Category: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare is a comedic masterpiece that raises questions on power, gender, and the deception of love which facilitates the drama culmination. Elizabethan norms included patriarchal authority, which Shakespeare not only questioned throughout the play, but also challenged. During Elizabethan times, the predominant role that women played was that of…

In A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, the differences between comedy and tragedy are often mentioned throughout this comedy. Although it is often described as a comedy; however, it can also be looked at as a tragedy as well. William Shakespeare focused on the aspects of the character Bottom and him being a perfect…

Throughout A Midsummer Night’s Dream, gender stereotypes prevail as a main source of comedy. As the audience, we notice this common theme between character relationships in certain scenes and events that occur within the play and the many film adaptations. It ultimately provides this idea of men having more control and greater power over women.…

Shakespeare’s comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is widely regarded as nothing more than a romantic tale of light drama. Although the play is beautiful and funny, there’s also a clear trace of dark themes and violence, a twisted underside that’s distinct from its loving themes. Midsummer may conclude with a series of happy weddings, but…

This passage from A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare is situated at the beginning of the play and forms part of the exposition. In it, Lysander and Hermia are together alone for the first time on stage. They are both upset because Hermia is forced, by her family, to marry Demetrius or to become…

In the comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, one of the many themes of the play is love. During the play, there is a major wedding happening for The Duke and Amazon Queen, Theseus and Hippolyta. The play takes place in Athens, Greece, and is mainly focused around four lovers: Helena, Demetrius, Hermia,…

The works of William Shakespeare evince great fascination and entertainment for the overarching themes orchestrated by the plot and characters. The theme of illusion versus reality is employed in many Shakespearean plays, allowing for the saturation of dramatic irony. In this way, the audience becomes increasingly aware of the feelings, motives, and behaviours of each…

In Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, has many comedic moments and the acting is quite humorous. There is also plenty of chaos ( love and hate relationship) between lovers that is resolved by the end, resulting in marriage. However, as a reader, I find that whole idea about women is not so humorous when…

The spaces between reality and illusion in theatre are important for shaping the audience’s perceptions of the world. The Bell Shakespeare team describes this as “the ultimate ‘liminal spaces’, neither reality nor pure illusion”. William Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ explores the aspect of liminality by blurring the boundaries of the real word with fantasy.…

Introduction to Archetypes and Myths in Shakespeare’s Comedy “The course of true love never did run smooth” (Crowther, ed., 2005). Nor do dreams; a series of thoughts, images and sensations occurring in a person’s mind during sleep. A Midsummer Night’s Dream gives us a conscious fantasy, a doubting reality. The plot revolves around the desire…