The Significance of Dreams and Dreaming in A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

1968 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The significance of dreams and dreaming a midsummer night dream

The Significance of Dreams and Dreaming in A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare In Pucks final speech of the play he says: “And this weak and idle theme No more yielding than a dream” It has been argued that Shakespeare structured the play around the notion of a 'dream.' Explore the significance of dreams and dreaming in the play, both as a theme and dramatic device. There are several definitions of a dream, although no one can really define a dream, it is what we make it. The first theory is that it is a mixture of images, accumulated from your thoughts or experiences, that happen whilst you are asleep. It could also be a fantasy you experience whilst your semi-conscious which you have no control over. It could also be simply wish fulfillment. All these definitions relate to the play as the fairy characters are fantasy, controlling the humans experiences and granting them their wish fulfillments. I think Shakespeare thought of the notion of a dream and from all these different ideas, ’dreamed’ up a story combining all of them, perhaps it was his wish fulfillment or came from a dream he once had. Puck’s ‘weak and idle theme’ is anything but, some cultures such as the Chinese believe you shouldn’t wake someone up whilst they are sleeping because their wondering soul would not have had time to reunite with their body, this relates to the play as all the characters appear to be wondering around in their sleep, not actually realizing they are asleep. The Elizabethan audience would expect all the images of magic, love and freedom from the name ‘Midsummer Nights Dream’ and would expect it to be a light hearted roma... ... middle of paper ... ...king as if they were handmade using only plants. The fairies’ hair is all golden, long and full of ringlets underneath a headdress of flowers. Shakespeare managed to present ideas of dreaming brilliantly throughout the play. The lovers fell asleep in their dream, what do you dream when you fall asleep in a dream? Is dreaming reality, or reality dreaming? What does a blind person dream if they have seen nothing they wish for or want to aspire to? These questions are created from the play. This shows that Pucks final speech “and this weak and idle theme, no more yielding than a dream” is not a weak theme after all but something, if messed with can go very wrong or very right. This is illustrated by the mixing up of the love potions in Hoffman’s film, something so harmful as love can create so much sadness and pain.

Show More
Related

  • Love, Lust and Infatuation in Midsummer Night’s Dream

    1461 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fairies, mortals, magic, love, and hate all intertwine to make A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare a very enchanting tale, that takes the reader on a truly dream-like adventure. The action takes place in Athens, Greece in ancient times, but has the atmosphere of a land of fantasy and illusion which could be anywhere. The mischievousness and the emotions exhibited by characters in the play, along with their attempts to double-cross destiny, not only make the tale entertaining, but also help solidify one of the play’s major themes; that true love and it’s cleverly disguised counterparts can drive beings to do seemingly irrational things.

    Read More

  • Romeo And Juliet And A Midsummer's Night Dream Analysis

    1135 Words  | 3 Pages

    When working toward any goal, it is human nature to draw on the ideas of others; to consider the successes and failures of others to improve the chances of you succeeding. This is true in many different fields, but most frequently seen in literature. When writing new novels or plays, authors rely on the ideas and storylines of other pieces to give their piece more meaning or direction. This is no different from when William Shakespeare was writing his plays around the 1600’s. One of the more discernable examples of this is Shakespeare using the story of Pyramus and Thisbe when composing both Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer’s Night Dream, which are a tragedy and a comedy, respectively. In the time of publication, theater was a common form of

    Read More

  • William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream

    1585 Words  | 4 Pages

    In William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, there are endless images of water and the moon. Both images lend themselves to a feeling of femininity and calm. In classical mythology, the image of water is often linked with Aphrodite, goddess of passion and love. Born of the foam of the sea, Aphrodite was revered as an unfaithful wife to her husband Hephaestus (Grant 36). This may have a direct coloration to the unfaithful nature of the four lovers, Hermia, Helena, Lysander, and Demetrius, while in the woods. Perhaps more important, however, is Aphrodite’s link to the other Olympian maiden goddesses. As Aphrodite was attributed with love and beauty, Athena was the protector of war and arts, and finally, Artemis was the goddess of the woods and wild things (Hamilton 31). Artemis was brother of Apollo, god of the sun, and therefore she was the goddess of the moon. Through out literature it seems imagery of the moon and water can be used nearly interchangeably because they both imply feminine powers; water is representative of life and motion and the moon is representative of Artemis directly. Shakespeare seems to have been quite aware of the duties and powers of this ancient goddess.

    Read More

  • William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream

    3968 Words  | 8 Pages

    When he was writing the play superstition about nature and spirits played an important part in people's lives, therefore Shakespeare included these ideas in his play. It was believed that fairies lived in a kingdom of their own and came into people's houses where they then interfered with the household. The fairies play a major part in the play where we see a particular character trying to help out the couples, but end up making the situation worse. The play is about love and relationships. The different couples never seem to encounter love running smoothly and are or have gone through problems when in love.

    Read More

  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream

    2029 Words  | 5 Pages

    In Shakespeare’s comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream one finds the typical use of love and nature that is evidence of Shakespeare’s youth and experimentation. He creates in this play another world, a fairy world where Puck is the ringleader and love is everywhere. Called "fancy’s child" by Milton, Shakespeare brings out his cheerful happiness in its most light-hearted manner in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

    Read More

  • William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream

    765 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hermia , Lysander , Helena and Demetrius represent young love in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream . They are potrayed as foolish and fickle , acting like children and requiring a parental figure to guide them . The parental figures are Hermia’s father , Egeus , and figuratively Theseus , the mortal ruler , and Oberon , the mystical ruler.

    Read More

  • Love, Chaos, and Disorder in Midsummer Night’s Dream

    1215 Words  | 3 Pages

    In conclusion, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare effectively uses the motifs of the seasons, the moon, and dreams to show that love, irrationality, and disobedience directly cause chaos. By calling to mind the seasons in unnatural order, describing the moon behaving strangely, and discussing the dualistic, irrational nature of dreams, Shakespeare effectively evokes a sense of chaos and disorder. Linking each of these motifs to the themes of love, irrationality, and disobedience allows Shakespeare to illustrate the disarray that is bound to result from any romance.

    Read More

  • William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream

    1677 Words  | 4 Pages

    Shakespeare wrote his acclaimed comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream more than a thousand years after Apuleius’ Roman novel, The Golden Ass. Although separated by thousands of years and different in terms of plot and setting, these works share the common theme of a confused and vulnerable man finding direction by relying on a supernatural female. One of A Midsummer Night’s Dream’s many subplots is the story of Bottom, a comical figure determined to be taken seriously in his production of a Pyramus and Thisbe. As Bottom becomes caught up in a quarrel between the king and queen of the fairies, the commanders of the enchanted forest where Bottom and his players practice, the “shrewd and knavish sprite” Puck transforms his head into an ass’ s and leads him to be enthralled in a one night stand with the queen, Titania. (2.1.33) Apuleius’s protagonist Lucius endures a similar transformation, after his mistress’s slave girl accidentally bewitches him into a donkey, leaving him even without the ability to speak. Although Lucius’ transformation lasts longer and is more severe, he and Bottom both undergo similar experiences resulting from their animal forms. Lucius’ suffering ultimately leads him to salvation through devotion the cult of Isis, and Bottom’s affair with Titania grants him clarity and a glimpse into similar divine beauty. Ultimately, both asinine characters are saved through their surrender to the goddesses.

    Read More

  • Literary Devices In A Midsummer Night's Dream

    433 Words  | 1 Pages

    A Midsummer’s Night Dream, written by William Shakespeare, is a complicated love story that involves four teenagers. Hermia and Lysander are so in love; however, Hermia’s dad wants her to marry Demetrius. Helena is chasing after Demetrius, who treats her like a dog. The speaker is none other than the love-struck Helena. Her speech is not directed to anybody because Helena was alone, yet she still wants to make it clear how deeply in love she is with Demetrius. Shakespeare uses many literary devices to further explain and state that Helena loves Demetrius.

    Read More

  • William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream

    1280 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout history literature has changed into many different forms and styles, it has also stayed the same in many different ways, literary techniques and elements are key to a good piece of writing, a perfect example that shows us just this is in, A Midsummer Nights Dream, where we will further explore the different literary elements that were used most notably the plot. The plot of a story lays out the foundation and the background for the entire play to come, we'll compare and contrast this element and look at the different sub elements which are produced. We will define similarities and difference in these elements form both the play o the film. Taking a look at things such as climax, play incidents, and the conflict will all give us a better understanding of how it affects the similarities and difference of the film versus the play.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of A Midsummer Night's Dream

    776 Words  | 2 Pages

    Do you like magical and fictional characters? One of the most Magical stories is A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This play is a contrast of the real world and a world inhabited by fairies and other magical sources and elements. This play takes place during Elizabethan time period. The Play was performed at The Globe Theatre. The play was written in 1590.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Identities: A Midsummer Night's Dream

    1059 Words  | 3 Pages

    In A Midsummer Night's Dream, playwright William Shakespeare creates in Bottom, Oberon, and Puck unique characters that represent different aspects of him. Like Bottom, Shakespeare aspires to rise socially; Bottom has high aims and, however slightly, interacts with a queen. Through Bottom, Shakespeare mocks these pretensions within himself. Shakespeare also resembles King Oberon, controlling the magic we see on the stage. Unseen, he and Oberon pull the strings that control what the characters act and say. Finally, Shakespeare is like Puck, standing back from the other characters, acutely aware of their weaknesses and mocks them, relishing in mischief at their expense. With these three characters and some play-within-a-play enchantment, Shakespeare mocks himself and his plays as much as he does the young lovers and the mechanicals onstage. This genius playwright who is capable of writing serious dramas such as Hamlet and Julius Caesar is still able to laugh at himself just as he does at his characters. With the help of Bottom, Oberon, and Puck, Shakespeare shows us that theatre, and even life itself, are illusions that one should remember to laugh at.

    Read More

  • Dreams in A Midsummer Night's Dream

    2238 Words  | 5 Pages

    Oprah Winfrey once said, “The best thing about dreams is that fleeting moment, when you are between asleep and awake, when you don't know the difference between reality and fantasy, when for just that one moment you feel with your entire soul that the dream is reality, and it really happened.” But, what actually is a dream and what do dreams really have to do with one’s everyday life? In essence, a dream is a series of mental images and emotions occurring during slumber. Dreams can also deal with one’s personal aspirations, goals, ambitions, and even one’s emotions, such as love and hardship. However, dreams can also give rise to uneasy and terrible emotions; these dreams are essentially known as nightmares. In today’s society, the concept of dreaming and dreams, in general, has been featured in a variety of different mediums, such as literature, film and even music. While the mediums of film and music are both prime examples of this concept, the medium of literature, on the other hand, contains a much more diverse set of examples pertaining to dreams and dreaming. One key example is William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. While the portrayal of dreams, in general, plays a prominent role in Shakespeare’s play, the exploration of many aspects of nature, allows readers to believe that dreams are merely connected to somewhat unconventional occurrences.

    Read More

  • A Midsummer's Night Dream and As You Like It

    2209 Words  | 5 Pages

    The forest in Midsummer Night's Dream represents imagination. Puck, a fairy servant and friend of Oberon, watches six Athenian men practice a play to be performed for Theseus' wedding in the forest. Puck turns Nick Bottom's head into that of an ass. The other players see Bottom and run away screaming. He follows them saying, "Sometime a horse I'll be, sometime a hound, a hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire, and neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn, like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn" (3.1.110-113). Puck chases the players, making them think a wild animal is chasing them. In our daily lives, people on often think in a logical and down to earth manner, but the mind wanders when a person is emotional, especially when feeling fear. Fear can cause a person mind to become unhinged. When the mind wanders, the imagination kicks in. One thing can become another--a harmless bush can become a crouching lion. Nearing the end of the play, Theseus and Hippolyta discuss how unrealistic the four lovers experience is. Theseus states, "I never may believe these antique fables, nor these fairy toys. The lunatic, the lover, and the poet are of imagination all compact" (5.1.2-3 and 5.1.7-8). Theseus does not believe in fairy tales, that what the four lovers said is not true. In his view, the lunatic, the lover, and the poet have wild imaginations. A lover's emotions can be out of control. When a person is emotional,...

    Read More

  • S Night Dream Essay: Midsummer Night's Dream

    1129 Words  | 3 Pages

    William Shakespeare has become one of the most famous and influential writers in the English literature, and his work has been reenacted and studied all over the world for several decades. However, we often do not get the chance to admire all of his other plays as the school curriculum in high school only covers his four most famous tragedies plays like Rome and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, and Othello. Now, as a college student, I am able to appreciate his work more as my have recently seen Shakespeare Midwinter Night’s Dream which is based on Shakespeare’s real play Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, a comedy that portrays the events that surround the marriage of a Duke, the love of four young lovers and a group of amateur actors that must put an act for the Duke on his wedding. In this version of Shakespeare Midwinter’s Night’s Dream, all of the original characters and the dialogues were left

    Read More

More about The Significance of Dreams and Dreaming in A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

Open Document