Helena - it feels like a dream?
Helena I still can't believe it, it feels like a dream, a fairytale dream that has just come true. Here I am a wife to Demetrius who just four days ago loathed and despised me but now adores and loves me. A magical dream I had whilst I was in the woods that Demetrius and Lysander woke and both fell in love with me and not Hermia who Lysander was to marry and who Demetrius was in love with. I felt confused in their sudden change of affection as I believed they both hated the sight of me yet both called me Goddess, nymph, perfect, divine. Something bewitching happened that night, something amazing. In my desperation to win Demtrius heart I told him of Hermia and Lysander's plan to escape Athens and Athenian law to run away together. Demetrius who did not want to lose Hermia went to the woods and so I followed him. He told me of his love for Hermia and not for me he ignored me and left me alone deep in the woods and continued his pursuit for them. I loved Demetrius and was sick when I didn't look upon him it was as I was speaking about my feelings for him and how I didn't compare to Hermia when Lysander woke. He told me how much he loved me how he despised Hermia his true love I didn't understand why he was mocking me and as I was trying to work out his change of affection Demetrius wakes from nearby 'Goddess, nymph, perfect, divine these couldn't be the words coming from
'A Mid Summer Night's Dream' by William Shakespeare. How do events support Lysander's claim that "The course of true love never did run smooth"?
`A Mid Summer Night's Dream' by William Shakespeare How do events support Lysander's claim that "The course of true love never did run smooth"? In this essay I will give my views on the quote: `The course of true love never did run smooth,' a statement made by Lysander to his love Hermia. I will find quotes and sections of the play, which support this claim. I will find information from the play, which may have inspired Lysander to say this. At the start of the play Theseus and Hippolyta are talking about their forthcoming marriage and how it came to be. You can see that they are happy and settled together as their `nuptial day' is arriving; they are going to be married soon and seem very excited about the approaching event. Yet this had not always been the case, their love had not always been so smooth. It started by means of death and war: `Hippolyta, I wooed thee with my sword,' is how Theseus describes the ways in which he won the love of Hippolyta. Theseus is referring to a myth, in which he killed many Amazons (warrior women). He won Hippolyta's love by doing this as he showed courage, strength and most of all determination to win and overcome Hippolyta. This supports Lysander's claim as when he made this statement he suggested reasons like `war' and `death' as factors which affect the course of true love, here they both played a part in the myth
How does Shakespeare present each group of characters in A Midsummer Nights Dream
The whole play revolves around four main groups: the fairies, the mechanicals, the royals and the lovers. These four groups all have their own reasons for ending up together in the same wood. The groups affect and entwine with each other. An example of this is when Bottom from the mechanicals is turned into a donkey as part of Oberon the fairy kings revenge on his wife Titania queen of the fairies. The lovers are affected because Puck under Oberon's command changes which of the lovers loves whom. The royals allow the lovers in the end to marry as they choose. The fairies are a magical race they can control the seasons and are very powerful. Shakespeare's language shows that the fairies are not human by using poetic, descriptive and light language with lots of alliteration, and onomatopoeia, "warbling". After every line the last two words rhyme in a rhyming couplet, "Now, until the break of day, Through this house each fairy stray." There are three main characters in the fairies; Oberon is the fairy king he arguing with his wife the fairy queen Titania over an Indian boy. Titania has taken it upon herself to raise and look after the Indian boy for a friend but Oberon thinks she has had another lover and that it is his child so he wants it for his servant. This argument means that the seasons change. Puck the other main character in the fairies is Oberon's "right hand man"
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Assignment 4 - A Midsummer Night's Dream In the early 1590's, William Shakespeare wrote a play. This play was about the power of the mind and the importance of love. It was called 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. The theme of the play is based around the difference between illusion and reality. This is shown through love and the fact that true love never did run smooth. The play also emphasis how love can provoke hate and envy and cause people to do irrational things. In the play, order and disorder shows the need for power. The play is set around dreaming. Themes and ideas of dreaming constantly reoccur throughout the play. The word dream or dreaming is in the title, one of the first speeches and the last speech. The whole play is also about sleeping. In many cases, sleeping and waking up to find that you love someone different. Dreamy words regularly appear throughout the play. The play is a romantic comedy. Many strange, surreal situations take place during the play. One example is of fairies squeezing love potion onto lovers' eyes. These times of surreal goings on cause the audience's power of imagination to click into gear. This is because in Elizabethan times, there was little stage scenery and no special effects, which we all take for granted today. The audience were expected to willingly suspend their disbelief in imagining up scenery, almost like they were 'dreaming'
A Midsummer Nights Dream
In Shakespeare's play 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' the quotation 'the course of true love ne'er runs smooth' is both true and false. Certain characters experience a smooth relationship whilst others do not. 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is one of Shakespeare's plays that is more cheerful than others: the play is entertaining and Shakespeare uses the genre of comedy to keep his audience interested. He covers three different storylines to make up a complicated plot. The play includes a love story, showing the changing relationships between four young people; Hermia, Helena, Lysander and Demetrius, and the play also consists of a magical plot about a world of fairies, in which the king of the fairies, Oberon, quarrels with his queen. The quotation from my question is taken from Act 1 Scene 1 when Lysander is talking to Hermia, Lysander says, 'the course of true love never did run smooth'. A characteristic of Shakespearian comedy is that the course of true love doesn't run smoothly but everything turns out as it should by the end of the play. Hermia and Lysander are one of the many couples in the play which experience complications in their relationships as a couple. The first dilemma which is keeping them apart is Hermia's father; Egeus 'Full of vexation come I, with complaint against my child'. He describes Lysander's love for Hermia as a spell, which causes her to only see good
What devices does Shakespeare use to show the differences between the Court and the Mechanicals in Act I of A Midsummer Nights Dream?
What devices does Shakespeare use to show the differences between the Court and the Mechanicals in Act I of A Midsummer Night's Dream? In Act I of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare uses a variety of devices to illustrate the differences between the aristocrats of Theseus' Court and the humble workmen, the Mechanicals, ranging from setting and imagery to humour and formality. The Court are very serious-poor Hermia has to worry about being put to death if she doesn't marry Demetrious-whom her father (Egeus) has chosen for her to marry, whereas the Mechanicals are very humorous-Bottom considers himself to be a professional actor when he actually just makes a complete fool out of himself when he tries to impersonate the Court in their language. One of the devices Shakespeare uses is language. The language of the Court is presented in verse, balanced, in iambic parameter, elaborate and dignified, whether talking in love or anger. Theseus apologises formally to Hippolyta for having conquered her in battle: "Hippolyta, I woo'd thee with my sword, And won thy love by doing these injures, But I will wed thee in another key, With pomp, with triumph..." Egeus accuses Lysander angrily; "Thou hast by moonlight at her windows sung, With feigning voices of feigning love, And stolen the impression of her fantasy, With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gauds, conceits, Knachs,
Importance of Magic in a Midsummer Night's Dream
Oliver Newland Task: Discuss the importance of magic in A Midsummer Night's Dream 0c1 English Coursework Magic is probably the main theme in A Midsummer Nights Dream. It plays a vital and extensive role in each story - line. Each time Shakespeare uses magic, there is an important - if subtle - consequence. Shakespeare explores many aspects of magic, including how it causes problems and how it solves them. Magic is often used by Shakespeare to support and implement the comedic sections of the play. Before I explore the importance of magic in the play, I must explore magic itself, as it means different things to different people and to different cultures. Magic is defined in the dictionary as "Any art that invokes supernatural powers". However, to other people and the majority of religions, magic is an evil force within the world, practiced by sinners and wrong - doers. This seems to be the main view of the society Shakespeare lived in. However, nowadays magic is generally not believed in. This seems to be Shakespeare's point of view; this can be seen by his use of magic to create a comedic and mischievous - though certainly not evil- atmosphere throughout the play. In this way, Shakespeare could be seen as a writer ahead of his time. The effects of magic in A Midsummer Night's Dream may have been influenced by the social attitude of the
Midsummer Nights Dream is a Shakespearian comedy, which centres around four lovers.
Midsummer Night’s Dream Assessment Midsummer Night’s Dream is a Shakespearian comedy, which centres around four lovers. It consists of many different love stories which frequently change and alter during the course of the play which makes its humorous and appealing. Lysander is a loving and strong-minded character as he would do anything for Hermia, even risking the wrath of Egeus by fleeing with Hermia so the ‘Athenian law cannot pursue’ them both. This demonstrates not only the depth of his feeling for Hermia, but also his conviction to her. This is also very audacious because Egeus already disapproves of Lysander and by running off with Hermia, he will be loathed even more. Lysander is also an determined character as he pleads his own worth to Egeus when Hermia’s given the choice of being a nun, marrying Demetrius or death; by first flattering him by saying ‘I am, my lord’. He then goes on to say all of his good qualities as well, he is ‘as well derived’, ‘as well possess'd’, ’fortunes every way as fairly rank'd’ and his ‘love is more’. Even though, it doesn’t work. On the other hand, Lysander also comes across as a scornful and sarcastic person as he says: ‘you have her father's love, Demetrius; let me have Hermia's: do you marry him.’ It is also a very disrespectful remark to say because in those times homosexual marriages and
Act 5, Scene 1: "Athens, The great hall in the palace of Theseus"
Act 5, Scene 1: "Athens, The great hall in the palace of Theseus" Theseus and Hippolyta enter the great hall in his Athenian palace. They cannot believe the stories they have heard from Hermia, Helena, Demetrius, and Lysander. "I never may believe / These antique fables, nor these fairy toys" Act 5, Scene 1, lines 2-3. Hippolyta is more inclined to believe them than Theseus, for the four distinct stories all correlate well and seem to be true. Topic Tracking: Magic 10 The four lovers come into the hall with the royals as Theseus asks Philostrate what play they will be seeing on this joyous day of weddings. He gives a humorous list of four plays, all which do not please Theseus until Pyramus and Thisbe. Philostrate warns Theseus of the meagerness and novelty of this tragedy turned into a comedy by the players' mirth. Theseus commands to see the play anyway, and the players enter the palace ready to perform. Topic Tracking: Love's Foolishness 14 Quince begins the prologue, chock full of incorrect grammar, mispronunciations, and complete farce. This scene consists of a play within a play and is set onstage with the palace set and the mobile set of the players. Theseus, Lysander, and Hippolyta comment on the childish players by saying, "His speech was like a tangled chain;/ Nothing impaired, but all disordered" Act 5, Scene 1, lines 123-124. Quince continues with the
Discuss Pucks role in A Midsummer Nights Dream.
Discuss Puck's role in A Midsummer Night's Dream. In A Midsummer's Dream, Puck is a 'sprite', a creature with magical powers, similar to a pixie or an elf. He is Oberon's jester and henchman. He also serves another role in the play by interpreting it for the audience and commenting on the action of the play. Puck explains why the King and Queen of fairies are quarreling, ' she as her attendant hath a lovely boy, stol'n from the Indian King. She had never had so sweet a changeling, And jealous Oberon would have the child... But she perforce withholds the loved boy...', this enlightens the audience about Oberon and Titania's quarrel. It gives the audience some background information and helps them understand the plot better. Puck is also a very critical character, he calls the craftsmen ' Hempen homespuns' and the lovers as 'mortals... fools be'. These might also represent what the audience themselves think of the characters especially the craftsmen and lovers. Therefore, Puck signifies an important role in explaining and commenting on the play and their characters. Puck also plays a humorous role in A Midsummer Night's Dream. He causes some of the most comical moments of the play, example when Puck transform Bottom's head into that of an ass(donkey), and when the craftsmen saw Bottom with an ass hear, their reaction was hilarious. They scrambled to get out of the woods and