Fantasy vs. Reality in a Midsummer Nights Dream Essay

Brittany Rose Dr. Pulling ENGL 2210-012 8 March 2012 Relationship Between Fantasy and Reality in A Midsummer Night’s Dream In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare easily blurs the lines of reality by inviting the audience into a dream. He seamlessly toys with the boundaries between fantasy and reality. Among the patterns within the play, one is controlled and ordered by a series of contrasts: the conflict of the sleeping and waking states, the interchange of reality and illusion, and the mirrored worlds of Fairy and Human. A Midsummer Nights Dream gives us insight into mans conflict with characteristics of human behavior. The play begins in the City of†¦show more content†¦And as I am an honest Puck, If we have unearned luck Now to scape the serpents tongue, We will make amends ere long; Else the Puck a liar call: So, good night unto you all. Give me your hands, if we be friends, And Robin shall restore amends.† (Shakespeare 5.1.425) The most interest ing part of this excerpt is that Puck (Oberon’s henchman) says that he and the fairies are only a figment of the imagination and that he and his fairy world do not exist at all. The audience is asked to look beyond the performance at the intention of the actors. This passage allows the audience to break their character. The show is over and the reality of their own life is now. This monologue by Puck slowly unravels the reality and fantasy world from one another. The play lies in transformation and the forest is the setting of change. Puck invites the audience to think of the play as nothing more than a dream, a midsummer night’s dream. Here, it is clear that Shakespeare is commenting on the reality of plays. Like midsummer dreams, plays arent real. All of the characters are hung in the audience’s suspension of disbelief. They are the product of imagination and fantasy and also involve the momentary suspension of reality. One of the key passages in the play is Theseuss speech on the lunatic, the lover, and the poet(Shakespeare 5.1.7) Lunatic’s hallucinate, lovers may view ugly as beautiful, and poets craft words from nothingness into something. ThroughoutShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Reality And Illusion In A Midsummer Nights Dream1057 Words   |  5 Pagespresent an accurate reflection of reality has proven to be a major source of inspiration for both authors and readers alike. Reality as a theme is prevalent in literature, and the numerous ways that reality and illusion intertwine. In William Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the illusory world which the characters inhabit is enhanced by the supernatural. The relationship between Oberon and Titania contributes to the development of the play’s theme of reality and illusion; they are the catalystRead MoreAnalysis of the Painting Hermia and LYsander by John Simmons968 Words   |  4 PagesIntro: In the painting of â€Å"Hermia and Lysander† by John Simmons, it portrays the scene in Shakespeare’s Midsummer Nights Dream when Hermia and Lysander are in the forest, and Lysander persistently invites Hermia to sleep with him in the cold, dark forest. The love of Hermia and Lysander is reciprocated but remains uncertain and quite mysterious at times. When Hermia says no to the convincing and authoritative Lysander, she is left with no choice but to abide to her morals. However, she is worriedRead MoreDefining The Terms Renaissance And Humanism875 Words   |  4 Pagesall time, wrote thirty-seven plays during his lifetime, according to the Internet Shakespeare Editions article â€Å"Fast Facts about Shakespeare†. Notably, some of his most famous works are Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello, a Midsummer’s Night Dream, and Julius Caesar (Internet Shakespeare Editions). 5. What is the setting of Romeo and Juliet? According to Romeo and Juliet (Modern) by William Shakespeare, the setting of William Shakespeare s’ famous play Romeo and Juliet lies in Verona (InternetRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream And As You Like It1434 Words   |  6 PagesA good play or any piece of literature is nothing without their settings, be them based in reality or fantasy. A good writer not only uses setting to give their audience and idea of where the story is taking place as important means of moving the plot forward or to add an artistic themes that couldn’t be expressed in other ways. A story would be dreadfully boring if nothing ever happened to the characters, and the setting provides the context in which the given story takes place. Setting includesRead MoreA Midsummer Night s Dream By William Shakespeare1349 Words   |  6 PagesMillennials of today are growing up in a technologically adept time where replication of the latest trends is considered the key to success. Sh akespeare, the playwright of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is infamous for his angst and lament, as well as his numerous depictions of love and romance. In his play, one of the most apparent perspectives of love is that genuine love is a force so powerful, that it can not be imitated, replicated or enforced. One of the most profound examples of forced love inRead MoreDefining The Terms Renaissance And Humanism854 Words   |  4 Pagestitle, A Midsummer s Night s Dream? How does this play relate to the concept of appearance vs. reality? As discussed by Elizabeth Wormeley Latimer in the article â€Å"An Introduction to a Midsummer’s Night’s Dream†, the significance of the title, A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream lies in the fact that the play itself appears as a fantasy dream (Wormeley Latimer, 2011). This play resembles a dream one might have versus a reality one might live in, the magical aspects of the play do not resemble reality (WormeleyRead More William Faulkners Use of Shakespeare Essay5388 Words   |  22 PagesShakespeare that I have just about worn out carrying around with me† (FIU 67). Faulkner’s recorded interviews and conversations contain references to a number of Shakespeares works and characters, including Hamlet, Macbeth, Henry IV, Henry V, A Midsummer Nights Dream, Romeo and Juliet, the sonnets, Falstaff, Prince Hal, Lady Macbeth, Bottom, Ophelia, and Mercutio. In 1947 he told an Ole Miss English class that Shakespeare’s work provides â€Å"a cas ebook on mankind,† adding, â€Å"if a man has a great deal of talentRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pages269 United Chemical Company 269 Byron vs. Thomas 271 Active Listening Exercise 272 SKILL APPLICATION 274 Activities for Communicating Supportively Suggested Assignments 274 Application Plan and Evaluation 274 274 SCORING KEYS AND COMPARISON DATA 276 Communicating Supportively 276 Scoring Key 276 Comparison Data 276 Communication Styles 276 Comparison Data 276 SKILL PRACTICE Diagnosing Problems and Fostering Understanding: United Chemical Company and Byron vs. Thomas 278 Observer’s Feedback Form