{"id":5595,"date":"2017-11-08T17:00:06","date_gmt":"2017-11-09T01:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/?post_type=essay-writing-blog&p=5595"},"modified":"2019-02-17T08:42:19","modified_gmt":"2019-02-17T16:42:19","slug":"midsummer-nights-dream-characters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/midsummer-nights-dream-characters\/","title":{"rendered":"All You Need to Know About These 5 A Midsummer Night’s Dream Characters"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s the middle of the night, and you\u2019ve drifted off into a deep sleep. You\u2019re dreaming of a magnificent summer day of relaxing on the beach or maybe hiking a mountain trail.<\/p>\n

Then your alarm goes off.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re slapped back into reality. Your once-peaceful dream is now bordering on a nightmare. There are exactly 28 hours and 12 minutes left to turn your own midsummer night\u2019s dream into an essay about Shakespeare\u2019s A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream<\/i>.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m assuming you already know that there are a ton of characters in this play. But rather than a run-down on everyone<\/i> who appears in the story, let\u2019s focus on five of the key A Midsummer Night’s Dream<\/em> characters (who also might become the focus of your own paper).<\/p>\n

A Few Words About A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream<\/em><\/h2>\n

“The course of true love never did run smooth.” (Act I, Scene I)<\/i><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This quote pretty much sums up the gist of the play.<\/p>\n

A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream<\/i> is all about the trials and tribulations of love\u2014how people act when they\u2019re in love, what they\u2019ll do for love, how people treat each other when they\u2019re in love (or supposedly in love), and the fact that things might appear differently to people when they’re in love.<\/p>\n

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A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream is all about the trials and tribulations of love.<\/a><\/div>\n

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All this talk about love means you should pay close attention to this theme as you think about each character and how he or she interacts with other characters throughout the play.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget:<\/b> when you review the play and its characters, pay special attention to the stage directions<\/a>. These comments about how characters move in and out of the play can help you make connections between characters and the plot and subplot.<\/p>\n

All You Need to Know About These 5 A Midsummer Night’s Dream<\/em> Characters<\/h2>\n

The descriptions in the cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream<\/em> characters can be helpful for a number of papers.<\/p>\n

For instance, if you\u2019re writing a literary analysis<\/a>, you might need to focus on a theme or symbolism, and your understanding of characters is crucial to writing a paper about either one of these topics.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re writing a character analysis<\/a>, you need to get inside the characters\u2019 heads and know them personally. (If you want an example of what a finished character analysis looks like, check out these two annotated examples<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Want a quick how-to literary analysis refresher? Read Writing About Literature: 9 Things You Need to Know<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Okay, now that you\u2019re thinking literature and thinking about the focus of your own paper, let\u2019s look five key A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream <\/i>characters.<\/p>\n\t

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Stuck on Your Analytical Essay?<\/div>\n\t\t\t
Check Out These Example Analytical Essays<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Characters 1 and 2: Hermia and Lysander<\/h3>\n

Hermia is deeply in love with Lysander, but her father isn\u2019t too thrilled about her choice of lovers. Hermia\u2019s father (Egeus) wants her to marry Demetrius.<\/p>\n

In order to force Hermia into marriage, he offers her three choices: marry Demetrius, die, or spend the rest of her life in a convent. (Some choices, right?) She\u2019s not too happy with any of these less-than-desirable options and runs away with Lysander.<\/p>\n

Lysander is also in love with Hermia. But when the two run away into the forest, Puck mistakenly gives Lysander a love potion, causing Lysander to temporarily fall in love with Helena.<\/p>\n

The spell is ultimately reversed, and Hermia and Lysander end up happily married by the end of the play.<\/p>\n

Mini-analysis:<\/span> <\/b>Hermia and Lysander illustrate the trials and tribulations of young love. It\u2019s kind of like Shakespeare\u2019s other young lovers, Romeo and Juliet<\/a>. They love each other, but their families don\u2019t approve. And they\u2019ll do anything to be together.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you want to learn more about the comparisons between Romeo and Juliet <\/i>and A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream, <\/i>check out A Comparison of William Shakespeare’s Plays A Midsummer Night’s Dream<\/em> and Romeo and Juliet<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hermia also symbolizes the specific difficulties that young girls and women face. She’s expected to obey her father at all costs. She’s also expected to be beautiful.<\/p>\n

During the time Lysander is under influence of the love potion, Hermia worries about her appearance, fearing that Lysander has fallen in love with Helena because Helena is more attractive.<\/p>\n

Characters 3 and 4: Helena and Demetrius<\/h3>\n

When the play starts, Helena and Demetrius have already parted ways. Demetrius has left Helena to pursue Hermia. He\u2019s the stereotypical young male who moves from one lover to another, without thought of how his actions affect others.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s so cruel, in fact, that he completely rejects Helena, even threatening her just to keep her away from him.<\/p>\n

Helena has fallen hard for Demetrius, and even though he\u2019s not the guy most people would want to get back, she does whatever she can to win his love. She even betrays her friend, Hermia. (Talk about mean girls!)<\/p>\n

In the end, Puck gives Demetrius a good dose of Oberon\u2019s love potion so that Demetrius will fall back in love with Helena.<\/p>\n

Helena and Demetrius also end up happily married at the end of the play.<\/p>\n

Mini-analysis: <\/span><\/strong>Helena illustrates what people will do for love. Even though Demetrius treats her like dirt, she still pursues him. Her love for him seems unconditional.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Like Hermia, Helena symbolizes women\u2019s plight when it comes to love. Helena is expected to be quiet and submissive, and to wait for her love to come back to her. She isn\u2019t expected to fight for what she wants (even though most of us probably aren\u2019t sure why she\u2019d want Demetrius back).<\/p>\n

Want to know more about love in the play? <\/i>Read The Struggles of Understanding the Concept of Love in A Midsummer Night’s Dream<\/em>, a Play by William Shakespeare<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Character 5: Puck<\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t get your hopes up, hockey fans. The character of Puck has nothing to do with hockey. Puck is a spirit and jester of Oberon (the King of the Fairies).<\/p>\n

In A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream<\/i>, he’s ordered by Oberon to help Helena by placing a love potion on the eyes of Demetrius so that Demetrius will again fall in love with Helena. Puck messes it up, though, and puts the potion on Lysander.<\/p>\n

In the end, Oberon orders Puck to fix the mistake.<\/p>\n

Mini-analysis: <\/span><\/strong>Puck has supernatural powers and enjoys playing practical jokes on people simply for the fun of watching what happens. He doesn\u2019t necessarily care if the results are positive or negative. He pretty much just enjoys messing with people. His attitude can be summed up when he says, “Lord, what fools these mortals be!” (Act III, Scene II)<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In the end, it’s Puck who has the final words of the play:<\/p>\n

If we shadows have offended,<\/i><\/p>\n

Think but this, and all is mended,<\/i><\/p>\n

That you have but slumbered here<\/i><\/p>\n

While these visions did appear.<\/i><\/p>\n

In these closing lines, Puck addresses the audience, perhaps apologizing for his misdeeds. He also alludes to the fact the we (the audience) have been sleeping the entire time. Thus, the whole play the audience has witnessed may simply be a midsummer night\u2019s dream.<\/p>\n

Read more about Puck in The Role of Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream<\/em> by William Shakespeare<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Before You Drift Off to Another Dream<\/h2>\n

I know you\u2019ve been working hard to get your paper finished, but don\u2019t drift off into another dream of lounging by the pool just yet.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s always important to put the final touches on your paper\u2014no matter which A Midsummer Night’s Dream<\/em> characters you write about\u2014so before you submit it to your prof, make sure you revise your work<\/a>.<\/p>\n

First make sure you\u2019ve supported your thesis statement<\/a> by using evidence<\/a> from the play.<\/p>\n

Then check for the basics, such as proper format<\/a> and proper spelling and grammar. Also check for style. Choose the perfect words<\/a>, make sure you eliminate wordiness<\/a>, and use appropriate transitions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Like true love, the course of writing a paper usually doesn\u2019t run smoothly, either. But if you\u2019re looking for help smoothing out the rough edges of your essay on A Midsummer Night’s Dream <\/em>characters, let the expert editors at Kibin<\/a> lend a hand.<\/p>\n\t