To What Extent Does “a Midsummer’S Night Dream” Become a Nightmare?
- Submitted by: pleasehelp
- Views: 606
- Category: English: Shakespeare
- Date Submitted: 09/19/2011 11:51 AM
- Pages: 3
- Report this Essay
I believe that almost every scene in “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” is a nightmare in some form, sometimes mild, others stronger. Each and every nightmare goes through their own personal nightmare; whether unrequited love or personal torment that they aren’t good enough.
For example, Hippolyta has been forced to marry Theseus. While she probably likes him as a friend, she doesn’t exactly want to promise her undying love to him, just because he beat her in a war (“Hippolyta, I wooed thee with my sword”]). Theseus then suffers from unrequited love. He can’t wait to be married (“How slow this old moon wanes!”), while Hippolyta thinks it goes too quickly (“Four nights will quickly dream away the time”).
Theseus later encounters another dilemma. Egeus feels he has lost his daughter, and his friendship with Hermia. He accuses Lysander of bewitching her (“This man hath bewitched the bosom of my child”), and asks Theseus if Hermia may be put to death if she refuses to marry Demetrius. (“Which shall either be to this gentleman or to her death”).
Hermia’s problem becomes more and more apparent: either to marry Demetrius, a person she hates, or to be become a nun or die. Also, the men are talking about her as if she is nothing but a mere possession (“As she is mine”), something to be given away, or to guard with jealousy, unable to make their own decisions, and with no rights as a person.
Lysander and Hermia formulate a plan: they will run away. Just as they finish plotting, they meet Helena and tell her their plan (Hermia and Helena have been best friends from childhood), which proves to be a bad idea in the short term. Helena admits she would turn into Hermia if it meant Demetrius would love her (“Sickness is catching, O, were favour so, yours I would catch, fair Hermia, ere I go”).
In the fairy world, the nightmare is when Oberon meets Titania. Titania accuses Oberon of having many affairs, and that their argument is causing disturbance in the natural world. Later,...
For example, Hippolyta has been forced to marry Theseus. While she probably likes him as a friend, she doesn’t exactly want to promise her undying love to him, just because he beat her in a war (“Hippolyta, I wooed thee with my sword”]). Theseus then suffers from unrequited love. He can’t wait to be married (“How slow this old moon wanes!”), while Hippolyta thinks it goes too quickly (“Four nights will quickly dream away the time”).
Theseus later encounters another dilemma. Egeus feels he has lost his daughter, and his friendship with Hermia. He accuses Lysander of bewitching her (“This man hath bewitched the bosom of my child”), and asks Theseus if Hermia may be put to death if she refuses to marry Demetrius. (“Which shall either be to this gentleman or to her death”).
Hermia’s problem becomes more and more apparent: either to marry Demetrius, a person she hates, or to be become a nun or die. Also, the men are talking about her as if she is nothing but a mere possession (“As she is mine”), something to be given away, or to guard with jealousy, unable to make their own decisions, and with no rights as a person.
Lysander and Hermia formulate a plan: they will run away. Just as they finish plotting, they meet Helena and tell her their plan (Hermia and Helena have been best friends from childhood), which proves to be a bad idea in the short term. Helena admits she would turn into Hermia if it meant Demetrius would love her (“Sickness is catching, O, were favour so, yours I would catch, fair Hermia, ere I go”).
In the fairy world, the nightmare is when Oberon meets Titania. Titania accuses Oberon of having many affairs, and that their argument is causing disturbance in the natural world. Later,...