A Midsummer Night's Dream.
A Midsummer Night's Dream Model Essay "Lord, what fools these mortals be." (III.ii.116) Commenting on language and actions, how true is Puck's statement. A Midsummer Night's Dream was written by William Shakespeare c.1595. It was probably written to be performed at the wedding of a longstanding patron of the actors with whom Shakespeare worked. The play is set in Athens, Greece and draws upon traditional folktales by incorporating characters such as Oberon, Titania and Robin Goodfellow. Mythological references are also made with the inclusion of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Shakespeare also makes reference to Tudor festivals by adding references to harvest and maypoles. The play features four main groups of characters, The Court, The Lovers, The Rude Mechanicals, and the Fairies. The four groups are linked by running themes including, love, marriage, night and also the natural world. At the beginning of the play the audience is introduced to Theseus, Duke of Athens, and Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons who are preparing to marry. Their marriage has come about from Hippolyta's defeat in war; "I have woo'ed thee with my sword." Shakespeare has introduced an artificial and arranged love in the first scene of the play. This is in contrast to the Lovers Hermia and Lysander who are truly in love, but are forbidden to marry by Egeus. In an attempt to stop them from marrying,
A Midsummer Nights Dream Revision Essay
Brittany Fischer Ms. Kriess AP Literature and Comp. January 5, 2012 A Midsummer Night’s Dream Revision Essay In William Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream the audience follows the characters through a magical dreamlike adventure which creates thoughtful laughter. The comedy goes far beyond surface jokes because each trick holds a deeper meaning. Shakespeare’s immaculate and clever use of the English language presents his audience with an ongoing humor which is not only enjoyable but causes them to meditate. The crafty humor in this play is seen most heavily within the symbolism and literary devices used in the play, and contribute to the works theme of reason versus emotion as a whole. The significance of the symbols prevalent throughout A Midsummer Night’s Dream at times evoke laughter and at other times cause reflection. The main symbol throughout the play is King Oberon’s love potion that creates a plethora of problems for the characters in the play. When Oberon’s mischievous sprite, Puck, sets out to enchant Demetrius into loving Helena and uses it on the wrong Athenian lover, mayhem breaks out. This scene of four lovers quarreling on who they truly love is the climax of the play and creates a most humorous event. However, the depth of this occurrence goes past basic comedy and symbolizes the fragility and fickleness of love that Shakespeare
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of Shakespeare's plays that are more 'light-hearted'. The play is entertaining and Shakespeare uses the genre of comedy to keep his audience interested. He uses several kinds of humour through out the play, and he covers three different storylines to make a complicated plot. The play includes: a love story, showing the changing relationships between four young people, a comic account of amateur actors struggling to rehearse and perform a very bad play, and a magical plot about a world of fairies, in which the king of the fairies (Oberon) quarrels with his queen. Shakespeare's choice of language enabled him to bring all kinds and classes of people into his plays, for example, Shakespeare uses romantic poetry with the lovers in the play and he develops a realism based on Christian folk plays with Bottom and his rustic comrades. It is Shakespeare's clever technique of writing that allowed him to create a play that is set in Athens, and includes nobility, fairies, and workmen. A Midsummer Night's Dream is an example of how different styles of writing, characters, and realms of experience can be combined into one play to create an amazing plot for a wide range of people to enjoy. Shakespeare's choice of language also allowed him to explore the natural and supernatural, and he was able to create personalities
Why is Bottom such a well-loved character? Explain with reference to 'A Midsummer Nights Dream'
Why is Bottom such a well-loved character? Explain with reference to 'A Midsummer Nights Dream' 'A Midsummer Nights Dream' is one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. It was written in 1595 so was one of his earlier plays. Nick Bottom is one of the main characters in the play and is easily the funniest and most well loved. By well loved, I mean that he is well liked my other characters in the play and especially by the audience. He figures in many of the scenes in the play and crosses into the different 'worlds' within the play. He wanders into the world of the fairies during the play and also into the Royal World! Both of these worlds give Bottom a chance to show a bit more of his comical character. The play itself was aimed at an audience of Kings and Queens. It was written just after the plague had swept through the country killing thousands of people so this may have influenced Shakespeare into writing a play with a touch of humour in it. Shakespeare is undoubtedly the best play write that has ever lived and 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' has always been one of his most popular plays. There are many main characters in the play that all have an important role within the play. Bottom may not be the main character, however he is the character that the audience will remember the most about once the play has finished. Bottom gets his slightly comical name from being a working
