在莎士比亚的《仲夏夜之梦》中，莱山德勇敢地向埃格斯挑战，要求他为赫米娅选择一个求婚者。莱桑德公开表示他爱赫米娅，并揭露德米特里厄斯反复无常，拒绝了海伦娜而支持她的朋友。

第一幕第一场

LYSANDER You have her father's love, Demetrius; Let me have Hermia's: do you marry him.​ EGEUS Scornful Lysander! true, he hath my love, And what is mine my love shall render him. And she is mine, and all my right of her I do estate unto Demetrius. LYSANDER I am, my lord, as well derived as he, As well possess'd; my love is more than his; My fortunes every way as fairly rank'd, If not with vantage, as Demetrius'; And, which is more than all these boasts can be, I am beloved of beauteous Hermia: Why should not I then prosecute my right? Demetrius, I'll avouch it to his head, Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena, And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes, Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry, Upon this spotted and inconstant man.

性格动机

莱桑德鼓励赫米娅和他一起逃到他姨妈家，这样两人就可以结婚了。在森林里时，莱桑德试图让她和他上床，但他无法说服她。

当他醒来时，他被错误地涂上了爱情药水，并爱上了海伦娜。莱桑德决定让赫米娅在地面上不受保护地追捕海伦娜。这潜在地证明了药剂的力量，因为我们知道他有多爱赫米娅，但现在药剂让他如此反感，以至于他愿意离开她。因此，有一种观点认为，我们不能因为他在爱情药剂的强大影响下的行为而责怪他，因为如果我们可以，当他最终与赫米娅重聚时，我们可能不会高兴，因为他在帕克的影响下对她如此可怕：

第三幕第二场

LYSANDER Hang off, thou cat, thou burr! vile thing, let loose, Or I will shake thee from me like a serpent! HERMIA Why are you grown so rude? what change is this? Sweet love — LYSANDER Thy love! out, tawny Tartar, out! Out, loathed medicine! hated potion, hence!

当爱情药水被取下，这对夫妇被发现时，莱山德勇敢地向赫米娅的父亲和忒修斯解释说，他鼓励她私奔。这一行动是勇敢的，因为它激怒了埃格斯，莱桑德知道它会的。在这里，莱山德展示了他的勇气和决心，无论后果如何，他都会坚持与赫米娅在一起，这让他再次受到观众的喜爱。我们知道莱山德真的爱赫米娅，他们的结局将是幸福的，因为忒修斯会平息埃格斯的愤怒。

LYSANDER My lord, I shall reply amazedly, Half sleep, half waking: but as yet, I swear, I cannot truly say how I came here; But, as I think, — for truly would I speak, And now do I bethink me, so it is, — I came with Hermia hither: our intent Was to be gone from Athens, where we might, Without the peril of the Athenian law. EGEUS Enough, enough, my lord; you have enough: I beg the law, the law, upon his head. They would have stolen away; they would, Demetrius, Thereby to have defeated you and me, You of your wife and me of my consent, Of my consent that she should be your wife.