Theseus

Lysander believes in true love. Readers are able to see this through his actions but also his words throughout. The very first scene in Act I is very revealing about Lysander’s character because he is forced to defend his point of view in front of Theseus, the King who believes in forced love. Although the play is a comedy, Lysander has very deep and serious views on love, true love. One of first instances where he reveals his deeply rooted beliefs…

William Shakespeare was a playwright, poet, and actor during the Renaissance. Today he possesses two eminent and well-known titles—“the English national poet” and “the greatest dramatist of all time”. The Bard of Avon was not only influential during his time, but he still continues to inspire people today. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare creates an effective and famous comedy with his use of mistaken identity, irony, and the character Puck. During the Renaissance, a time of “rebirth”,…

Newton Scamander was well accustomed by now to the endless taunting and ridicule he received from most of the other students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He'd figured out years ago that the best way to deal with hexes or a flying shoe was to put up a Shield Charm and watch the shoe bounce right back and hit the owner in the face. (The people who liked throwing their shoes had long since ended that habit.) Newt could deal with the people who skirted around him in the corridor…

the rude mechanicals and Puck are symbolic of one of the two themes. The lovers can be associated with either one of the themes, depending on the point in time in the story. For instance, Theseus and Oberon are symbolic of orderliness throughout the story, but Hermia and Lysander are not as easily defined. Theseus attempts to resolve the quarrel concerning the arranged marriage of Hermia and Demetrius in a calm, equitable fashion. Similarly, Oberon seeks to stop the chaos that ensues in the…

In Act III Scene 1 of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare has Peter Quince, Nick Bottom, Francis Flute, Tom Snout, Robin Starveling, and Snug act out of the famous tale of Pyramus and Thisbe. However, he decides to portray the story as a tragic comedy rather than a tragedy. When the actors assign the roles, the story is introduced as a piece of comedy rather than the sad tale of two ill-fated lovers. Then, when the playlet is performed, the audience’s comments mock it. Finally, Bottom’s…

The third of Newton’s three laws of motion states, “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” It describes each action as having an equally important reaction, which creates a sense of balance. This law, although meant to be about the physical world, applies to The Knight’s Tale. The author, Chaucer, decided to create a symmetrical story with each important action in the first half, having a corresponding action in the second half. This balance creates a perfect storyline…

relations between the Athenians and the Mechanicals, which relates to our central notion. Our aim is to highlight the fluctuating class relations between the Athenians and the Mechanicals, who are performing Pyramus and Thisbe in the final scene. Theseus is fairly optimistic about the play and the Mechanicals, and tells us that nothing is bad when it’s created by people who try hard, referring to the Mechanicals. This contrasts with the other Athenian’s view of the Mechanicals, such as…

How does one measure the greatness of a leader? Is it through the way he or she commands his or her people? The way he or she handles problems? Or through the sacrifices made for others? Whatever the case may be, many characters and historical figures exert qualities of a leader that should be looked upon. A great leader doesn’t hold himself or herself above the people. He or she is able to put the interest of others in front of his or her own. In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, Oedipus is…

The women in William Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream are traditional women in society that act in rebellious ways. Hermia, Helena, and Titania are all disobedient and rebellious women in the play. At the time women were treated as property. The father or husband would make decisions for his wife or daughter, and the woman had no say and were to respect the choice that was made for them. However Hermia, Titania, and Helena do not follow the orders given to them. Hermia rejects…

Commonly in a comedic play it is said that “all’s well that ends well” in the case of the resolution of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” this is certainly true, the disorder and manipulation caused predominately by is resolved through both Oberon’s guiding wisdom and Puck’s manipulation. There are many happy endings; some of them are more convincing than others, for example Lysander and Hermia’s relationship, would be seen by all audiences as plausible while Demetrius and Helena’s relationship is…