A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare) - Essay Example

22 November Intermingling Two Worlds in A Midsummer Night’s Dream In Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the world of the Fairies exists simultaneously with the real world of Athens. The juxtaposition of the two worlds provides a contrast that enhances the dream within a dream that is the play. The human characters from Athens and the fairies from the enchanted forest clash in their ideas of love. The veil between the enchanted world of the fairies and the realistic world of the humans has been temporarily lifted, and the interactions between magical and real are presented throughout the play.

The setting of the play is crucial to the development of the plot. The Athenian characters run to the world of the fairies when the strict laws of their world become too much for them to handle. The enchanted wood provides a whimsical escape from their practical world. When the play begins, Hippolyta and Duke Theseus are preparing for their wedding in Athens. Hermia is in love with Lysander but her father wants her to marry Demetrius. Athenian law says a father can put a daughter to death for not marrying whom he chose for her.

Helena tells Demetrius that Hermia plans to elope with Lysander. Demetrius runs into the enchanted wood outside Athens to look for Hermia, and Helena follows him. In the woods are a group of fairies as well as a group of humans rehearsing a play. The human characters of the play and the fairies intermix in the play throughout their interactions in the enchanted wood. The fairies, particularly Puck, spread magical flower juice on Lysander’s face while he is sleeping. Lysander sees Helena when he wakes up and falls in love with her because of the magical flower juice.

Lysander then leaves Hermia. In the end, Theseus and Hippolyta find the lovers in the forest and take them back to Athens for a group wedding. Lysander marries Hermia and Demetrius marries Helena. The world of Athens and the World of the Fairies interface with each other throughout the play. The fairies spy on the humans and then spread magic flower juice to get the right people to fall in love with each other. The fairies, while they have their own problems, believe in love. They want Demetrius to fall in love with Helena because she is in love with him.

The same rules of physics do not apply in each world. In the fairy world, magic can be used to make two individuals fall in love. The fairy world is more imaginary and ethereal. Also, Puck is able to transform Nick Bottom’s head into a donkey head. In the real world of Athens, that would not be possible. In addition, the fairy world is not ruled as strictly as the world of Athens. Fairies are more open to the possibilities of love, while the Athenians are guided by strict traditions that place restrictions on whom they can marry.

The 19th century Italian setting of the play in the 1999 movie enhances the creation of these worlds. The setting provides a more believable backdrop for modern day viewers, while still holding true to the original language and plot that Shakespeare used. Also, a movie provides broader scenery and more intense drama than a play. The setting of the movie is beautiful and whimsical, and allows the Shakespeare characters to come to life. The film is able to seamlessly blend the Forest of the Fairies into the more modern Italian setting.

Works CitedShakespeare, William. A Midsummer Nights Dream. The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans and J.J.M. Tobin. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997. 256–283.A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Dir. Michael Hoffman. Perf. Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Rupert Everett. Fox Searchlight Pictures, 1999. Film.