; and steel, for a love-wound that never heals.
Why is Cupid a popular figure?
In contemporary popular culture, Cupid is shown drawing his bow to inspire romantic love, often as an icon of Valentine's Day.
Why does Demetrius say it shouldn't matter what a person looks like?
This means that it shouldn’t matter what a person looks like, you love them for their personality and what’s inside . The quote is said in jealousy, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by Helena because Demetrius thinks that Hermia is more beautiful than Helena and has been swayed by her beauty. Helena thinks that Demetrius should love her for who she is and keep his promises to her rather than loving Hermia for her beauty.
What does Shakespeare mean by "Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind"?
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.” (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) This means that it shouldn’t matter what a person looks like, you love them for their personality and what’s inside. ...
