When Helena from A Midsummer Night's Dream says...?

Question

Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;

And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind.

What does she mean?

Answer 1

Cupid tends to have people fall in love at first sight, which really doesn;t work.

If you really think about love, you may find a truer, deeper love.

Answer 2

I think she was trying to say that love isn't about looks, it's about what you feel... That's why "cupid" (Love) is blind...?

Answer 3

She's saying that true love is based off people's personalities, hence the mind, rather than their lust, or what's appealing to the eye. Because of this, when people paint Cupid, the Greek god, they typically paint him with a blind-fold on.

Answer 4

A lover is blind to the faults of his beloved. How the lover sees the beloved one to be in the mind's eye (imagination) is his truth. Looks, reality have nothing to do with what attracts a lover or shapes a lover's ardor.