Midsummer Night's Dream 2
The play opens in the palace of Theseus, Duke of Athens. Theseus is a mythical Greek hero. He is about to marry Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, a mythical race of women-warriors. Hermia's father, Egeus, comes before the Duke to ask that she be punished by law for disobeying him. Hermia wants to marry Lysander and Egeus wants her to marry Demetrius. The law he asks to be invoked provides that she die or enter a nunnery if she doesn't obey her father. We learn that Demetrius, her father's choice, has abandoned Helena. Helena still loves her unfaithful Demetrius. Lysander and Hermia plan to elope. They tell Helena, who says she'll tell Demetrius. All four lovers will go to the woods the next night: Hermia and Lysander to elope; Demetrius to prevent this, having been warned by Helena; and Helena herself to be with Demetrius. Thus, at this point a situation that was all right before the play began is now off balance, with the two men loving Hermia, and Helena sad and lovelorn. In William Shakespeare's tragic comedy play written in 1595, A Midsummer Night's Dream, there are two characters, who are portrayed as the leaders of both the human and magical worlds. These characters are Theseus, the Duke of Athens, and Oberon,
In this play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, the rulers of both the human and fairy kingdoms, have proven that they are alike, and each have differences. Their personalities, relationships with others, and their roles in society, have similarities and differences, just like anybody else with an identity would be. But a good question is, if both of these rulers be able to survive in today's world? Would their decisions be supported by the modern society that we live in? The beauty of Shakespeare is that his message is timeless, and forever will be. Theseus and Oberon, both have the same roles in each of their societies. Theseus is the Duke of Athens, and has the power of the humans, whereas Oberon, the King of the Fairies, has the majesty and power in his world that Theseus has in his. The difference between the two worlds bespeaks the difference between the two characters, for Oberon is triumphant in poetry and illusion - "King of Shadows" Puck calls him, while as mere shadows Theseus disparages even the most expert purveyors if illusion (Act V, Sc. 1, 212-213). The marriage of Theseus is the framing event in the daylight world of the play. It is the first thing we hear of and the last thing that happens, but the cloth that is woven within this frame is of Oberon's design. He and his assistant Puck move the shuttle of this loom madly between the straight uprights of Theseus' frame. The lovers are matched as warp and woof, and Bottom's experience runs as a strong diagonal thread knitting all sturdily. All of this comes about because Oberon can't have something that he wants. Titania has a changeling whom she has excellent reasons for wishing to keep. The little boy's mother was a special friend who died giving birth to this child. But Oberon must have this boy. He obtains the love juice to divert Titania's interest from the child and he'll only disenchant her once the changeling is securely in his own train. When we remember that this is the motive behind all that happens in the woods, Oberon comes off a little better than the two male lovers. For magnanimity of spirit and depths of emotion he's about on par with them. However, as soon as Oberon speaks the poetry Shakespeare has given him, we too are completely in his power. His magnificent descri
Some common words found in the essay are:
Act Sc, Hippolyta Interlude, Night's Dream, Oberon Oberon, King Fairies, II Sc, Queen Amazons, King Shadows, Lysander Egeus, King Henry, sc 1, duke athens, act sc 1, act sc, theseus duke athens, similarities differences, theseus duke, oberon king fairies, king fairies, queen amazons, roles society, hippolyta queen, hippolyta queen amazons, oberon king, midsummer night's dream,
Approximate Word count = 1537
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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