Character Development In A Midsummer's Night Dream

In Shakespeare’s Midsummer’s Night Dream he entices the reader using character development, imagery, and symbolism. These tools help make it a wonderful play for teens, teaching them what a well-written comedy looks like. As well as taking them into a story they won’t soon forget.

Shakespeare’s development of characters allows the reader to better understand, and be able to associate with occurring situations in the text. When Titania is forced to explain to her husband why she has a child, she recalls the tale of her old friend. Who “sat with me on Neptune’s yellow sands, marking the embarked traders on the flood, when we have laugh’d to see the sails conceive and grow big-bellied with the wanton wind” (2.1.130-3). When Titania

recalls the memory from her past, it helps the audience to find her relatable. Since Titania speaks of the past it also suggests that she as a character has a past, and most likely a future. When a character never speaks of the past it make them seem like they only exist to be in the book. Whereas when a character speaks of the past and the future, they seem to come alive in the readers’ mind. The way Shakespeare develops his characters allows the reader to connect with them. The proficient characterization helps make a Midsummer’s Night Dream perfect for teens, allowing them to connect with the characters, and better understand the story.
The use of figurative language, especially imagery, helps to draw a reader in, and not only makes them want to read more, but also to see more. When Titania wishes to go to sleep she has her fairies sing her a lovely song to help her drift away. The first fairy begins to sing, “You spotted snakes with double tongue, thorny hedgehogs, be not seen; newts and blind-worms do no wrong, come not near our fairy queen. Philomel, with melody sing in our sweet lullaby” (2.2.9-12). The lyrics help to paint a picture in reader’s head. The use of imagery entices the reader to want know more. It reels the audience in and places them in a field, allowing them to imagine what its like to be in the scene. When a reader cannot only read, but also see a scene it makes the story much more realistic, and believable. The imagery in the text helps assist the play in being a magnificent read for teens. Helping to draw them in so they can better understand the importance of using figurative language, as well as the depth of the play in general.
Although some critics of Midsummer’s Night Dream may say it is too sexually demeaning to women, it is also important for teenage girls to learn about.

For example, when Demetrius goes into the forest after Hermia, Helena follows him. She informs him that she needn’t be anything more to a dog to him, and that he may treat her in such a way that he would treat a dog (2.1. 210-15). However appalled most women would be by the example, it is still important to know and understand that demeaning yourself is never ok. The most important reason teenagers should read a Midsummer’s Night Dream is to be able to understand the significance of symbolism. Oberon plans to use a flower to make his wife fall in love with the first thing she sees. He wants to distract her so that he may take the child for himself. He informs puck about the flower’s powers and asks him to put it in Demetrius’ eyes, so that he may fall in love with Helena (2.2. 265-673). Magic plays a very big factor in the play, and most of the magic is concentrated in the woods. The woods’ represents a place without rules, where anything can happen. When the characters begin to go into the woods unexplainable events take place, as a result of the lack of structure that a township provides. By entering the woods the characters leave behind rules, and tend to reveal things about themselves they wouldn’t have before. The use of symbolism makes it an essential play for teenagers to read. To teach them that you cant

always look at things from face value, sometimes you have to look underneath.
Through out A Midsummer’s Night Dream Shakespeare uses many crucial tactics to make it a perfect play for teens. He uses the tactics to help teach lessons and necessary morals. Shakespeare is considered one of the best writers of all time, why should we deprive teenagers of what they should strive to be? When they should strive to be the best.