"Hippolyta and Titania are consorts who defy their Lords, but ultimately submit to their lordship". Examine how Shakespeare treats the female characters and explores the role of women in the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

"Hippolyta and Titania are consorts who defy their Lords, but ultimately submit to their lordship". Examine how Shakespeare treats the female characters and explores the role of women in the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream". 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is said to be written between 1594 and 1596. It is also thought it was written around the period 'Romeo & Juliet'. Similarities between the two do occur between the plays, for example the play of 'Pyramus and Thisbe' which is performed by Peter Quince's men has the same tragic ending as 'Romeo & Juliet'. William Shakespeare at this time was the play writer for Elizabeth I .Shakespeare therefore gave the female characters in his plays, some sort of power. By doing this Shakespeare could not irritate the Queen by creating a play which was based on male characters. During the time of Queen Elizabeth I's reign, there were religious tensions between Catholics and Protestants. The Queen tried to treat the two religions equally and by encouraging them to live in peace. (1). Despite her attempts to bring about peace within the religious community, she was ruling a country torn apart by religious tensions. Also during the time of Queen Elizabeth's life was in danger, her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots wanted to have her killed. Fortunately for Queen Elizabeth, her cousins' plot was uncovered and she was tried and sentenced to death in

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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How does Act V make a good ending to A Midsummer Night's Dream?

4th Year Coursework Essay - A Midsummer Night's Dream Q: How does Act V make a good ending to A Midsummer Night's Dream? A: The final act at first seems completely unnecessary to the overall plot of the play. After all, in Act Four we not only have the lovers intent on getting married, but there has been a happy resolution to the overall conflict. Thus, the immediate question which arises is why Shakespeare felt it necessary to include this act. The answer lies in part with the entrance of all the characters in the final scene (with the exception of Egeus); this acts as a sort of encore to resolve any unanswered questions the audience may have about any of the characters. In Act Five the play is resolved with a typical happy ending with Lysander and Hermia, Demetrius and Helena and Theseus and Hippolyta getting married, contrasting with some of the plays written by Shakespeare earlier and later in his life in which death and sorrow predominate. The lovers have the blessings of both Theseus and the fairies. The only character in the play that could have ruined the happy ending is Egeus as he was unhappy about his daughter Hermia marrying Lysander (see above). Shakespeare may have been trying to make a point by leaving Egeus out, not all happy endings end up with everyone happy. If we think about typical fairytales such as Snow White then we realise that unhappy characters

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Discuss Shakespeare's presentation of relationships in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. How might a production of this play engage a modern audience?

Discuss Shakespeare's presentation of relationships in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. How might a production of this play engage a modern audience? Shakespeare's `A Midsummer Night's Dream,' is a comedy which shares many similarities to another famous Shakespeare play, `Romeo and Juliet.' They both begin the same with serious lovers who were fated in the stars to be together and whose parents disapproved of them being together. In `A Midsummer Night's Dream,' the moon is frequently mentioned by the characters, `Methinks how slow this old moon wanes; she lingers my desires,' the moon being associated with madness throughout the play. In `Romeo and Juliet,' the stars are regularly referred to in a similar manner. Theseus, Duke of Athens, is about to marry Hippolyta, a lady warrior who he conquered. Egeus brings his daughter Hermia to court. She and Lysander want to get married, but Egeus wants her to marry Demetrius, who also wants her. Under Athenian law, Hermia must marry the man of her father's choice or she will be executed. This is just part of the complicated love triangle that the reader faces when reading A Midsummer Night's Dream written by William Shakespeare. The actual tale of the story is simplicity itself but it's the ideas and emotions that Shakespeare uses to capture the reader's imagination and draw them into deep depths of the story. A Midsummer Night's Dream

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Midsummer Nights Dream.

Midsummer Nights Dream Many miraculous events happen in Shakespeare's, "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Magic is an extensive part of the play, as well as, the incredible characters, including: Puck, Lysander, Hermia, Helena, Bottom, and many more. A numerous amount of the characters play more than one important part, to progress interest, in the play. But the most important event in the play is that love and betrayal are the two most crucial elements in the development of the play. One of the characters, Lysander, loves Hermia. They are deeply in love with each other and they care about one another very much. Lysander says, "I will my Hermia" (1.1.227). What he means by this is that he will do anything for her, and by justifying my, he is saying that they are together, and Hermia is his one true love. "Content with Hermia! No; I do repent the tedious minutes I with her have I spent. Not Hermia but Helena I love" (2.2.111-113). Lysander betrays his love for Hermia by getting a magical spell in his eyes to make him love Helena. But he does not get this magic done to him just once, but twice. So, he falls back in love with Hermia, and he stays with her for the rest of eternity. Another one of the characters, Demetrius, loves Hermia, just as Lysander does. Demetrius says, "And here am I, and wood within this wood because I cannot meet my Hermia. Hence get thee gone, and follow me

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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'Discuss the comedy in a Midsummer night'sdream'.

'Discuss the comedy in a Midsummer night's dream' 'A midsummer night's dream' is a Shakespearean play containing for different plots. The for plots are Theseus and Hippolyta getting married, the four lovers getting confuse with who they love, set in the woods, the fairy king and queen falling out with each other and the mechanicals who are trying to rehearse a play for Theseus' and Hippolyta's wedding. Comedy is used throughout to make the play more entertaining. It's used in many different ways. In each plot the type of humour suits the characters and the situation they're in. Even before the play begins comedy, or more pointedly irony, has been used to create the bases of the play. Theseus and Hippolyta were classical Greek figures. Theseus who made war on the Amazons, a tribe of female virgin warriors who were hostile to marriage, defeated and married their queen Hippolyta. Hippolyta therefore accepted dominance of man over woman. The irony being the fact that Hippolyta stood against marriage and men in general, but broke this rule by marrying Theseus. Irony in the beginning of the book is used as a framework and pattern for the rest of the play to follow. Throughout the play Theseus constantly refers to the superiority of his judgement and knowledge over Hippolyta. He also makes a comment on the 'play within a play', Pyramus and Thisby, saying "These antique fables,

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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How does Shakespeare create the magical world of the fairies in a Midsummer Nights Dream?

Page 1 How does Shakespeare create the magical world of the fairies in a Midsummer Nights Dream? I feel that the fairies are the very heart of a Midsummer Nights Dream. It is because of fairy magic that we can call some of the action a dream. Nearly everything revolves around them such as nature, humans, emotions, settings, life, death and the weather. Most of the things that happen in the play have some relation to the fairies. All the magic and fantasy that takes place mostly in the middle section of the play comes from deep in the forest, which is the fairies home. Just imagine if fairies really did have magical powers, everyone would love to have them, you could do whatever you wanted with them for example cause mischief, which is what a lot of the play is about. The fairies are responsible for all of the mischief and fun that takes place. The language they speak is very poetical; and harmonious, some of the best poetry spoken in the play is spoken by the fairies. The fairies are a big part of the natural world, especially the forest. This is where they live. The fairies do the work of the forest. This is a quote from act 2 scene 1 the conversation between fairy and puck: "......The cowslips tall her pensioners be, ......I must go seek dewdrops here ...... And hang a pearl in every cowslips ear" The fairies seem to have a power over nature. There is another

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Love obstacle in Midsummer night's dream

Love obstacle in Midsummer night's dream Essay Unsettled Love Puzzle Lysander & Hermia - their first obstacle was at the beginning of the story when both men, Demetrius and Lysander wanted to marry Hermia. Egeus complained to the Duke of Athens that his daughter is refusing to marry Demetrius, her father? choice. " Full of vexation come I, with complaint against my child, my daughter Hermia. Stand forth Demetrius. My noble lord, this man hath my consent to marry her". Egeus demanded a death penalty for her disobedience. Hermia then insisted, even to the Duke that she will not marry Demetrius. Later, Lysander points out that Demetrius had previously been in love with another young woman called Helena, but he had changed his mind. ?emetrius, I?l avouch it to his head, made love to Nedar? daughter, Helena". Theseus, the Duke of Athens, told Hermia that she must either obey her father and marry Demetrius or be put to death. Then he made it clear to her that the penalty is either be put to death or life in a convent. He warned her that she will not be happy as a nun, and gave her four days until his wedding to make her choice. Lysander and Hermia then decided to run away to Lysadner? aunt? house and get married there. " I have a widow aunt, a dowger of great revenue, and she hath no child, from Athens is her house remote seven leagues, and she respects me as her only son.

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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A Midsummer Night's Dreamwas written around 1595-6 and within it there is much opportunity for reference to Shakespeare's contemporary world and life.

Contextualisation. A little background information. A Midsummer Night's Dream was written around 1595-6 and within it there is much opportunity for reference to Shakespeare's contemporary world and life. The play's title, for example, refers to an old English holiday custom on the night of "Midsummer's Eve" or summer solstice on June 23rd. On this night English men and women would tell stories of fairies and witchcraft. It was believed that spirits were particularly active on this night. The play also refers to the rite of May or "Maying". This is a familiar English tradition that took place on the first night of May, where young men and women could engage in singing and dancing (and possibly more) in the woods outside their towns. It is likely this is where Shakespeare got the ideas for setting and themes. At the time the play was written these traditions were under attack from the English puritans, who called them "pagan practices," saying there was too much scope for to much mischief. Shakespeare may have been seen to be defending such traditions by giving the play a happy ending after all that midsummer madness, showing the traditions as harmless or even desirable. Why was the play written? It is thought that the play was originally written to be performed first at the house of a nobleman as part of his wedding celebrations. If this was the case when the company

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Read again act 3 scene 2, write a detailed study of this scene drawing out its significance within the play as a whole, and giving particular attention to the ways in which Shakespeare makes use of the different verse forms employed in it.

Read again act 3 scene 2, write a detailed study of this scene drawing out its significance within the play as a whole, and giving particular attention to the ways in which Shakespeare makes use of the different verse forms employed in it. "With sighs of love, that cost the fresh blood dear (3.2.97)" Act 3 Scene 2 is central to the whole play; it is an extract of how the lovers are influenced by the fairy kingdom, by embracing magic spells, put upon them. As soon as looked over the scene it is probable to spot the male lovers attitudes towards their relationships, especially in Lysander's point of view. The connotations are; he has become a man who is after physical intimacy with Hermia whereas in the beginning of the play he was shown to be a true gentleman after genuine love only. Shakespeare's use of verse a forms brings out the significance and portrays the meaning behind it. For example Lysander spoke in blank verse in Act 1 Scene 1 when he and Hermia were revealing their escape to the woods to Helena. This confirms that he is maintaining order and a mature approach to Helena's and Hermia's discussion. Contrarily in the same scene Hermia and Helena's use of verse forms completely contradict the context of their conversation. The meaning of the verse is totally against the way they say it. They talk in Iambic Pentameter with rhyming couplets, they are found to be

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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How would you direct the opening scenes of a midsummer night's dream and what effects would you like to create for an audience?

Rebecca Bourke L6DH *-extend How would you direct the opening scenes of a midsummer night's dream and what effects would you like to create for an audience? In act one scene one of a Midsummer Nights dream, we are introduced to seven characters, Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius and Helena. There is a lot of dialogue in this scene which is very important as it sets the scene for the whole play. Also this opening dialogue introduces several important storylines to the audience such as the forthcoming marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta, or the love triangle between Hermia, Lysander and Demetrius, then later being introduced to Helena. As so many characters, dialogue and storylines are included in the opening scenes of Shakespeare's play, a director would have to be very careful that he kept the audiences attention on the plot, and not take attention away from the story by having distracting extras on stage. However, a director would need to make sure also that right atmosphere is set for a play in Greece, and the audience would be able to feel the atmosphere from added effects to the play, a director would have to act. In a midsummer night's dream, the setting of act one scene one is exceptionally significant. The whole of the scene is set in one room which is useful for a director as it avoids unnecessary set changes and it means the audience can

  • Word count: 666
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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