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William Shakespeare 's A Midsummer Night 's Dream Essay

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In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare shows how magic influences not only the thoughts but also the actions of the characters of this play. Every time magic was used, there were consequences; hence, magic is the main theme of the of the play. Magic has been perpetually perceived as negative, some might even say evil, but in the plays of Shakespeare, magic is more whimsical in nature and generates an almost playful setting. Moreover, the kind of magic in this play should not be perceived as threatening, but situations that caused comical situations which were later resolved by magic. Shakespeare believed that when magic meets reason, it can make for a rather amusing play. The setting of this play is essentially based in a playful forest on the outskirts of Athens. The forest was a place where the lovers could escape the prying eyes of not only Hermia’s father, but, a place that creates a setting the audience may perceive as mysterious or tranquil. In the forest, the couple would not be under “sharp Athenian law” (Act 1 scene 1 line 162-163). The forest was portrayed as the opposite of Athens, a safe and secure place where the lovers could be together without any judgment. Being in this Eden allowed Hermia and Lysander to spend time together and to speak to each other without others seeing. Not only was the forest the place to escape but, it was also the home of the fairies that come into the picture later in the play. The forest was inhabited by mystical fairies, they

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