Literary Elements in A Midsummer Night's Dream Essay

In the mid-1500s the play A Midsummer Nights Dream, written by William Shakespeare, there are many motifs. This essay will focus on the motif of contrasting settings in the city and the palace, compared to the forest. Two of the many central themes are love and obedience to law. In this play, a characters actions were greatly affected by his/her current setting. With the characters being in the forest, compared to being in the city or palace, played a tremendous role dealing with a characters actions. In terms of love, the setting plays a big role as well. For instance, in the city and palace, as well as in the forest, Hermia loved Lysander. Similarly, Helena loved Demetrius throughout the play, regardless of the setting. Lysander, on the other hand, loved Hermia in the city and palace, but loved Helena in the forest, as result to the love potion. Demetrius loved Hermia in the forest, but at the end of the play, as result of the love potion, he instantly fell in love with Helena in the palace. In conclusion, the women loved the same men throughout the play, regardless of being in the forest or city and palace, and the men loved different women, depending on their current setting.

Royalty had a big part to do with ones actions in a given setting as well. In the city and palace, Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius, and Helena all had power over those below them because of their superior royalty. In the forest, their royal position did not matter. Everybody inside of the forest were instantly equal when the four characters stepped foot into it. With all four characters being born into royalty, items and necessities were given to them without problems or hesitation. In the forest, nobody was there to give them these things. The characters were completely independent in the forest, with nobody to hold their hand and guide them along granting every command. This had an important effect on the characters patience and feelings.

In terms of specific actions, the setting plays a huge role as well. There are many things that one can do in the forest that one could never do in the city or palace. In the city and palace, Hermia was not allowed to marry Lysander, a man she chose to marry, because of her fathers wishes. In the forest, where there are little to no rules, she would be free from the Athenian law, and be able to marry the man of her choosing. In the city or palace, all the characters got along fairly well with each other. In the forest, Hermia was criticizing Helena for her looks and height, and Demetrius and Lysander were arguing about who was stronger and braver. At one point, Hermia was so angry; she threatened to poke Helenas eyes out. Also, in the city and palace women must obey their superior male. For instance, a girl is forced to obey her father until married and is then forced to obey her husband. In the forest there is no such law. Hermia and Helen had no restrictions on what they pleased or wanted to do regardless of what a superior male wished for them to do.

There is also the ability to conduct a wide variety of mischief in the forest, symbolized by Robin, opposed to the city or palace where rules and laws are strictly enforced. If in the city or palace, Robin would not have been able or allowed to walk up to Lysander when he was sleeping and give him the sleeping potion. However, because they were in the forest, there was virtually nobody near Lysander except for Hermia, who was sleeping, and not very close to him.

Shakespeare expressed a funny, but somewhat cruel comic vision in this play. At the beginning of the play, all four main characters loved somebody, but didnt get love in return. Hermia and Lysander, who were the only couple to be in love with one another, were not even able to marry due to the Athenian law. This creates a sad, but comical play. Also, Robin applied the love potion to Titania, who was then fooled to be in love with an ass. Normally, this would not appear to be funny at all. The thought of being married, and then tricked into loving another person, let alone an ass is terribly frightening. In this story, the concept of Titania loving an ass is hilarious. We find this hilarious because in this story, love is constantly being flipped like a roller coaster, and by using the love potion for comical pleasure is funny.

In conclusion, A Midsummer Nights Dream has just as much relevance now then it did when it was written in the mid-1500s. People today still struggle with love, and whether their love is returned, and obedience to law and expectations others have for them. Sometimes these struggles are sadly comedic, and people act foolishly. As Puck stated, What fools these mortals be, we can all be foolish in one setting contrasted to another.