An Essay on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, where oxlips and the nodding violet grows”. The basic plot of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is that there are four lovers, where two love each other, and the other two do not. They go into a wood where spells are cast. Also, actors are in the wood rehearsing, and later performing a play at the Duke of Athens’ wedding. The characters, the setting and what the atmosphere was like are considered when discussing, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.
There are many different characters in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, with various appearances and personalities. The main characters in the play are: the four lovers, the fairies, and the group of actors. One of the four lovers – Hermia, is a dark haired woman with a short temper. However, Helena, her friend, is an anxious blonde haired woman. There are two main fairies in the play, - Oberon and Titania. Oberon appears as a relatively reasonable fairy King, until he cannot get what he wants. He wears an intricate crown with sparkling expensive robes. He has black hair with a small beard. Titania, Queen of the fairies, is the opposite of Oberon; coming across as a friendly, gentle character. Her fairies are devoted to her and always look after Titania. Oberon’s fairy – Puck – is a mischievous and cunning. He usually has a sly, cheeky grin. Peter Quince is the leader of the group of actors. He is levelheaded, and probably the most responsible of the group. He is the oldest member, and teaches and prompts the less educated men. Other characters include Nick Bottom, an actor who turns into an ass, and Theseus and Hippolyta – a couple who are about to be married. Therefore, Shakespeare made the characters seem real by creating incredibly different personalities and appearances for each one.
