A Midsummer Night's Dream Character Analysis

Character Analysis

• Oberon: King of the Fairies, hot-tempered and vengeful, but also wise and just.
• Titania: Queen of the Fairies, beautiful and strong-willed, but also vain and lovesick.
• Puck: Mischievous and quick-witted fairy servant of Oberon, loves to play tricks on humans.
• Hermia: Strong-willed and determined, in love with Lysander, but also obedient to her father.
• Lysander: In love with Hermia, but also influenced by the love potion, leading to confusion and chaos.
• Demetrius: Engaged to Hermia, but also under the influence of the love potion, leading to a love triangle.
• Helena: In love with Demetrius, but often overlooked and underestimated.

Love Potions

• Magic Flower: Puck uses the juice of the flower to create a love potion, making the drinker fall in love with the first person they see.
• Effects of the Potion: Causes chaos and confusion, leading to misplaced affections and misunderstandings.

Themes of Identity

• Love and Identity: The play explores the complexities of love, highlighting the blurred lines between reality and fantasy.
• Appearance vs. Reality: The play raises questions about the nature of reality, encouraging the audience to consider what is real and what is an illusion.
• Social Hierarchy: The play critiques the social hierarchy of the time, highlighting the tensions between the upper and lower classes.

Shakespearean Language

• Metaphor and Imagery: Shakespeare's use of metaphor and imagery creates a rich and vivid world, drawing the audience into the magical realm of the fairies.
• Alliteration and Assonance: Shakespeare's use of alliteration and assonance creates a musical quality, adding to the play's enchanting atmosphere.
• Wordplay and Wit: Shakespeare's use of wordplay and wit adds to the play's humor and charm.

Fairy Kingdom

• The Forest: A magical and transformative space, where the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur.
• Fairy Hierarchy: The play presents a clear hierarchy within the fairy kingdom, with Oberon and Titania at the top.
• Fairy Characterization: The fairies are depicted as mischievous, magical, and otherworldly, adding to the play's sense of wonder.

Vocabulary

• Whimsy: A feeling or mood of lighthearted, fanciful, or playful humor.
• Mirth: Amusement, entertainment, or enjoyment, often accompanied by laughter.
• Fop: A foolish or annoying person, often excessively concerned with their appearance.
• Gallimaufry: A dish made from a mixture of leftover food, often used to describe a confusing or unclear situation.

Extended Writing on Knowledge of Character and Context

• When analyzing the character of Puck, it is essential to consider the context of the Elizabethan era, where the idea of the "trickster" figure was prevalent in folklore and mythology. Puck's mischievous nature and love of pranks can be seen as a reflection of this cultural influence.
• In considering the character of Hermia, it is crucial to examine the societal expectations placed on women during the Elizabethan era. Hermia's independence and strong will can be seen as a defiance of these expectations, highlighting the tensions between traditional gender roles and the emerging ideals of femininity.

Character Analysis

• Oberon, King of the Fairies, is hot-tempered and vengeful, but also wise and just.
• Titania, Queen of the Fairies, is beautiful and strong-willed, but also vain and lovesick.
• Puck, a mischievous and quick-witted fairy servant of Oberon, loves to play tricks on humans.
• Hermia is strong-willed and determined, but also obedient to her father, and is in love with Lysander.
• Lysander is in love with Hermia, but is influenced by the love potion, leading to confusion and chaos.
• Demetrius is engaged to Hermia, but is also under the influence of the love potion, leading to a love triangle.
• Helena is in love with Demetrius, but is often overlooked and underestimated.

Love Potions

• The magic flower is used by Puck to create a love potion, making the drinker fall in love with the first person they see.
• The love potion causes chaos and confusion, leading to misplaced affections and misunderstandings.

Themes of Identity

• The play explores the complexities of love, highlighting the blurred lines between reality and fantasy.
• The play raises questions about the nature of reality, encouraging the audience to consider what is real and what is an illusion.
• The play critiques the social hierarchy of the time, highlighting the tensions between the upper and lower classes.

Shakespearean Language

• Shakespeare's use of metaphor and imagery creates a rich and vivid world, drawing the audience into the magical realm of the fairies.
• Shakespeare's use of alliteration and assonance creates a musical quality, adding to the play's enchanting atmosphere.
• Shakespeare's use of wordplay and wit adds to the play's humor and charm.

Fairy Kingdom

• The forest is a magical and transformative space, where the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur.
• The play presents a clear hierarchy within the fairy kingdom, with Oberon and Titania at the top.
• The fairies are depicted as mischievous, magical, and otherworldly, adding to the play's sense of wonder.

Vocabulary

• Whimsy refers to a feeling or mood of lighthearted, fanciful, or playful humor.
• Mirth refers to amusement, entertainment, or enjoyment, often accompanied by laughter.
• A fop is a foolish or annoying person, often excessively concerned with their appearance.
• Gallimaufry refers to a dish made from a mixture of leftover food, often used to describe a confusing or unclear situation.

Context and Character Analysis

• Puck's mischievous nature and love of pranks can be seen as a reflection of the cultural influence of the "trickster" figure in Elizabethan era folklore and mythology.
• Hermia's independence and strong will can be seen as a defiance of the societal expectations placed on women during the Elizabethan era, highlighting the tensions between traditional gender roles and the emerging ideals of femininity.