A Midsummer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare
'It is the most insipid, ridiculous Play that I ever saw in my life'
(Samuel Pepys 1662)
I cannot say that I would agree with the above statement made by
Samuel Pepys in 1662. When I read the play I didn't quite understand
why Shakespeare had written it. After I done some research I realized
that Shakespeare wrote this play so that it could be performed for
weddings.
The story of A Midsummer Night's Dream was that of love. Throughout
the play, Shakespeare tried to show that love is unpredictable,
unreasonable, and at times is blind. The primary focus in this play
was love and its relation to marriage.
I think that this play would have been most entertaining for those
watching it especially in that era as they had limited entertainment
and it would have been what they were accustomed to. Even today in the
21st Century, I think that it would still be found entertaining even
though in today's times there is a variety of entertainment such as,
cinemas, Theatres, Play houses, Home video's and DVD's. Just as how I
found it enjoyable there are others like myself who would also find it
entertaining.
If we look very closely we will see that the love is a not just
between the 4 lovers: Hermia, Lysander, Helena and Demetrius. But it
is also between a fairy and a mechanical; however, the only one case
is where Titania falls in love with Bottom. This is the only time we
see the two worlds interact as one. By this I mean the fairies are not
hidden from the mechanicals they are clearly seen.
In the 17th Century we see that the way things were done was very
different to now. We know this from the fact that Egeus was allowed to
decide who Hermia would marry even if she didn't love that person. The
father's role played a very big part in those times.
'To you father should as a god,'
The penalty for not listening to her father would be that she would
Shakespeare has a way of creating his characters so the audience can relate to them in a way. In his villains we see the negative characteristics that are in ourselves and others around us; things that often define the “natural man” such as greed or jealousy. With the entire terrible and treacherous thing that Shakespeare makes his villains do, he always manages to make them human in a way. As if he is meaning to display that no matter how twisted a person can be, they are still a person. In Shakespeare’s plays Othello, Hamlet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the villains share the characteristics of greed, clever and conniving ways, and recklessness; however, they all bring their own features to the table.
Hermia , Lysander , Helena and Demetrius represent young love in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream . They are potrayed as foolish and fickle , acting like children and requiring a parental figure to guide them . The parental figures are Hermia’s father , Egeus , and figuratively Theseus , the mortal ruler , and Oberon , the mystical ruler.
A Midsummer Night's Dream was an amazing story. THe movie was incredible to watch. All of the actors in the play was adequate. The text educated us in various of ways. There isn't a better or more enjoyable movie than A Midsummer Night's Dream.
In A Midsummer Night's Dream, one of the masterpieces of William Shakespeare, Shakespeare explores various aspects of love and friendship. With the help of the main characters such as Lysander, Demetrious Helena and Hermia, he endeavors that the path of love is full of obstacles, however, if one is committed and faithful, he/she can defy those obstacles leading him/her to success. As Lysander says “The course of true love never did run smooth”, the love stories presented in the play undergo difficult situations but eventually the genuine love is recognized by the triumph of the true loves.
In William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, there are endless images of water and the moon. Both images lend themselves to a feeling of femininity and calm. In classical mythology, the image of water is often linked with Aphrodite, goddess of passion and love. Born of the foam of the sea, Aphrodite was revered as an unfaithful wife to her husband Hephaestus (Grant 36). This may have a direct coloration to the unfaithful nature of the four lovers, Hermia, Helena, Lysander, and Demetrius, while in the woods. Perhaps more important, however, is Aphrodite’s link to the other Olympian maiden goddesses. As Aphrodite was attributed with love and beauty, Athena was the protector of war and arts, and finally, Artemis was the goddess of the woods and wild things (Hamilton 31). Artemis was brother of Apollo, god of the sun, and therefore she was the goddess of the moon. Through out literature it seems imagery of the moon and water can be used nearly interchangeably because they both imply feminine powers; water is representative of life and motion and the moon is representative of Artemis directly. Shakespeare seems to have been quite aware of the duties and powers of this ancient goddess.
William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream In the following essay I am aiming to show how Lysander's claim that 'the course of true love never did run smooth' is supported by other events in the play. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was written by William Shakespeare. No one knows the exact date it was written but we know it was between 1589 and 1595. He combines romance with comedy to produce this popular story.
Love is superficial. In "A Midsummer Night's Dream" multiple love triangles exist that switch between the plots. Historical and gender roles are a key point in this play. One key point explains the troublesome choices one can go through while in love. While another key point directed toward on cultural norms and perception of love. In the Ancient world of Athens males dominated their culture ultimately deciding the lives of many woman and men.
The fairies and the fairy realm have many responsibilities in this play. The most important of which is that they are the cause of much of the conflict and comedy within this story. They represent mischievousness and pleasantry which gives the play most of its emotion and feeling. They relate to humans because they make mistakes but differ in the fact that they do not understand the human world.
black general is the hero. This would have been at a time when much of
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.
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.
William Shakespeare’s characters act like fools very often in the play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Many times they would come across an easy problem and make a big deal about it, or choose to make a decision that doesn’t even make sense for them to consider. The most foolish characters in the play are Bottom, Puck, Helena, and Egeus. Shakespeare wrote about the foolish behavior of humans to show how silly people can be in a way that makes people laugh, but is actually pretty accurate.
Demetrius, the more you beat me, I will fawn on you. Use me but as
he exposition of the story is when Hermia and Lysander are in love and want to be married, but Hermia's father, Egeus, wants her to marry Demetrius. Egeus goes to Theseus to force Hermia and Demetrius marriage, and Theseus warns Hermia to follow his orders. Hermia and Lysander run away to be married, despite Theseus’s warning. They plan to meet in the fairy woods. Helena, Hermia’s best friends, is in love with Demetrius, and tells Demetrius about Hermia and Lysander plan to runaway and get married. Demetrius follows them, while Helena follows Demetrius to try to get his love back. Oberon the king, and Titania the queen of the fairies are in a quarrel over a boy. The rising action is when, Oberon orders Puck, another fairy, to help in get revenge on Titanias by putting a love potion in Titanias' eyes that’ll cause her to fall in love with the first thing she sees after
For my essay, my question is “what is William Shakespeare saying about love”. I think he is saying that people will go any lengths to be with who they love. No matter what your parents say or what they think, love can make you want to be with who I ever they want. So going forward I will explain what Shakespeare did to say about love.