“Why are you grown so rude? What change is this, / Sweet love?” (Shakespeare 2.3.272-273) Hermia responds to Lysander’s change in feelings caused by a love potion. Hernia is a static character while Lysander is dynamic in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In this play written by Shakespeare, there are many characterizations, dramatic techniques, and themes. Likewise, playwright Henrik Ibsen used many of the same techniques in A Doll’s House. One prominent technique used by both playwrights is characterizations, they use dynamic characters such as Lysander and Nora as well as static characters like Torvald and Hermia for many reasons. Shakespeare and Ibsen use static characters to further their plots in order to magnify changes in the dynamic characters,
…show more content…
An example of this is when Helena states, “these vows are Hermia’s; will you give her o’er / weigh oath with oath and you will nothing weigh” (Shakespeare, 3.2.130-131). Previously, Lysander was in love with Hermia but he is no longer due to a love potion. Helena responds to his advances with shock. This adds to the conflict of the play because it dramatizes the love triangle between Helena, Lysander, and Demetrius. Helena knows Lysander is committed to Hermia which is why she is surprised by him. This exaggerates how much Lysander has changed. Likewise, seen in A Doll's House, “You are ill, Nora; you are delirious, I almost think you are out of your mind” (Ibsen, Act 3). Torvald believes Nora is crazy because of her change in personality. He has always known Nora as good and obedient to him, but she is not anymore. Nora's realization of Torvald restricting her thoughts is one of the major changes in the play. In both quotes, the static character is appalled at how the dynamic character is acting. Helena and Torvald are not aware of why they are changing, which impacts the effect of dynamic characters. The playwrights make it seem like the dynamic characters changed much more than they actually did, adding to the drama and …show more content…
Rank and Bottom, as static characters, are used to provide relief in both plays. “He told me that when the cards came it would be his leave- taking from us. He means to shut himself up and die” (Ibsen, Act 3). This is Nora explaining Dr. Rank’s card that he left, announcing his death. Dr. Rank was a static character because although he died, he did not change internally. He provided relief right before the climax of the play. It gives the reader a moment to sympathize for Dr. Rank before the play gets more intense. Although Dr. Rank provided a sad break, it was the opposite in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Bottom was used as comic relief. In many parts of the play, you can see comedic aspects. An example is: “I’ll speak in a monstrous little voice; “Thisne, / Thisne” - “Ah Pyramus, my lover dear! Thy Thisbe / dear and lady dear!” (Shakespeare, 1.2.50-52) This is comedic because Bottom believes that he is such a better actor than he actually is. His cockiness provides comic relief to the play and a break between the rising action and conflict. Without Bottom, the play would have progressed too fast and the reader would have less time to process the information they are reading. The playwrights also used Bottom and Dr. Rank to pull out emotion from the reader, either through laughter or
An example of this is when Helena states, “these vows are Hermia’s; will you give her o’er / weigh oath with oath and you will nothing weigh” (Shakespeare, 3.2.130-131). Previously, Lysander was in love with Hermia but he is no longer due to a love potion. Helena responds to his advances with shock. This adds to the conflict of the play because it dramatizes the love triangle between Helena, Lysander, and Demetrius. Helena knows Lysander is committed to Hermia which is why she is surprised by him. This exaggerates how much Lysander has changed. Likewise, seen in A Doll's House, “You are ill, Nora; you are delirious, I almost think you are out of your mind” (Ibsen, Act 3). Torvald believes Nora is crazy because of her change in personality. He has always known Nora as good and obedient to him, but she is not anymore. Nora's realization of Torvald restricting her thoughts is one of the major changes in the play. In both quotes, the static character is appalled at how the dynamic character is acting. Helena and Torvald are not aware of why they are changing, which impacts the effect of dynamic characters. The playwrights make it seem like the dynamic characters changed much more than they actually did, adding to the drama and …show more content…
Rank and Bottom, as static characters, are used to provide relief in both plays. “He told me that when the cards came it would be his leave- taking from us. He means to shut himself up and die” (Ibsen, Act 3). This is Nora explaining Dr. Rank’s card that he left, announcing his death. Dr. Rank was a static character because although he died, he did not change internally. He provided relief right before the climax of the play. It gives the reader a moment to sympathize for Dr. Rank before the play gets more intense. Although Dr. Rank provided a sad break, it was the opposite in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Bottom was used as comic relief. In many parts of the play, you can see comedic aspects. An example is: “I’ll speak in a monstrous little voice; “Thisne, / Thisne” - “Ah Pyramus, my lover dear! Thy Thisbe / dear and lady dear!” (Shakespeare, 1.2.50-52) This is comedic because Bottom believes that he is such a better actor than he actually is. His cockiness provides comic relief to the play and a break between the rising action and conflict. Without Bottom, the play would have progressed too fast and the reader would have less time to process the information they are reading. The playwrights also used Bottom and Dr. Rank to pull out emotion from the reader, either through laughter or