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Critical Analysis of a Midsummer Night's Dream
Conflict in a midsummer night's dream
Conflict in a midsummer night's dream
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Analysis of A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare A Midsummer Nights Dream is a play by William Shakespeare, and I believe is mainly summed up by this line from the play ‘The course of true love never did run smooth’ This is basically saying that being in love comes with many obstacles and dilemmas. In the play there is a dilemma at the beginning, this is where Egeus is going to visit Theseus, the ruler of Athens, with concern for his daughter and whom she wishes to marry. ‘Full of vexation I come with complaint of my child, my daughter Hermia’ (Act one, scene one line 21) This is because Hermia loves and wants to wed Lysander but her father Egeus, wishes for her to wed Demetrius, and because Hermia will not obey her father he has gone to Theseus for back-up. This is an obstacle because Hermia and Demetrius are not allowed to wed and therefore cannot be together unless they elope. Theseus bans them from being married as he follows Egeus’ wishes ‘To you your father should be a god, (Act one, line 47) Hermia believes though, that Demetrius doesn’t infact love her and only wants her fathers money ‘Where the world mine Demetrius being bated’ (Act one, line ) This quote suggests that Demetrius who not long since loved Helena has suddenly began to fight for Hermia and is showing interest when he didn’t before. ‘O teach me how you look and with what art you sway the motions of Demetrius’ heart’. (Act one, line ) Because Helena who is madly in love with Demetrius is rather upset and angry that Hermia has ‘stolen’ Demetrius and does not see he only wants materialist things from Helena not love.... ... middle of paper ... ...cle that everything settles towards the end. Both couples awake to find themselves naked in the forest, Demetrius laid with Helena and Lysander with Hermia. All four do not know how they became to be there and cannot explain to Theseus and Egeus why so ‘I pray you all stand up. I know you two are rival enemies. How comes the this gentle concord in the world’ (line138) Lysander: ‘My lord, I shall reply amazedly, half asleep, half waking. But as yet I cannot truly say how came here’ (line143) Egeus tries to argue as they were to run away, ‘Enough, enough my lord you have enough, I beg the law, the law, upon his head’ But Theseus sees the funny side and frees them ‘Fair lovers you are fortunately met. Of this discourse we more will hear anon.’ And both couples are together – ‘every man shall have his mare’
Lysander tells Theseus that Demetrius "Made love to … Helena, And won her soul.” Helena says that before Demetrius looked upon Hermia, "He hail'd down oaths that he was only mine.” In an attempt to win back some of Demetrius's affection, Helena tells him of Hermia's plan to meet in the wood and elope with Lysander.
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 relationship with all the mortals in the play, his connection to his fellow fairies, and the bond he has with his boss, King Oberon make him the best choice for a protagonist.
One of the recurring themes throughout Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the time of day during which the play’s major action takes place: night. This being the case, there are certain words that are directly linked to this theme that appear numerous times throughout the script. Four such words are “moon,” “moonlight,” “moonshine,” and “lunatic.” Each comes from a feminine root that serves to identify the women in the play as prizes to be won and controlled.
Infatuation causes Helena to lose all sense of dignity, as can be seen when in the woods, she desperately pleads with Demetrius to ?but treat me as your spaniel?. Here, Helena also becomes irrational, obsessed with pursuing Demetrius, though it is obvious that Demetrius is fixated on winning Hermia?s hand in marriage. Helena?s infatuation also causes her to see things from a skewed perspective, for she falsely believes that when she divulges Hermia?s plans for eloping with Lysander, Demetrius? love for Helena will rekindle. As the audience, we know that the most probable course of action for Demetrius upon hearing such news is to pursue Lysander and Hermia, or to report them to Theseus or Egeus. Clearly, infatuation has clouded Helena?s ability to think clearly, and she sees things in her own idealistic way.
The relationship between Demetrius and Hermia is problematic, in that Demetrius is seeking the affections of Hermia, while she is in love with Lysander. However, Hermia’s father approves of Demetrius and tries to force her to marry him, but Hermia refuses because of her love for Lysander (A Midsummer Night’s Dream 1.1.22-82). Lysander points out the flaw in the situation through this comment, “You have her father 's love, Demetrius –/Let me have Hermia 's. Do you marry him,” (A Midsummer Night’s Dream 1.1.93-94). The second flawed relationship is between Lysander and Helena, as a result of an enchantment put on Lysander that made him fall in love with Helena. Helena does not want the affections of Lysander, but rather the love of Demetrius, and believes that Lysander is taunting her. In addition, this relationship creates tensions because Hermia is in love with Lysander (A Midsummer Night’s Dream 2.2.109-140). Both relationships are not desirable due to a lack of mutual admiration and the creation of non-peaceful and unsatisfying
Theseus and Oberon are both compassionate and understanding towards the young lovers, Hermia and Lysander, and Helena and Demetrius. They are involved in a love triangle that encompasses matters of the law and love. Demetrius intends to marry Hermia, although, she shares a mutual love with Lysander; Helena loves Demetrius, although, he no longer loves her. Theseus, as the Duke of Athens, maintains the laws and standards of Athenian society. He acknowledges “the Ancient privilege of Athens” (I.1.41) that allows Egeus to “dispose of” (I.1.42) Hermia. This law permits Egeus to give his daughter to Demetrius or “to death, according to [the] law” (I.1.44). However, Theseus takes pity on Hermia and gives he...
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a play of conflicted love. Thus semi-comedy displays the notion of, the spiritual and natural world working together. The play begins with a noble family discussing a planned marriage. Hermia is arranged to marry a man she does not love. In rebellion she and her lover (Lysander) flees to the woods so they can avoid Athenian law. Before leaving Hermia tells her sister about her plans to run away. In desire to gain revenge and find love herself Helena (Hermia’s sister) chases Hermia and her intended mate into the woods. The forest is where the spirits live, the fairy king, Oberon, is desperate to gain the affection of the fairy queen. He saw cupid shoot his love arrow, which landed on a flower. He is determined that,
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.
In the first part of the play Egeus has asked the Duke of Athens, Theseus, to rule in favor of his parental rights to have his daughter Hermia marry the suitor he has chosen, Demetrius, or for her to be punished. Lysander, who is desperately in love with Hermia, pleads with Egeus and Theseus for the maiden’s hand, but Theseus’, who obviously believes that women do not have a choice in the matter of their own marriage, sides with Egeus, and tells Hermia she must either consent to marrying Demetrius, be killed, or enter a nunnery. In order to escape from the tragic dilemma facing Hermia, Lysander devises a plan for him and his love to meet the next evening and run-off to Lysander’s aunt’s home and be wed, and Hermia agrees to the plan. It is at this point in the story that the plot becomes intriguing, as the reader becomes somewhat emotionally “attached’’ to the young lovers and sympathetic of their plight. However, when the couple enters the forest, en route to Lysander’s aunt’s, it is other mischievous characters that take the story into a whole new realm of humorous entertainment...
In the struggles of Hermia and Lysander to find a place where they can freely express their true love, it is evident that the course of something as scarce as true love always comes with obstacles. Lysander says: “How now, my love? Why is your cheek so pale? / How chance the roses there do fade so fast?” (1.1.130-131), showing that he and Hermia make a faithful couple truly showing their adoration for each other. However, Hermia’s father Egeus refuses to allow to these two lovers marry. This is the conflict Hermia faces: to disobey her father (and the Athenian law), or to mind her father’s will and allow this “edict in destiny” to lose course. “O hell, to choose love by another’s eyes!” (1.1.142), Hermia decides. Hermia chooses to follow the path her true love brings rather than to do what her father insists. In this example, complications manifest in the troubles with true love. In addition, even Titania and Oberon have difficulties
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.
Your eyelids are heavy and your mind is fogging, finally they close altogether with the weight of the eyelids and in a few minutes you have fallen into slumber. You wake up with a vivid image in your mind, but you have no inkling as to what it means. It was just a dream. Whether people can recall it or not, everyone dreams. A dream, some may argue is irrelevant; images assorted together creating nonsense. Others depict a dream as a message our mind is telling us about. Throughout the day, the mind subconsciously picks up pieces of our daily life, whether they are thoughts, emotions, ideas, or interactions. When we sleep, our brain organizes and analysis these thoughts and puts them together like a puzzle creating images we might have missed during our waking hours. The brain naturally resists chaos and is attuned to order and organization and therefore sees past the chaos and malfunctions, it begins to matrix things, such as images in the clouds. It is through dreaming that these images sort out all the chaos in the ordinary daily life and reveals a bizarre and unrealistic world, which is a reflection of the unstable reality that is actually lived in. Reality is considered unstable because it is constantly changing, moving and transforming into something else whether people are aging, dying or being born. It is a constantly changing factor that people refuse to accept and it is in our dreams that it is revealed. It is in this dream world where Shakespeare and Carroll use fantastical characters, such as fairies and the White Rabbit to exemplify the daily interactions one must make to seek the truth. It is in the court and woods, where everything is turned upside down and where what is right is wrong and what one knows, are no longe...
Love plays a very significant role in this Shakespearian comedy, as it is the driving force of the play: Hermia and Lysander’s forbidden love and their choice to flee Athens is what sets the plot into motion. Love is also what drives many of the characters, and through readers’ perspectives, their actions may seem strange, even comical to us: from Helena pursuing Demetrius and risking her reputation, to fairy queen Titania falling in love with Bottom. However, all these things are done out of love. In conclusion, A Midsummer Night’s Dream displays the blindness of love and how it greatly contradicts with reason.
Demetrius, Helena, Lysander, and Hermia are the for young teens of the story. At the beginning of the play it is Lysander and Helena who are madly in love, and are planning to to escape from Athens to elope. Helena is in love with Demetrius, and Demetrius cared for Helena and liked her a lot but was not in love with her. As soon as Demetrius sees Hermia he immediately stops having any feelings for Helena whatsoever and is deeply in love with Hermia. Demetrius thought that he had fallen in love at first sight, but Helena was determined to show him differently. Demetrius: ³ Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit,/ For I am sick when I do look on thee.² Helena: ³And I am sick when I look not on you.² (Act II, sc. i, lines 218-220) This piece of dialogue shows how much Demetrius is now in love with Hermia from just seeing her, and how disgusted he feels when he looks upon Helena who he used to care about. Helena is simply just expressing how much she is love with Demetrius and how bad she feels that he is treating her in such a manner of hatred.
The story and the imagery is this poem is very chilling in a good way. It makes you want to read more and I want to do that with my poetry. This is one of the reasons I have chosen to include poetry in my thesis. A lot of the challenges that I have done for my fiction are the same as the ones that I made for my poetry. Another poet / playwright that I have read is Shakespeare. The way his works just flow is amazing. One of my favorite works that I love to read is A Midsummer’s Night Dream. I have always loved the fairy realm and magical realism in stories.