A Midsummer Night's Dream
In A Midsummer-Night's 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, Lysnader, 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 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 naivete 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-Night's 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 th
Some common words found in the essay are:
Demetrius Lysander, Midsummer-Night's Dream, Theseus Hippolyta, Lysander Demetrius, Puck Titania, Hermia Demetrius, Demetrius Helen, Dream Shakespeare, Snout Starveling, fantasy reality, Hippolyta Egeus, real world, theseus hippolyta, midsummer-night's dream, play mechanics, solid grasp reality, hippolyta egeus, set standards, solid grasp, hermia demetrius, creating fantasy, theseus hippolyta egeus,
Approximate Word count = 1079
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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