Mistaken Identity In A Midsummer Night's Dream

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The aspects that make a comedy what it is cannot be attributed to one particular motive, it is extensively created through the use of many features combined to generate dimension and life. Shakespeare has cleverly integrated the formal conventions into the play so that it can be adapted by many generations to make it modifiable which only a sophisticated play-writer would be able to do. Nevertheless, the conventions of comedy play a prevailing role in the play as that is what creates the plot with the use of mistaken identity, foibles of love, green world and stock characters. In Act 1 of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Shakespeare follows the conventions of comedy whole heartedly: first of all we can see that right at the commencement of the…show more content…
For example: Bottom has been turned into one with a head of an ass(horse) and Peter Quince says ‘We are haunted’, they are so confused that Quince takes fright and thinks Bottom is a ghost. The reason Shakespeare does this is for the humorous aspect; the Elizabethan audience would’ve reacted positively towards this due to the fact that the Mechanicals’ malapropisms (‘paramour’ when really Quince means paragon - a model or pattern of excellence or of a particular excellence) create an amount of wit that makes the joke to go on further as Bottom soon is to become Titiana’s paragon. Simple yet effective uses of malapropisms are subtle hints to the Elizabethan audiences that the joining of the mechanicals and the lovers is going to be even more intense with comedy than ever building anticipation for what’s to happen between these two. This may also have been frowned upon as Queen Elizabeth would have been on the throne at the time and would see Titania (Queen of the fairies) to be a link with her and her falling in love with an ass would be seen as mocking her. However some audiences would see…show more content…
On one hand the fact that Demetrius still has the love potion in his eyes may perhaps generate the opposite argument to up-rise and differ in conflict: everything is not at all harmonic and restored. However, Shakespeare also conforms to the conventions of comedy by focusing on the foibles of love, the green world, etc.. Similarly, Oberon and Titania epitomize impermanence and affection that is articulated through their nonsensical marriage and dominance over the creatures of the forest. 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' which is a drama of confused love and mistaken identity makes the audience express amusement at the bizarre contentment with which the lovers remodel what they believe to be their endeared phenomenon, still naively convinced that their motives are candid. As well as the taboo subject of bestiality concerning Oberon and Titania is quite unpleasant nevertheless the gross hyperbole of the situation is still exceptionally humorous. Therefore a drama isn't only based on the formal conventions by on how amusing a drama might be so whether you judge 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' by how comical it is depends on the
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