Dramatic Irony In A Midsummer Night's Dream

752 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Shakespeare's use of dramatic irony and its role in Romeo and Juliet

Can you imagine being Helena and the love of your life has paid no attention to you, until you had chanced him into the woods. Helena is the victim of an example of dramatic irony.
Dramatic irony is when the audience knows more about the situation then the characters do. This is just one example of dramatic irony throughout Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night’s
Dream. Here are some more examples of Dramatic irony. The dramatic irony created many scenes of humor and tension.
So Helena was in love with Demetrius. When Helena found out that Hermia who
Demetrius was supposed to marry, was planning to run away with Lysander, the love of her life.
Helena decided to tell Demetrius about Hermia and Lysander’s plan. So then Demetrius and
Helena followed …show more content…

But I will not stir from this place. . . .’(Shakespeare,3,1,58). Since Bottom did not actually know he had a head of a donkey, we can laugh at this. Even though he never actually realize he had the donkey head he was yet still feared. Yet this is not the last example of dramatic irony. Finally the last example of dramatic irony would be Titania, Oberon's wife was under a spell of the pollen from a magic flower. Titania had fallen in love with bottom who had the head of a donkey. Oberon had wanted something from Titania but she had refused to give it up to him.
So Oberon put pollen into her eyes when she was asleep. When Titania woke up, she saw Bottom and fell deeply in love with him. He still did not know he had a donkey head. Eventually when
Titania and Bottom fell asleep Oberon creeped into Titania’s fairy nest/ bed and put more of the magic pollen on her eyes to reverse the spell of her love for Bottom. This is also one of many dramatic irony scenes throughout the play and the movie. So these were some examples of dramatic irony in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
So this story was filled with humor and tension between the love of four young
Athenians, the townspeople, and the fairies. This just shows that life has its ups and downs.

Show More
Related

  • Casting Actors to Play Helena and Hermia from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream

    2563 Words  | 6 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Situational Irony In A Midsummer Night's Dream

    691 Words  | 2 Pages

    With dramatic irony, on the other hand, it was used mainly for a comedic effect, rather than creating a plot twist for the audience. By creating a comedy using these two types of irony, Shakespeare was able to deliver his message of the true meaning of love. Situational irony is when the reader or audience is surprised by the outcome of the story. We see more of situational irony later on in the story, especially since it often leads to disputes and fights. For instance, when Robin was supposedly ordered to put flower droplets shot from cupid’s arrow into the eyes of Demetrius, he ended up putting them in the eyes of Lysander instead, mistaking him for the Athenian man Oberon had seen and causing a dispute.

    Read More

  • Situational Irony In The Importance Of Being Ernest

    428 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, has plentiful examples of irony. The protagonists, Algernon Moncrieff and Jack Worthing lie to impress their ladies, however the truth is eventually revealed. In the first act, situational irony occurs. Situational irony is when a outcome to a situation is different than what you expect.

    Read More

  • A Midsummer Night's Dream: he Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth

    874 Words  | 2 Pages

    The hilarious play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare, tells the twisted love story of four Athenians who are caught between love and lust. The main characters: Hermia, Helena, Lysander, and Demetrius are in a ‘love square’. Hermia and Lysander are true love enthusiasts, and love each other greatly. Demetrius is in love with Hermia, and Helena, Hermia’s best friend, is deeply and madly in love with Demetrius. Hermia and Lysander try to elope in the woods because Egeus, Hermia’s father, disapproves of Lysander.

    Read More

  • Foils And Irony In Hamlet

    655 Words  | 2 Pages

    One example of expertly used irony is when Hamlet is talking to his mother when he hears a noise behind the curtains, so he stabs the figure behind the tapestries thinking it is Claudius, “How now, a rat? Dead for a ducat, dead!” (3, 4, 24), only to find out it is Polonius. This irony can be interpreted as dramatic irony, because the audience knows Polonius is behind the curtains while Hamlet does not. It can also be interpreted as situational irony, because Hamlet suspects that the person spying on him is Claudius. Wanting to avenge his father, he stabs him through the curtain but it turned out to be Polonius. Doing this initiates a chain of events that lead to his tragic death. Another prime example of irony increasing the enjoyment of the readers for the past 400 years is when Laertes is killed by his own poisoned sword. When Osric asks Laertes how he is doing right after he was scratched with his own sword, Laertes responds, “Why, as a woodcock to mine own springe, Osric. I am justly killed with mine own treachery.” (5, 2, 308-309). It is quite ironic that Laertes is murdered by his own plan. One would expect Laertes to draw first blood as he is a better skilled swordsman than Hamlet. However, he dies by poison first because the sword that was intended to kill Hamlet was used on him; this is situational irony. Irony brings a greater depth to the story.

    Read More

  • A Midsummer Night's Dream: Nature and Consequences of Infatuation

    1174 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Use of Dramatic Irony in Oedipus the King

    406 Words  | 1 Pages

    One example of dramatic irony is when Oedipus is looking for the killer of the king Laius-his father. The irony here is that he is looking for himself because he is the murder of his father. Oedipus knows that he killed someone, but what he does not know is that it was Laius, the one he murder. Oedipus wants to punish the person who killed Laius, but we, the audience know that Oedipus was the one who killed Laius. Also Oedipus married Jocasta without knowing that she is his mother. We, the audience knew that he was Jocasta's son, but he was unaware of that.

    Read More

  • A Midsummer Night's Dream Character Analysis Essay

    708 Words  | 2 Pages

    Helena was the younger sister of Hermia. It often bothered her that her sister got all the attention, and she even want it. Helena was madly in love with Demetrius, However Demetrius was arranged to marry Hermia. Helena truly believe she was not good enough, and could not understand why Demetrius did now want

    Read More

  • Cosmic Irony

    436 Words  | 1 Pages

    Dramatic irony, according to Dictionary.com, is a type of irony where the audience is aware of the conflict before the characters in the piece. One example of dramatic irony is a very subtle statement involving the baby. Madame Valmonde exclaimed, “This is not the baby!” Although the exclamation was in startled tones, Desiree ignored it and mistook it for astonishment. To the reader it is not yet determined, but the baby is going to cause some sort of conflict due to Madame Valmonde’s dread and confusion.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Dramatic Irony In A Midsummer Night's Dream

    521 Words  | 2 Pages

    This is actually an example of irony. The definition of irony is where one says or does the opposite of what is expected. There are also three types of irony that are shown in A Midsummer Night’s Dream: situational, verbal, and dramatic. The first type of irony shown in the play is dramatic irony.

    Read More

  • Tragic Irony in Shakespeare's Macbeth

    503 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dramatic irony is also used in Macbeth. This type of irony is when there is a

    Read More

  • The Theme of Love in A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

    547 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Dramatic Irony In A Midsummer Night's Dream

    696 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dramatic irony can do much to a story, like creating suspense or making the story funny. In this situation dramatic irony is being used to create suspense in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Dramatic irony is when the reader or audience knows something that the character doesn't. So, what do we know in A Midsummer Night’s Dream that the characters don't. Hermia and Lysander have planned to run away and into the woods out of Athens so they and finally be together.

    Read More

  • Contrast in A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

    1403 Words  | 3 Pages

    To emphasize, in Act III, the reader is presented with the play’s most extraordinary contrast, the relationship between Titania and Bottom. “What wakes me from my flow’ry bed?” (III.i.131). Titania is awoken by the so-called melodic singing of Bottom. In the present scene, both characters are under some particular sort of spell. Titania’s eyes were anointed with the nectar of the love flower, thus causing her to fall in love with the next living thing she encounters. In the meantime, Puck pulled a prank on Bottom, turning his head into that of an ass. Both characters of the play are interpreted as complete opposites. Titania, characterized as the beautiful, graceful fairy queen; Bottom is portrayed as overdramatic, self centered, and as of now, not keen on the eyes. However, the love nectar never fails and seems to bring the two into a state of lust. The contrast between the two is overwhelming. An important scene in the pl...

    Read More

  • Interpretating the Title of A Midsummer Night's Dream

    492 Words  | 1 Pages

    The title of the play A Midsummer Night's Dream can have many interpretations. I will give you my thoughts on the relationship of the title to the different situations that take place in the play. These interpretations give insight and overall meaning to the thematic nature of Shakespeare's work. Although I am only going to describe three interpretations of the title, there are many other meanings to the title. The first interpretation of the title of the play that came to my mind was the magical dream-like night in the woods, when Robin Goodfellow and Oberon, the king of the fairies, used several kinds of love potions, and messed everything up.

    Read More

More about Dramatic Irony In A Midsummer Night's Dream

Open Document