Paper Summary:

The paper discusses why Act two Scene one of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a very important scene. In it all the major and minor themes of the play as a whole can be found, through a detailed analysis of the characters, their speech and the imagery the scene contains. Among other things, jealousy, the supernatural/natural world and love in all its different forms are explored in this essay. The paper contains a thorough analysis of the characters, imagery and ideas all contained within the scene, which can be applied to to the rest of the play as a whole.

From the Paper:

"Cupid's "fiery shaft" renders the idea/theme of love as a fiery, passionate and heated affliction, that literally pierces the heart in a shower of flames. This idea foretells the lovesick hysteria that is soon to enfold the young Athenians, and can especially be seen in Helen as she traipses after the desperate Demetrius. The "shaft" itself is contrasted with the description of the moon, which is "chaste" and "watery", a hazy image in comparison to Cupid's blazing arrow. The sing-song alliteration mirrors the maiden's carefree state, in which she carries on unscathed by Cupid's plan. The notion of love as an infliction (albeit a desirable infliction) is stressed once more by Oberon's description of the "love-in-idleness" as "a little western flower" which has been turned "purple with love's wound"."

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