What is the relationship between the title of the play and magic? There is a high significance between magic and the title of ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’. ‘Midsummer’ is considered to be one of the quarter days of the year. It is a day full of magic and confusion. ‘Night’s Dream’ tells us that the whole aspect of magic may not be real at all. In the sixteenth century people lived near the country side where tales about spirits and magic were common. However anyone who used magic were hung and that might be the reason why Shakespeare ended the play with writing that it all was a vision.
The characters in the fairy world have the greatest impact of magic for both the lovers and the mechanical ‘worlds’. Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow, is an evil and mischievous character who is said to ‘fright the maiden of the villagery’ and ‘misleads night-travellers’. These two quotations clearly support my point on how mischievous a character Puck is. He is a fairy with the powers to transform his voice and appearance so that he may ‘lurk in gossip bowls’ and cause mischief. His conversation with the fairy in Act two, scene one is very magical and fantastical. Puck is a really important magical character because he uses his magic to make everything happen in the play.
The reader might think that Puck uses some of his spiritual powers sinisterly. We can see this were it is written that he ‘misleads night-travellers’. It suggests that magic is not always used for a good cause and sometimes used menacingly. In addition to the last point about sinisterness, we can see it occur at other times where magic is used improperly. An example of this can be seen when Oberon says to Titania ‘Glance at my credit with Hippolyta,/knowing I know thy love to Theseus?’ This shows to the reader that Oberon and Titania have manipulated Theseus and Hippolyta. Oberon, Titania and the other fairies do not just use magic in their ‘kingdom’ but also in the ‘real’ world to gain what they want. This shows us how sinister and important magic can be as it is used everywhere for good and terrible causes. Finally the battle between Oberon and Titania over has devastated nature and hurt people but neither one cares showing their sinisterness. We can see this when Titania concludes her speech saying these ‘evils comes/ From our debate, from our dissension.’ This demonstrates that despite the fact they know what is happening due to their argument, none of them are concerned. Regardless of the importance of magic it is iniquitous in some ways.
The love potion is made from the juice of a flower that was struck with one of Cupid’s misfired arrows. Once the juice is laid ‘on sleeping eyelids’, it will make the ‘man or women dote/ Upon the next live creature that it sees.’ This juice is used by Oberon to get revenge on Titania for not giving him the Indian boy. This can be seen when Oberon says to Puck that he will ‘drop the liquor of it in her eyes’. This example demonstrates magic is really important as anything and everything can be done using it.
Love is another theme in the play and we mainly see it between the four Athenian lovers. Continuing with the love potion, it is also used to wreak romantic havoc throughout the play. The carelessness of Puck causes the situation of the lovers to become chaotic and confusing. We can see the mistake Puck makes when Oberon says to him ‘Thou hast mistaken’ the Athenian youth. This example demonstrates magic is really important as anything and everything can be done using it. This shows the reader that everyone makes mistakes even if they have magical powers.
During the play, Puck describes how he came across a ‘crew of patches, rude mechanicals’ and used his magic to transform Bottom’s head into one of an ass. We can see this when Quince says to Bottom ‘Thou art translated’. This also shows that Bottom is unaware of his change and we could metaphorically say the Bottom’s is an ass or in other words a fool. Titania awakes and falls in with Bottom. We can see this after the spell of the juice is taken off and she says: ‘Me thought I was enamoured of an ass’. This is an interesting line because it shows that although Titania is the queen of the fairies see can have a spell on herself without being able to do anything. Here magic is important because it shows that it can be used on anyone in any ‘world’.
Despite all magic has done, it is used to bring the resolution in the play. Everything that happened in the play is put right by magic apart from the juice in Demetrius’ eyes. The line where Oberon tells Puck to ‘lead these testy rivals so astray,/ As one come not within another’s way’ shows that he does not want the two friends to fight each other. This supports my point that no harm being done to anyone. Oberon then crushes the ‘herb into Lysander’s eyes’ as well as Titania’s so that their false love is destroyed. Finally he tells Puck to ‘take this transformed scalp/ From off the head of this Athenian swain [Bottom].’ These all points show that however important magic is, it does no harm to anyone in the end.
To conclude magic is probably the most important theme in the play. The whole play is based around magic and without it the play would be nothing. But is magic real? The lines where it is written ‘May all to Athens back again repair/ And think no more of this night’s accidents/ But as the fierce vexation of a dream’ leaves the reader thing that all the magic and all supernatural events was just a dream. However, the overall atmosphere of the play is a magical one which Shakespeare creates by a mixture of the real world colliding with a mythical one. Shakespeare ending the play with Puck’s speech about it all being a vision leaves the reader to decide whether it was all genuine or just fantastical.