Literary Devices In A Midsummer Night's Dream

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.

In Helena’s self-pitying speech, Shakespeare uses syntax. In this example, he puts the object before the subject and verb, helps to put emphasis on the words quantity and dignity: “Things base and vile, holding no quantity, love can transpose to form and dignity” (238-239). Also, it helps to create suspense since

you don't know what Helena is talking about till the end of the sentence. Using syntax is crucial because the reader would not understand how love struck Helena is.
Rhyming couplets are used in the speech to add dramatic effect and further prove Helena's love for Demetrius.

For instance, when Helena says “as waggish boys in the game themselves forswear, so the boy Love is perjured everywhere,” Helena is trying to say that the only reason Demetrius wants Hermia is because boys want any girl who will give them attention (246-247). Helena is competing for the love of Demetrius. Rhyming couplets also make the piece flow smoothly. Shakespeare chose a rhyming couplet in this specific part of the speech because it significantly portrays Helena’s devotions to Demetrius.

Shakespeare also incorporates illusion as a tool to make the reader connect the two love stories without having to explain the moral of Cupid. When he says that “love looks not with the eyes but with the mind; and therefore is the winged Cupid painted blind,” he is trying to say that love is more than just looks, but the connection between two people (240-241). Cupid is the universal symbol of love which leads the readers to understand the meaning of the speech; Helena has so much affection for

Demetrius.
Overall, these literary devices enhance the piece, and make the reader fully understand Helena’s emotions toward Demetrius, as well as bringing clarity and richness. Shakespeare’s style of writing differs from many others because instead of coming out and telling the reader things, he implies what is happening and leaves it to the writer to figure out the rest. By understanding and using the literary devices the reader can understand Shakespeare's writing easily.