Manipulation In A Midsummer Night's Dream

1911 Words8 Pages
A Midsummer Night’s Dream was written by William Shakespeare between 1590 and 1597. It is a play that portrays the adventures of 4 lovers and 6 other amateur actors, whose lives are manipulated and controlled by the fairies and the fairy Kingdom, who dwell within the wood. This manipulation becomes a threat to the comic world and its natural order. It may be said that the audience and reader witness a constant process of exorcism, which refers to the removal of an evil spirit from an individual or an area (Dictionary.com, 2015). Additionally, the forces which threaten the comic world are summoned and then driven away in order to return the comic world back to its natural order. The play, deals with the idea that life is a journey from hell…show more content…
This may be seen in act II, i lines 154- 159, which states, “Fetch me that flower. The herb I showed thee once. The juice of it on sleeping eyelids laid Will make or man or woman madly dote Upon the next live creature that it sees. Fetch me this herb, and be thou here again Ere the leviathan can swim a league.” Oberon’s wish to use this flower on Titania, disrupted the natural order of the comic world as the fairy queen began to dote upon Bottom. Additionally, he ordered Puck to squeeze some of the flowers juices into the eyes of Demetrius, to make him fall in love with Helena. This may be seen in the lines “Effect it with some care, that he may prove More fond on her than she upon her love” (Act II, i lines 252-253) and “Fare thee well, nymph. Ere he do leave this grove, Thou shalt fly him and he shall seek thy love” (Act II, i lines 230-231). The placing of the potion of Lysander’s eyes further disrupted the comic world. In order to end the chaos, Oberon and Puck, need enter the dreams of the individuals in order to pass through certain ordeals, so that all may be made well once again. In this way the disruption of the comic world is corrected. Furthermore it may be said that despite that fact that magic causes the chaos…show more content…
According to Legatt, the serpent is a symbol of fear (Leggat, 2008). This fear may be seen to be the fear she has of the wood, and the dark forces which are at work within, as the evil spirits are able to communicate within this liminal dream space. The dream world is believed to be a place in which the divine as well as the dark spirts are able to communicate with individuals. Additionally it may be said that it is a mirroring of reality within the dream world. The fear may be seen to be Hermia’s fear of Lysander leaving her, which occurred in both reality as well as within her dream, while he “sat smiling at his cruel prey.” The fear created by the dark spirits was then banished through Puck and Oberon’s workings within the dream realm. Furthermore, the serpent may be seen to be a representation of Helena. This is made evident by the confrontation that takes place between Hermia and Helena in Act III, ii lines 290-291, by the words, “You juggler! You canker-blossom! You thief of
Show More
Related

  • Titus Andronicus Research Paper

    1103 Words  | 5 Pages

    Shakespeare’s Worst Play “Titus Andronicus”, by William Shakespeare, is the first tragedy Shakespeare has ever written. This play has proven to be very controversial and usually banned in many schools because of its’ gory scenes and “over the top” deaths. It is the ultimate revenge tragedy with no decent humor, forgiveness, or redemption. This play, however, does lay a fundamental basis of the characters for the characters Shakespeare writes later on. Tamora could be seen as the early Lady Macbeth

    Read More

More about Manipulation In A Midsummer Night's Dream

Open Document