Comedy in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Paper Summary:

This report looks at Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" from the perspective of how the author uses comedy in the play to achieve plot and character development. It primarily looks at Shakespeare's ironic references but also considers more serious themes in the play. For example, when Shakespeare refers to the players as asses in the work, this highlights the ridiculousness and humorous aspects of the scene. The paper concentrates on such scenes, around the general theory that Shakespeare used comedy to further some contrast to the serious scenes in the play.

From the Paper:

"In the first scene of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's
Dream, the character Helena, after the other characters have gone offstage, continues to speak to the audience about her conception of love. She seems to contradict herself, first saying that love is born of the mind and then stating its blindness and irrationality. This
is showing some humor already in that there is a willful contradiction for the audience. More seriously, her idea of love is one that is mixed up in power and revenge, and these themes come into play later on in the work, when Oberon and Titania have their own schemes of power and revenge in the forest."

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

• Analytical Essay # 141207 : "Dream and Magic in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
• Essay # 39002 : "Courts in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
• Analytical Essay # 125674 : "Dark Side of "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

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