A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay

Analysis A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare The story of A Midsummer Night's Dream
was mainly about love and its abnormal dealings. In the play, Shakespeare tried to show that love is
unpredictable, unreasonable, and at times is blind. The theme of love was constantly used during
the play and basically everything that was said and done was related to the concept of love and its
unpredictable ness. Shakespeare made all of the characters interact their lives to be based on each
other's. At first, everything was very confusing, and the characters were faced with many different
problems. In the end, however, they were still able to persevere and win their true love, the love
they were searching for in the first place....show more content...
Hermia was not going to give up her growing passion and desire for Lysander. She decided to run
off into the woods with Lysander and get married. The two ran in the woods, got lost, and settled
down to rest until the morning. Hermia's love was still deep for Lysander, but she was not
comfortable sleeping directly next to him. This showed that she still had her morals in tact and
she made him sleep further away from her. As morning came, Lysander awoke before Hermia
and, abandoned her because he was under the spell. When Hermia woke up and saw that her true
love was missing, she quickly went to find him. Hermia never gave up on her love for Lysander.
She only wanted him and nothing was going to stop her. Astonishingly she was able to pass all of
the obstacles in her way and still retain the love for Lysander. Lysander on the other hand was not
able to hold on to his love for Hermia during the time in the woods. In the beginning he started out
madly in love with Hermia and unable to hide his true feelings for her. He was forced by the spell
to forget about Hermia and instead he wanted her friend Helena, because of the nectar in his eyes,
which made him fall in love with the first person he sees (intervention of supernatural, to change
destiny). Lysander chased Helena and begged for her love. The spell from the nectar caused
Lysander to take a totally different view on his life. Now, he wanted Helena and he could not even
stand to look at
Get more content on HelpWriting.net

A Midsummer Night's Dream Essay
When I read A Midsummer Night's Dream, one thing really stands out to me and that is the plot
element of it. It isn't an ordinary play, it has a reality essence included with fantasy and I believe it
comes together beautifully. I feel as if the play is the perfect mix of reality vs fantasy. The play
starts off with the duke of Athens (Theseus) preparing to marry the queen of the Amazons,
Hippolyta. Within the first part of the play, Hermia is pretty much given the option of following her
father orders, which is to marrying Demetrius or being executed. Because of this, Hermia and her true
love (Lysander) makes plans to run away from home and get married on their own. Now moving
on to the people in the forest, you have a band rehearsing (most important person to me is Bottom)
for the Duke's upcoming wedding and you have fairies. The King and Queen of the fairies are at a
standstill with a disagreement in regards to a boy that the Queen has adopted, the King wants him to
serve him but the Queen doesn't think he should. So because of this the lovers get into an argument
and the King, Oberon, has sent his trusty servant Puck to get a flower to regain...show more content...
As time goes on, a love triangle forms and both Demetrius and Lysander are now in love with
Helena thanks to Puck. Because of this, Hermia feels neglected and jealous and challenges Helena
to a fight. So to solve this issue, Puck instead makes them lost in the forest to avoid any
altercations. To bring even more humor to the play, Titania (who has had the potion poured on her
eyelids as well) has finally awoken and the first thing she sees is Bottom, who Puck has made a
Donkey from the shoulders up. Because of the potion the Queen has now started to shower the boy
with love and other things and the King is humored by

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" Essay
"A Midsummer Night's Dream", one of Shakespeare's most beloved comedies, is generally
thought of as a comical romance. A very important factor that makes the whole play a comedy, is
magic, which is used to affect the lives of four Athenians: Hermia, Lysander, Helena and
Demetrius. Bottom, also a simple human, falls victim of the fairies' mischievous magic. The
magic reaches these characters by Puck, a naughty fairy, and Oberon, the king of fairies. Puck
decides to cast a spell on Bottom, making him grow a donkey head, and Oberon decides to cast a
spell on Titania, making her fall in love with Bottom. From a simple mistaken spell, a rollercoaster
of emotions, conflicts and laughter emerge. Magic is...show more content...
227–228). "Do I entice you? Do I speak you fair? Or rather do I not in plainest truth Tell you I do
not, nor I cannot love you?" (2–1 ll. 199–201) Demetrius clearly illustrates to Helena that he has no
interest, but Helena persists. Helena says, "And even for that do I love you the more. I am your
spaniel and, Demetrius, the more you beat me, I will fawn on you." (2–1 ll. 202–204). "Your virtue
is my privilege. For that It is not night when I do see your face, Therefore I think I am not in the
night;" (2–1 ll. 220–222). This proves that Helena is a fool because Demetrius doesn't love her, but
she still continues in her pursue of love with him. After he potion gets put on his eyes, it starts
having an immense effect on his behavior and perspective towards Helena, so much that he
actually starts telling her how much he loves her, how beautiful she is and that he needs her.
Helena responds to this behavior badly by crying and scolding him because she has always been
made fun of by Demetrius, and now she thinks that he is teasing her even more by telling her that
he truly loves her and needs her. Helena thinks that Demetrius does all this so that she gets very
angry at him and stops loving him. At this point in the play the sweet, pathetic Helena has no
residue of love left in her heart to love Demetrius. Writing about forced love, there is also another
target that gets given a funny donkey head,

Midsummer Night's Dream
How the real and the imagined worlds are explored in a Midsummer Night's Dream. "A
Midsummer Night's Dream" written by William Shakespeare in 1595, shows us fantastical
elements and a griping narrative that demonstrations the values of both the real and imagined
world and what links them together. The play has been read and watched for the four decades.
Values are very important in both the real and imagined world. In the real world (Athens) there
are values that we would see today such as, following the law, being loyal to friends and family.
With an example being that Hermia does not show loyalty to her father and she was loyal to Helena
as she did not want to marry Demetrius. The Values in the Imagined world (Forest) are very different

A Midsummer Night 's Dream Essay
A Midsummer NIght's Dream A " Midsummer Night's Dream" is a classical play written by
William Shakespeare. It is one of his more eccentric piece of work. The play is about the struggle
of love between four essential characters: Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius , and Helena. However, it
is not quite that simple. The play is quite confusing. In "Midsummer Night's dream" the play take
place in two realms fairy realm and human realm, two of the three main settings. Another one of
the settings take place inside the cottage of a carpenter Peter Quince. At one point during the play
the realms converge Making it difficult for the audience to distinguish the difference between
reality and illusion within the play. This is one of the many reasons the play is interesting or
appealing. Also to add on, the symbolism of the tile and moon, and comedic elements within the
play serves engage and intrigue. The beginning of the play begins in Athen during the light of day,
reality. It is here we are introduced to the first six of essential characters: Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus,
Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius, and Helena. Here we learn that Theseus and Hippolyta are getting,
however, they are not happy as one might think. Now, Egeus, the father of Hermia insists she
marries Demetrius, one of her two suitors. However, Hermia does not want to marry Demetrius, she
loves Lysander. On the other hand, Helena loves Demetrius, he does not feel the same way. Essential
their issue is unrequited love. Just as

A Midsummer Night's Dream Literary Analysis
What literary criticism lens is most effective in creating meaning and entertainment throughout
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream? The play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, has
several characters involved in a love triangle. Many scenes in the story involves power being used
or taken away and use of money. Throughout the play, readers and viewers experiences Hermia's
power is being taken away by her father, Eugues,which is her kindred, not letting her marry the
man she truly loves,Lysander. Later throughout the story, Robin, character from the story
contains a enthrall love juice that has power and makes another character from the story, Titania,
fall in love with a donkey.The marxist literary criticism lens is the most effective in creating
meaning and entertaining readers and viewers in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. To
begin with, Act 1 Scene 1 helps develop the marxist lens for the reader and viewer. According to a
Midsummer Night's Dream, "That's why I'm giving him my daughter. She mine and I'm giving
her to Demetrius. My lord I'm just as noble and rich.." (Shakespeare 1.1, 9). This demonstrates
how there is money and power involved in the story. Egeus, Hermia's father, removes all of her
power. Egeus has her power and controls his daughter, Hermia. In the story, Egeus arranges her
marriage with someone whom she doesn't love, and he doesn't let her marry who she loves,
Lysander. Not only that, but also shows how money also is being used in the story.

Madness And Chaos In A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream is about two men who are in love with
the lady, Hermia. As a result of intervention from the fairy king and queen, the feelings and loves of
the men become muddled. Due to a love potion from a special flower, they both turn from loving
Hermia to loving her friend Helena. This leads to much confusion and heartache throughout the
rising action and climax, until the lovers' quarrel is finally resolved at the end of Act IV. Despite one
of the main characters, Theseus, criticizing lovers, poets, and madmen for their imagination, the play
argues and shows that these three elements are essential for successful relationships and to enjoy
life. Throughout the majority of the play, Theseus is definitely...show more content...
Famous actor Robin Williams said "You are only given one little spark of madness. You mustn't
lose it". This quote applies here, as the main action of the play is essentially madness. The play
begins with a spark, and that spark only grows as the action continues. No character is exempt
from the chaos, and a few characters go as far as to encourage the mayhem. Hippolyta and Theseus
are involved in a battle between the Athenians and Amazons in the exposition, and Oberon and
Titania have complications and disputes in their marriage in the rising action that only get worse
with the use of a love potion later in the play. The four lovers experience the most turmoil, as their
feelings are constantly changing throughout the rising action and climax. Both men love Hermia in
the exposition, but this quickly changes as a result of the love potion placed on them. They then
both fall in love with Helena, and a duel then nearly occurs over her hand. A Midsummer Night's
Dream would be uneventful if not for the madness experienced by the characters, and it serves as
microcosm for real life. Life would not be as interesting and fun if not for the madness everyone

A Midsummer Night's Dream Theme Essay
In A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare portrays the theme love, but what is love? Love is a
variety of different feelings from impersonal affection. It is expressed in so many different attitudes
that it is indescribable. It is unpredictable and you never know what to expect. Love is a common
theme because it can be portrayed in so many different ways depending on the writer. Shakespeare
wrote about love because of his nature and because it created such an interesting story. In the play,
love is presented as unfair, passionate, misleading, and mysterious. Love is unfair because of the
issue with Egeus and his daughter Hermia. Egeus demands Demetrius to marry Hermia, but Hermia
is in love with Lysander. First, Egeus says, "Stand forth, Demetrius– My noble lord, this man hath
my consent to marry her. Stand forth, Lysander– And my gracious duke, this man hath bewitched the
bosom of my child." (Shakespeare 9) Egeus...show more content...
First, Lysander tells her, "There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee; And to that place the sharp
Athenian law cannot pursue us." (Shakespeare 17) Lysander does not like the situation going on.
He asks Hermia to marry him, so they can run away and so she is not being forced to marry
someone she does not want to. Next, Hermia says, "If then two lovers have been ever crossed, It
stands as an edict in destiny." (Shakespeare 17) She agrees to elope with Lysander. She tells him
that there is nothing that could ever come between them because their love is destiny and they will
be together forever. Then, Hermia confides her love for Lysander: "No? Then I will perceive you
are not nigh. Either death or you I'll find immediately." (Shakespeare 65) She says she is willing to
do anything to be with Lysander. She wants to spend every second with him and is nothing without
him. Although love can have its ups and downs, it is everything including

Midsummer Night's Dream Essay
William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream utilizes the technique of multiple
characters playing leading roles. The fairy character Puck stands out as a dominant and leading role
in the play. Puck is the best fit for the role of the protagonist because he is mischievous and therefore,
has the ability to change the outcome of the play through his schemes and actions. As the
protagonist, Puck is responsible for creating the major conflict that occurs between the four lovers
throughout the play. This is important because the play focuses on the lives and relationships of the
lovers. In addition, because of Puck's interaction with these characters, his actions throughout the
play, alters the final outcome. Finally, Puck's...show more content...
Once the love potion is used again as an antidote in Demetrius' eyes everything becomes reversed
and he awakens to find his true love, Hermia. Puck also has another encounter with mortals by
interfering with Bottom's life. Bottom is the overdramatic and self–aggrandizing lead actor in a play
that a group of amateur actors plan to perform at the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. They
rehearse in the forest where Bottom explains how the cast will have to reassure their audience
that the lion in the play is only "pretend". Puck overhears Bottom and decides to test the casts'
imagination by placing a real asshead on Bottom. At the same time, the fairy queen Titania was
placed under the love potion's spell and the first thing that she sees when she wakes up is Bottom
who looks like an ass. By doing this, Puck creates a twist in the plot and makes the play quite
comical. It is evident that Puck's relationship with the mortals has a huge impact on the outcome
of the play. Additionally, Puck's connection to the fairies is also very unique and special. Puck has
multiple interactions with his fellow fairies throughout the play; each one is individual and unique.
Puck's superiority over the other fairies is prominent in all of his encounters with them. For
example, in Act 2 Scene 1 "But, room fairy! here comes Oberon" (II, I, 58). In this quote, Puck is
behaving very dismissive and rude to the fairy he is talking to. In addition, Puck has developed a
very notorious

A Midsummer Night's Dream Research Paper
Themes of Love and Marriage in Elizabethan England I will show how love and marriage is
viewed in William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The Elizabethan views on love
and marriage are different. Some of these ideas are reflected in William Shakespeare's "A
Midsummer Night's Dream." Romantic relationships make up a big part of the play. There are
several themes that deserve to be explored, in more detail. Let us first look at William
Shakespeare, the author, of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Shakespeare was a writer and a bard.
Most people think he was the greatest writer ever (Wadsworth 268). Shakespeare's plays are still
being performed today, all over the world. You can't take an English class, without reading something
by Shakespeare....show more content...
The lovers that go into the forest are all very young. Lysander and Hermia run away to elope (A
Midsummer 1.1. 156–168). They are madly, intensely, passionately inlove with each other.
Demetrius and Helena follow them into the forest. According to J.M. Pressley, "Helena loves
Demetrius; Demetrius used to love Helena but now loves Hermia" (Pressley 1). Demetrius
switches his affections quickly. This shows how fickle love can be. There does not seem to be
any legitimate reason for this. Helena tells us, "Through Athens I am thought as fair as she" (A
Midsummer 1.1. 227). Helena is saying that she is as attractive as Hermia. Demetrius is not
making a logical decision by chasing Hermia. Helena is already in love with him. According to
Hermia, "I frown upon him, yet he loves me still" (A Midsummer 1.1. 194). Hermia has given
Demetrius no signs of affection. The way that romantic love can change its focus, is illustrated
by the love potion. Puck, the fairy, gives the love potion to both Lysander and Demetrius
(Pressley 1). Than they both fall madly, intensely, passionately in love with Helena. Helena
thinks they are playing a joke on her. This wavering of true love is most often seen in teenagers.
They are totally in love with someone one week. They meet someone new next week, that is their
new soul mate. It can happen with adults as well but it is usually a slower process. People fall in
and out of love. This problem was solved by Elizabethan society. Divorce was not an option for
most people. It was simply cheaper to keep her. According to Maggi Ros, "Divorce is actually
more difficult to obtain in the protestant regime than in the Catholic, even with cause. Since you
can't apply to the Pope anymore, you have to get an Act of Parliament! That's a lot more people to
buy" (Ros 1). It was more practical to stay in an unhappy marriage. The expense of getting a divorce
was simply too high. Adultery was the

The Importance of Setting in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
The two locations of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' are essential to the development
of the plot, although their presentation relies wholly on the characters we meet there, their
adventures and their descriptions of these places. Athens is not an accidental choice of location:
although much of the detail of the play is quintessentially English, the classical setting enables
Shakespeare to introduce the notable lawgiver, who has had his own problems in love; it makes
plausible the reference to the severe law, and it allows Oberon to refer seriously to Cupid and Diana
without the play's seeming blasphemous.
Theseus is an enlightened ruler, notable...show more content...
In this wood the actions of men are observed by greater powers who give then their deserts. Thus
Bottom, encroaching on the bower of the Fairy Queen is the victim of Puck's mischief, though he
suffers less from the indignity than his terrified fellows.
The wood is also a place of wild beasts. When Titania sleeps the fairies cast a spell and one stands
as sentinel to keep away snakes, hedgehogs, spiders, beetles and other creatures thought harmful or
unpleasant. There may even be lions and wolves, described by Puck in 5.1, as he enters Theseus'
house, which shall not be disturbed by unwanted creatures; there are ounce, cat, bear, pard and boar,
any of which Titania may see on waking, and love. Even when these creatures are absent, Puck (3.2
105 – 110) may imitate them. Lysander, perhaps drawing inspiration from the woodland beasts
likens Hermia both to a cat and to a serpent (3.2 260 –261).
Helena has dreamed of a serpent, eating her heart away, while Helena claims to be as "ugly as a
bear" since the other woodland beasts run from her ("for fear" she supposes, but we do not have to
agree with this judgement).
There is, however, a more pleasant quality of the wood. Titania's bower is described by Oberon as
a place of great beauty and delight to the senses. Titania, in love with Bottom, orders her fairies to
provide him with delightful pleasures. Though his appetite is

A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream vs Mind Your Language
Did you know that comedy transcends generations? What was funny in Shakespearean times can
still be classified as funny today. I am Angelica Orfanos and my job here is to talk about the
comparison of humour between 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'Mind Your Language'. The style
of humour used in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is dramatic irony and malapropism while in 'Mind
Your Language' they use malapropism and satire.
A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of Shakespeare's most well–known and successful theatre plays.
This play was written by William Shakespeare between 1590 and 1596. This text features three
interconnecting plots. A Midsummer Night's Dream uses many different humorous techniques, such
as dramatic irony and malapropism. Dramatic irony occurs when a reader or viewer knows more
about the character's current situation than the character does. In A Midsummer Night's Dream
dramatic irony especially relates to how the audience perceives the four lovers circumstances. Both
Demetrius and Lysander suddenly stop loving Hermia and fall in love with Helena. There are many
malapropisms in the play, for example Nick Bottom frequently uses malapropisms, such as: Bottom
says he will 'aggravate' his...show more content...
The show is set in an adult education college in London and focuses on English as a foreign
language. This series is about foreigners that have decided that they want to learn English. Mind
Your Language has ethnical stereotypes. Mind Your Language uses many types of humour such as
malapropisms which is when you use an incorrect word in place of a word with the same sound.
This humorous technique is used all through this series as the students are always saying one word
when they actually mean another. Mind Your Language is a satiricalcomedy used to examine the
touchy issue of immigration and the frightening rise of xenophobia at the

A Midsummer Night's Dream Essay: Aspects of Love
Love in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
Love is a very inaccurate word, as it can be used in many different ways. It can be used to describe
an object which one particularly likes, or to describe ones feelings towards a person. However it
does not rest at just these two points. Love for someone can be in a material sense (sexual), or in a
more moral sense for example.
Some of the various aspects of love are mentioned In William Shakespeare's, Midsummer Night's
Dream. Here we are presented with the various characters, and their conflicts, which all have
something to do with love.
The most important relationship in the play is that between Titania, the queen of the fairies,...show
more content...
This brings me onto the first aspect of love in William Shakespeare's play.
"This man hath my consent to marry her."
Egeus demands that Hermia marries Demetrius. This tells us that for Egeus love is not the result
of people living together in happiness, and caring for each other. For him love is a kind of
business, which is to be sorted out by the "lovers" parents. It is something that is determined by the
father of the family, and not by personal feelings.
However the love between Lysander and Hermia for example is one which came from the heart. By
this I mean that it was not forced to be, but a natural attraction between the two people occurred, and
consequentially they loved each other. Hermia seems to think that you are destined to lovers, and in
the following she tries to explain this to her father, Egeus.
"If then true lovers have been ever cross'd,
It stands as an edict in destiny:"
This was also the case on assumes between the fairy king and queen however was not so harmonic,
which is why they ended up having the quarrel.
This beings me back to the magic potion Oberon got out of the special flower, and carefully
dropped onto Titania's eyes, in order to make her "fall in love" with the next person to pass her. The
next person happened to be Bottom whose head was now that of a donkey. This is the other aspect of
love discussed in

Theme Of Dreams In A Midsummer Night's Dream
The Mend of Two Extremes
While the characters partaking in a 1596 classic Shakespeare play may not know that 95% of
dreams are forgotten shortly after waking up, other factors can contribute to the determination of
whether an experience truly happened. In some senses, it should be rather easy to bring about a
strong divide among a stories realistic and fictitious elements. 'Dreams' can be associated with
unrealistic hopes and magic, while 'reality' is of something tangible and genuine. Readers exposed
to a state of chaos within A Midsummer Night's Dream are seeing first hand what indistinction of
reality can prompt. Shakespeare constructs a full play from four sub–plots that unite to aid in
producing an air of uncertainty. When characters of reality intertwine and become involved with that
of 'dreams', the perplexity of the story to the individuals sets in. Confusion arises, perceptions are
formulated, and controversy is among the ambiguous plot due to the blur of dreams and reality,
helping to further the storyline.
Likewise, in A Midsummer Night's Dream, dreams mix with reality in the form of characters and
their actions, mainly during the interaction between the Lovers and the Fairies. Hermia, committed
to marry Demetrius by her father, Egeus, is instead in love with Lysander. Not desiring to go along
with her father's primary plan, Hermia's only options given to her by her father and Theseus, the
dispenser of justice, are "Either to die the death, or to abjure /

I appreciated all three styles of A Midsummer Night's Dream, but some were clearly better than
others. The play was outstanding, it was of much higher quality than the text and the movie. I
disfavor the text, it was unsatisfactory and hard to understand. The movie did not have a lasting
impact, it was not a high quality performance and was utterly tedious. Overall the play was my
favorite of the genres, displaying A Midsummer Night's Dream. The play was astounding. The play
had an abundance of humor filled scenes making it captivating and amusing for the audience.
Another reason the play was amazing was the actors' ability to make a genuine connection with the
audience throughout the entire performance. In addition, the play was most stimulating because it
was our first chance to see other people's interpretation of the play. The play was definitely better
than the text. Out of all three distinctive approaches we took in viewing A Midsummer Night's
Dream, the text was my least favorite. While reading the text it was difficult to visualize everything
that happening because of the frequent plot swaps. Not to mention, when reading through the text
you could not immediately comprehend what you read. You Would have to reread it a few times
before you actually understood what was going on. Furthermore, the text took...show more content...
The movie was easier to understand than the text because it gave you a visual of everything that was
going on rather than trying to figure it out yourself. At the same time, the text was better than the
movie due to the attention to detail within the text that was not included in the movie. In the same
way, the movie was quite dull compared to the play, there was not as much action and emotion in
the movie as there was in the play. Not to mention, many lines were switched or even left out making
it more difficult to understand. The movie was just alright but the play was

A Midsummer Night's Dream: by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was born in April
1564. He had married at the age of eighteen to a twenty–six year old woman named Anne Hathaway
in 1582. He had a daughter named Susanna and twins, Judith and Hamnet. Hamnet, his only son,
died at age eleven. Shakespeare died in April 1616. Despite the fact that Shakespeare wrote some
thirty–seven plays, owned part of his theatrical company, acted in plays, and retired a relatively
wealthy man in the city of his birth, there is much we do not know about him (Jacobus, 167–169).
One of the plays that Shakespeare wrote was A Midsummer Night's Dream. A Midsummer Night's
Dream (1595–1596) is an early comedy and one of Shakespeare's most beloved...show more
content...
The purpose of this essay is to reassess A Midsummer Night's Dream as a dual–locale comedy, its
meaning essentially linked to the dialectical relationship of Theseus' court to the wood outside
Athens. Such a reading brings together Renaissance attitudes to the revivification of classical
mythology in the context of Christian neo–platonic doctrine, reinforces our expectations concerning
the Shakespearean love ethic which, in the world of the comedies, ideally "looks not with the eyes
but with the mind," and attains contemporary pungency via its basis in beliefs concerning the power
of witchcraft (Ormerod, 39–52). Puck plays a very important role in the play. The philologists long
ago discovered the devilish origin of Puck. Puck is simply one of the names for the devil. His
name was invoked to frighten women and children, together with the ogre and the incubus (Kott,
107). Puck was supposed to put a spell on Demetrius while he was sleep with love–juice so when he
woke up he would fall in love with Helena. It didn't quite work out that way. Puck had put the
love–juice on the wrong person instead. He had cast the

Identity of Characters in A Midsummer Night's Dream
Where Shakespeare's tragedies will tell the story, chiefly, of a single principal character, this is
rarely the case with his comedies. The comedies are more social and deal with groups of characters.
In the case of A Midsummer Night's Dream, the principal groups are, at first, introduced severally.
Though, one group may interact with another (as when Puck anoints Lysander's eyes, or Titania is in
love with Bottom) they retain separate identities.
While each of the groups is separate, there are symmetries which appear among them: Theseus and
Oberon (and, in a way, Bottom) are rulers and figures of authority in their proper spheres. Hippolyta
and Titania are consorts who defy their...show more content...
But Puck's actions are hard to separate from the kind of person he is. We first learn this from a
fairy and then from Puck himself, while their words are soon illustrated by Puck's deeds. But the
mischief is tempered by great benevolence to man, and a concern, ultimately, that "all shall be well".
Puck clearly lives up to his other name of "Goodfellow".
In studying Puck's contribution to the drama, you should consider the general account of his
mischief at the start of Act 2, his and Oberon's dealings with the young lovers and Bottom in the
woods, and his part in the blessing of the three couples at the end of Act 5. In all of these Puck is
at pains to explain to the audience what he is doing, and to take the spectator into his confidence.
He can be seen as a superior counterpart to Philostrate, a master of revels in the fairy world. Puck:
* explains his actions ("What, a play toward? I'll be an auditor/An actor too...");
* clarifies the action generally ("Captain of our fairy band,/Helena is here at hand/And the youth
mistook by me...");
* makes predictions about what is to happen ("Jack shall have Jill, Naught shall go ill...");
* advises his master ("My fairy lord, this must be done in haste...");
* comments on the action ("Lord, what fools these mortals be"),
* and addresses the audience

The Young Lovers of A Midsummer Night's Dream
For the proper view of the plight of the young lovers of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's
Dream, we should look to other characters in the play. We are invited to sympathize with their
situation, but to see as rather ridiculous the posturing to which it leads. This is evident in their
language which is often highly formal in use of rhetorical devices, and in Lysander's and Hermia's
generalizing of "the course of true love" (the "reasons" they give why love does not "run smooth"
clearly do not refer to their own particular problems: they are not "different in blood", nor
mismatched "in respect of years"). Pyramus and Thisbe is not only Shakespeare's parody of the
work of other...show more content...
But the best reason is that Demetrius's profession of his new–found love makes the antidote or its
absence redundant in his case.
Early in the play we laugh at what the young lovers say. Lysander is aware of his and Hermia's
sufferings, but to pontificate about "the course of true love" generally, to say it "never did run
smooth", is risible. The alternate lines in which Lysander proposes a reason why love does not
"run smooth", while Hermia comments on his statement, invite ridicule, as his "or" (leading to
another reason) is followed by her "O", bewailing the cause of the lovers' suffering. In the same
scene, we note how the same device (stychomythia) is used rather differently, as Hermia and Helena
expound Demetrius' preferences: "I frown upon him, yet he loves me still"/"O that your frowns
would teach my smiles such skill!". Here the use of similar vocabulary with opposite meaning is
made emphatic by the rhyming couplet.
When Helena soliloquizes about love, at the end of the scene, she speaks wisely, in her general
account, but her inability to be wise in her own situation is comic. Disclosing her rival's flight to
Demetrius, to enjoy his company briefly, seems perverse, but is wholly plausible: young people in
love often do silly things. In the wood, we see the likely outcome of Oberon's orders to Puck, as

A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay
In the comedic romantic play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, by William Shakespeare, four
plebeians are fighting for fate and destiny in the city of Athens, Greece. Hermia, a strong willed
young lady, defies her father's orders to marry Demetrius, another Athenian man, and subsequently
runs off to the woods to marry Lysander. However, when the lovers, Hermia and Lysander, run off,
their plans are disrupted when they are told on by Helena, Demetrius's obsessive lover. At this
moment, Lysander, after learning about the others disrupting their plans to elope, says "the course
of true love never did run smooth" (28) Later, when the love potion is placed onto the lovers by
Puck, the well known trickster, and the other fairies such as Oberon...show more content...
Lots of feelings between Hermia, Lysander, Helena and Demetrius are not mutual and are only a
series of unconnected lines from one person to another to another. This truly demonstrates the
hardships and complications of true love and how it does not always go as perfect as planned.
Many problems arise because of the mixups between the love juice and the fairies. One such
mixup is when Hermia and Lysander's plans to elope are very suddenly halted when Helena hears
of their plans and tells Demetrius, who decides to see if Helena's rumors are true. Demetrius then
goes into the woods, followed by Helena, to see if it is true, but does not find the lovers, but
instead are seen by Oberon. Oberon, while having love issues of his own with Titania, sees
Helena and her obsessive love for Demetrius, and so makes a plan to help Helena with her love
issues. When Oberon, of which is busy with other tasks, tells Puck to put the supernatural love
juice on the eyes of an Athenian man (Demetrius) so that he will fall in love with Helena, he
gladly takes the task. Though since Oberon is not specific with his directions for the love potion,
Puck accidentally puts it on Lysander while he is sleeping. Consequently, when Lysander awakens
he automatically falls in love with Helena. "Lysander's love, that would not let him bide; Fair
Helena, who more engilds the night than all yon fiery oes and eyes of

A Midsummer Night's Dream Ending Essay
In the end of the comedy which ends in a happy ending resulting the Hermia and Lysander winning
their love even if after all the difficulty such as disagreement of Egeus, the mistake love potion by
Robin and Hermia not giving up Lysander even though Lysander told that he does not like her.
Overcoming all the risks that Hermia went through, she got Lysander back at the end which proves
her love was powerful than anything else. Moreover, love is always the victory as proven in the
Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream.

A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay

Similar to A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay (7)

More from What Are The Best Paper Writing Services

More from What Are The Best Paper Writing Services (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay