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Example research essay topic: Midsummer Nights Dream Fantasy And Reality - 1,651 words

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Midsummer Night The themes presented by William Shakespeare in A Midsummer Nights Dream are tied together perfectly, thus exposing the real life problems of the relations between human beings. A main literary theme in this play is the complications and deceptions of true love. Shakespeare shows the reader, through his characters and plot, that love is relatively non existent unless both lovers involved have mutual understanding. He displays how people only see what they want to see in their lover, ignoring the realistic and negative aspects. Through his characters, plot, and symbolic creations in the play, Shakespeare has created a clear yet complex theme. In the first trace of events relating to the theme, two of the four lovers (Lysander and Hermia) are unable to arrange their marriage, because of the Athenian law which denies them of approval without their fathers consent.

The problems encountered here signify the notion that true love is full of obstacles and complications. Thus, Lysander speaks to Hermia: The course of true love never did run smooth (I, 1, 136) The theme is further developed to portray that love has blindness, and that individuals only see what they wish to see in whom they love. This is evident when Helena pursues Demetrius, because she is in love with him. Demetrius, however, does not love her, because he loves Hermia. Helena says: Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind (I, 1, 240) This statement encloses the idea that love is blind, and people in love are ignorant of the negative aspects in their relationships. The theme expands greatly when Helena's statement in Act 1 is symbolically displayed.

The fairy king, Oberon, and his henchman, Robin, enchant the lovers. As a result of their enchantment, Demetrius and Lysander fall in love with Helena, whom they both did not love initially. This relates to the idea of love being a one sense emotion. Despite the fact that they previously disliked her, Demetrius and Lysander choose to love Helena regardless of their hostility towards here earlier in the play. Another theme pointed out by Shakespeare is that men and women are generally uncertain and easily influenced in making decisions regarding their life and relationships. Robin comments on the foolishness and vulnerability of the mortals: Lord, what fools these mortals be. (III, 2, 117) Through magic, Robin is easily able to fool and at times manipulate human beings.

Their weakness to Robin symbolizes their uncertainty about themselves, especially when they are in love. In an attempt to fix a conflict between the four lovers, Oberon orders Robin to use magic and resolve the misunderstandings which Robin created; Oberon also ordered Robin to carry out his original intent to make Demetrius fall in love with Helena. Oberon speaks to Robin about the four lovers: When they next wake, all this derision Shall seem a dream and fruitless vision (III, 2, 392) This statement made by Oberon suggests that love itself is at times empty and easily changed or redirected. To conclude the development of the theme, all of the lovers get married to the right person. Helena marries Demetrius, who she pursued and loved in the beginning of the play, before any enchantment took place. Lysander marries Hermia, who both loved each other before any enchantment.

By making the plot end decorously, Shakespeare shows that love ends happily if the ones in love are sincere, and genuinely in love. Although it did not run smooth, eventually true mutual love was achieved. William Shakespeare's intricate plot and characters provoke the readers interest in understanding the theme. His effective style in A Midsummer Nights Dream displays the theme in a number of different aspects.

It is not only evident in the course of events, but also in a symbolical manner. In A Midsummer Nights Dream, Shakespeare presents four distinct groups of characters. Each group serves a different purpose, and contributes to the comparison of fantasy and reality. There are the authority figures of Athens, which include Theseus, Hippolyta, and Egeus. The three have a solid grasp of reality and provide for a contrast between the city and the forest. The group of the forest, Oberon, Puck, Titania and her fairies, serve as the other end of the comparison.

The fairies represent a fantasy world that operates according to a different set of standards than the real world. Living somewhere between fantasy and reality are the four lovers, Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius, and Helen. The lovers are living in a dream like state; the essence of their relationships remains similar through the transitions from reality to fantasy and back. The final group of Athenians are the mechanics, Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snout, and Starveling. Their superficial purpose is to provide comic relief throughout the play. In addition, they are creating a fantasy by putting on the play for Theseus.

Shakespeare uses the four groups of characters to show differences and similarities between fantasy and reality. The city of Athens, in A Midsummer Night's Dream, represents reality, because it is governed by laws and reason. There are three groups of characters from Athens, and only group that is not associated with fantasy is the one with Theseus, Hippolyta, and Egeus. Both Theseus and Egeus show that their world is governed by laws; Egeus asked for the ancient privilege of Athens, and Theseus upheld it. During the play put on by the mechanics, Hippolyta commented, this is the silliest stuff that ever I heard. Even the relationship, between Theseus and Hippolyta, differs from those of the four lovers.

Instead of a romantic relationship, Theseus won thy [Hippolyta's] love, doing thee injuries. Their relationship does not appear to be based on love, which tends toward fantasy. In contrast to the Athenians, the characters from the forest represent fantasy. To begin with, all the characters are fictional beings. They act and behave differently from humans, and their world is governed by magic. When Oberon, king of the fairies, could not get the changeling from Titania, he planned to exact revenge with the help of a magical flower.

The maidens call it love in idleness. The juice from the flower would make the victim fall in love with the first creature they saw when they woke up. Puck, who was sent to do the job, ended up affecting Titania and the two male lovers. Puck made excuses that he mistaken Lysander and Demetrius for the ones he supposed to find, but the truth is, he enjoyed mischief and hurting people that walked in the forest. Since there are no major villains in the play, the mischievous Puck fills in the role and plays tricks on the lovers. Before the lovers leave the forest though, the fairies did them a favor by using the magic.

It returned Lysander's love for Hermia and made Demetrius love Helena. So the magic let the relationships work out without conflict. The four young lovers in the play seem to pursue their petty goals no matter their environment. In the real world, Athens, Demetrius and Lysander become bitter rivals because they both love Hermia. The same situation occurs in the forest, only the target of their love switched to Helena.

The young lovers present a medium between fantasy and reality. They live in the real world, but the preoccupation with their love makes them seem like they are under a spell. As a matter of fact, they are under the influence of the flower when they leave the forest. The situation of their love triangle also reflects Shakespeare's view of love and relationships. The constant switching of amours shows that Shakespeare thinks that love is paradoxical. In the play, the flower is the cause for their changes in affection, but in real life, similar things happen and it is often hard to understand the reasons.

The mechanics also played a role between reality and fantasy. They lived in reality, but when they act the play they are creating a fantasy. They go to the forest which represents a world of fantasy to rehearse their play. The mechanics combine the worlds of fantasy and reality in a different method from that of the lovers. They are not as confused about the boundary between the two worlds. Most of them are even worried that the audience may believe more than they should when they see the play.

They are clearly able to distinguish between fantasy and reality; to present that clearly to the viewers, they add long prologues explaining their roles in the play. The mechanics also serve a comical purpose in the original plot. They are naivet and kindness is shown in there worries about the audience. Their determined efforts to tell the audience that they are only acting during the play ruins it, but makes it quite funny. In Shakespeare's, A Midsummer Nights Dream, four distinct character groups are each supposed to contribute a different aspect of fantasy and reality.

The adults of Athens represented the reality. They were the ones who found the four lovers in the woods and brought them back to the city. The fairies of the forest were responsible for all the fantastical actions with the flowers and magic. They represented a fantasy that seemed similar to the human world in organization, but that operated with a different set of standards.

The four young lovers were stuck somewhere between fantasy and reality. Then the mechanics from Athens had a solid grasp of reality, but they were going to create a fantasy in the form of a play. They serve to distinguish the boundary between fantasy and reality when they continually reminded the audience that everything that happened on stage was no real. With these four groups, Shakespeare compared fantasy and reality. He provided the extremes in the forms of the city and the forest. The lovers and mechanics each provided a different medium that could exist between fantasy and reality.


Free research essays on topics related to: midsummer nights dream, set of standards, fantasy and reality, demetrius and lysander, fall in love

Research essay sample on Midsummer Nights Dream Fantasy And Reality

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