Fantasy in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Paper Summary:

This paper briefly discusses how the fantasy in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" involves magic and a belief in fairies and sprites. It explains that the first of several conflicts of opposites in the play is between reality and fantasy, between the reality of life in the city and fantastic nature of life in the woods.

From the Paper:

"In A Midsummer Night's Dream, one reason for the fantasy element is to create a dramatic stage on which to test human constancy and human worth. Lysander states that "the course of true love never did run smooth" (I.i.134), and this represents a theme that runs through many of Shakespeare's plays and indeed through much of world literature. The statement itself embodies several ideas. First, it assumes that there is such a thing as true love and that it is a conception based on the idea that two people are literally meant for each other. Second, it states that these two people, though meant for each other, may have to endure a good deal before they can actually achieve the love that is their destiny. In terms of A Midsummer Night's Dream, this statement helps characterize Lysander in a way that makes it evident the objections raised to the young man by Egeus are wrong and that Lysander is not one to feign love at all as Egeus believes he is doing. Lysander does indeed love Hermia as she loves him."

More papers on Fantasy in "A Midsummer Night's Dream":

• Analytical Essay # 3925 : "Transformations in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
• Analytical Essay # 8597 : "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare"
• Essay # 1894 : "The Yellow Wallpaper" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

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