A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

Although the script is said to have been written between years of 1590 and 1596, on January 1st, 1605, William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” made it’s first performance debut. The theatre during these times were significantly different from what we know theatre as we know today. Today New York City is known as the mecca of theatre plays, where individuals gather to view these performances as a stamp of social status, or simply because they are in love with them arts. With the expansion of the arts, especially in theatre it is hard to believe that in the dawn of movement it wasn’t excepted by many individuals. Theatre at the time provided a more vivid picture of the world in which individuals lived and worked in that era. Authorities didn’t like it and didn’t allow acting in the city itself. They believed that it would have a bad influence on citizens and would keep them from being a part of and going to church. Queen Elizabeth on the other hand enjoyed the art and contributed to the popularity of theatre, hence the name of the era--the Elizabethan Era. The Elizabethan era, generated a huge demand for new entertainment and a significant boom in theatre and arts which ultimately established theatre as a notable aspect in culture.

“A Midsummer Night's Dream” is probably the only play written by William Shakespeare that does not draw its plot from an earlier historical source and is exclusively based around four major themes which are: Love and Marriage, Order and Disorder, Appearance and Reality, and Creative Imagination. Shakespeare uses these four themes and creates four different worlds and stories into one . Order and Disorder is the need for a balance between the rational and irrational rules a...

... middle of paper ...

...s that the creative imagination is in tune with the supernatural world and is best used to present the blessings of nature upon mankind and marriage. I think Shakespeare’s purpose in writing this play was to show the true nature of love and how unpredicted and blind it can be, all while portraying this love story in a comedic light. Compared to the many William Shakespeare pieces I’ve read dating back to my freshman year of high school, Midsummer Night’s Dream has to be one of the easiest reads. The Shakespearean language is the same as all the other plays, and a little difficult to understand, but the supernatural and comedic plot makes it more enjoyable in my point of view. William Shakespeare’s ability to capture a modern audience even with a language that is difficult to understand is what qualifies him to be one of the most significant poets and playwrights.