Set and Costume Design for A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

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In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare makes heavy use of hyperbole, the twisting of reality into something greater than what it actually is, in both the dialogue and the ridiculous, larger-than-life nature of the situations that occur to provide a basis for the conflict between reality and illusion, blurring the line that separates the two concepts.

In many of Shakespeare’s literary works one can find multiple themes that reflect or question our reality. He accomplishes this by using figurative language such as metaphors and similes. Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream encompasses many themes and apply them to certain characters or through communication between multiple characters. Helena portrays themes of love, betrayal, jealousy, and gender norms in Midsummer Night’s Dream presenting them through her speech and behavior. She depicts the challenges of a woman and also the flaws of human nature. In Act 2 scene 1 and Act 3 scene 2 Helena uses a metaphor twice which emulates these themes presenting us a broader understanding of her representation within the play and the play as a whole. Following are lines from Helena.

“That’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” (F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby). In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the concept of gender roles is demonstrated through various characters from both the mortal and fairy realms and their romantic relations with one another as they try to resolve the complications between these groups. Shakespeare explores and enforces the concept of gender roles through the relationship between the King and Queen of the Fairies, Oberon and Titania, and the foolish behaviour of Helena and Hermia without the help of an enchantment throughout the play.

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Throughout literary history, different themes have proven to be consistently popular for audiences. The desire to present 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 catalyst by which the play’s action occurs, and their spontaneous natures are countered with human flaws, further

To begin, when looking at the outfit choices of the actors, they are wearing casual clothing, this is very suitable and relatable to the current style trends of young adults today. To illustrate, Hamlet is wearing a fun t-shirt with a design of a muscular chest along with jeans (Shakespeare, 2010). Simultaneously, Ophelia portrays to be more elegant and put together, as she is wearing a dress with a v-neck where the dress flows down to her knees (Shakespeare, 2010). Additionally, she pairs this outfit with a simple necklace and white heels (Shakespeare, 2010). This exemplifies that there is not a huge emphasis on fashion today opposing to the Elizabethan era, since it was very scandalous for people to walk around with a t-shirt, jeans and a short dress. Further, this demonstrates that people in this century wear whatever is comfortable for them, allowing younger audiences to easily relate and appreciate the actress's fashion choices. Lastly, the careful selection of colours depicts a very modernized atmosphere while Hamlet is speaking. In particular, Hamlet is wearing a dark orange shirt and Ophelia is wearing an olive green dress (Shakespeare 2010). Since dark orange is a very attention seeking colour and also represents heat, this suggests Hamlet’s insanity and that he is the most important actor of the scene ("Basic Color Theory"). Conversely, olive green represents peace, this symbolizes Ophelia’s mental state, as she is calm while speaking to Hamlet before he screams at her ("Basic Color Theory"). Moreover, these two colours compliment each other very well, creating a pleasant mood for the audience’s enjoyment ("Color Wheel Pro”). On the whole, the use of clothing and its colours help to support that the intended audience for this Hamlet medium is for a younger

William Shakespeare is the author of the comedy play ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’. This play was written around 1595. In this essay I will be answering the question how does Shakespeare creates humour in act 5 scene 1. There are many reasons as to how the play was humorous; one of the main reasons was the staging you would have the real audience, the court on the stage and on the original stage you would have the mechanicals perform. The other reasons on how Shakespeare creates humour are with the characters (fairies, court and mechanicals) and the repetitive incorrect use of language and errors. An example of this could be when in act 5 scene 1

The female characters in William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi mirror each other. The Duchess and Hermia show courage and determination when standing up to their oppressors. Coriola and Helena, when confronted with authority, submit to it. Regardless of the strength of the women, however, genre determines their fate -- those in the comedy live happily ever after, whereas, those in the tragedy do not live at all.

48) without the ability to look beyond what he sees. The notion of fantasy versus reality is not limited only to the fairies, however; Shakespeare makes his audience aware of supernatural elements in other characters as well by his use of different styles of verse. Furthermore, by comparing the play-within-a-play, and the royals’ response to it, to the larger narrative, Shakespeare gives further warning against literalising the effects of the play. Metaphor pervades the play and the play should likewise be read as metaphor.

The forest in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is used as a green space, a place where the social norms don’t apply. At the time of writing, Shakespearean England was ruled by a female monarch, Queen Elizabeth the 1st who was only the 2nd queen of England in their own right. This power held by a woman at the time was not the norm, women were subservient of men.

The two locations of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' are essential to the development of the plot, although their presentation relies wholly on the characters we meet there, their adventures and their descriptions of these places. Athens is not an accidental choice of location: although much of the detail of the play is quintessentially English, the classical setting enables Shakespeare to introduce the notable lawgiver, who has had his own problems in love; it makes plausible the reference to the severe law, and it allows Oberon to refer seriously to Cupid and Diana without the play's seeming blasphemous.

The supernatural world is rather distinct to that of the human world entrenched in societal standards and boundaries. Shakespeare’s play, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, explores this concept, particularly through the use of Puck. In agreement to Harold Bloom’s statement, the following essay will analyse how Puck is significant because, by being so disparate, he is able to show the limitations of the human. This will be done through, first, exploring a definition of the human in relation to the supernatural. Subsequently, the essay will use a Freudian lense to analyse the morality of Puck and, lastly, the essay will focus on Puck’s physical characteristics as well as his ability to span across boundaries in the play and the metatheatrical realm.

Women have a specific role throughout the Elizabethan society and are known as inferior. In Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Nights Dream, women are told how to act by men, that reveals superiority towards men. This is portrayed by the characters-Hermia, Helena, and Titiana throughout the play. These characters were represented as powerless and blind because they fail to receive what they what and are told what to do countless amounts by the men in the play. Women's’ inferiority in the play makes it impossible for them to achieve true happiness attributable to the superiority the men in the play believe they have.

An example of this is the moon, the symbolism of which is reflected in the title, the midnight setting and inspires open air performances. Purpose-built playhouses served as a stage in Elizabethan times and were located outside the City, and ‘where the central acts of A Midsummer Night’s Dream take place: a location beyond authorized boundaries, where game-playing and role-playing are freely possible’ (Hackett, 2000, p.33). The moon is symbolic of time, chastity and sexual desire. Its importance within this extract is emphasised with the use of both alliteration ‘The moon, methinks’ (Line 170) and personification, ‘looks with wat’ry eye,’ (Lines 179). This personification of the moon is then linked by repetition to the personification of a flower, a symbolic reference to the female, ‘And when she [the moon] weeps, weeps every little flower / Lamenting some enforced chastity’ (Lines 180-1). It is a reference to Theseus’s warning to Hermia in Act 1, Scene 1, that if she refuses to marry Demetrius she will ‘endure the livery of a nun’ (REF NORTON HERE). Another example of symbolic meaning in this extract is Titania. The presentation of her as a woman of high status and importance is reflective of Queen Elizabeth. A critic of Elizabethan writing, Louis Montrose, argues that ‘moments of textual disclosure also illuminate the interplay between gender politics in the Elizabethan