Love-juice is just Shakespearean for Dopamine

Our discussions of the affect of the love-juice in A Midsummer Night's Dream got me thinking about chemistry. And not just the chemistry between Titania and Bottom! (go on, groan. It was a terrible pun). But the actual chemistry in love.

When we are in love, there's an actual chemical reaction going on in our mind. How Stuff Works has an excellent write-up about it. Chemicals such as dopamine and norepinephrine are essential to the love process. Dopamine helps us feel bliss. Norepinephrine gets the heart racing. A surge of dopamine could lead to addiction and other nasty habits.  We talked in class today about stalkers. Here's a doctor that refers to dopamine as the stalker chemical.

There is some evidence of drugs and hallucinogens being used in Elizabethan England.  Whether or not Shakespeare dabbled in drugs is debatable, but given his power of insight and observation, he no doubt saw its effects on people. To equate drugs and love is an easy step. I think everyone has seen something about love being like a drug. In A Midsummer Night's Dream we have a drug causing love, which is a fun play on the trope.

With that in mind, here is part 1 of 9  of  "A Midsummer Night's Rave"

Now, I haven't watched it, but have read about it. I'll watch it soon and give you a full report. I'm sure you'll be waiting with baited breath.