Essay Two

INTRODUCTION

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare’s 1600 comedy, finds its value in its exploration of the complexities of our humanity.¹ To develop this meaning, Shakespeare effectively² employs contrast throughout the play to begin a dialogue about love, dreams, and theatre. Shakespeare uses two contrasting settings – the orderly Athens and magical wood – to examine the transformative and irrational nature of love, a discussion which ultimately enriches³ the meaning of the text. Furthermore, the text’s playing upon the differences and similarities between the characters explores the utter inexplicability of love and imagination, a concept which transcends audiences across time. It is also Shakespeare’s deliberate lack of contrast between dreams and reality which forces audiences to consider the nature of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a play itself, consequently enhancing the text’s value through metatheatrical conventions.⁴ Thus, it is through Shakespeare’s effective and controlled manipulation of contrast that the meaning of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is conveyed to audiences.

1. As this question is directly asking about a technique (contrast), rather than a more conventional theme, I decided that my thesis statement should begin immediately with an introduction to the text, as opposed to a general thesis statement about a thematic idea.

2. As this question is about how Shakespeare creates meaning, I decided to include a qualifier here. This shows the marker that you are making a judgement call about the text’s construction.

3. Here, I refer to how Shakespeare’s use of contrast actually enhances the value of the text, another thing which you could do to elevate an essay about the author’s use of a technique.

4. In this point, I make an interesting and slightly different claim about contrast. This willingness to put a slight spin on the question and take it a step further than merely ‘agreeing’ or ‘disagreeing’ proves my confidence in and knowledge of the text.

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Shakespeare employs contrasting settings in A Midsummer Night’s Dream to create a poignant reflection on the messy and chaotic nature of love.⁵ The shift from the law and order of Athens to the magic of the wood suggests that love emerges from an elusive place of imagination, as opposed to a place of rationality.⁶ In the wood, Demetrius and Lysander’s affection for Hermia quickly change to affection for Helena when influenced by Puck’s magical flower. The fact that Lysander wakes up and declares to Helena that he will “run through fire... for [her] sweet sake” – hyperbole that is in stark contrast to his behaviour in Athens – highlights that love’s origins are as inexplicable as the magic of the wood. This use of contrast is furthered when Demetrius wakes up and proclaims, “O Helen, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine!” This excessive cumulative listing also differs greatly from Demetrius’ measured and cautious language as he was entering the woods from Athens, such as, “Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit, / For I am sick when I do look on thee.” Thus, through the deliberate contrast between settings and the characters’ actions in each setting, Shakespeare explores the inexplicability, magic, and transformative nature of love.⁷

5. Here I state a specific type of contrast which Shakespeare uses. This is an important thing to do if the question asks you about a literary device. For example, if you’re asked about Shakespeare’s use of irony, you need to state an explicit type of irony.

6. This sentence is an important explanation of the evidence I have provided. Always make sure you are discussing the connections between the language the author employs, and the ideas they create!

7. The last line of this paragraph ties the discussion back to the question, and reiterates the broader focus of this argument.

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Much like the contrast in setting, Shakespeare also manipulates the similarities and differences between the different sets of characters to highlight the randomness and idiosyncrasies of love. The distinct differences in the depiction of Hermia and Helena undermines the preconceived notion that love often arises out of physical attraction, as by Elizabethan standards, Helena is more beautiful than Hermia, but yet, Demetrius does not return her affections. This is explored in Helena’s first soliloquy⁸, in which she muses, “Through Athens I am thought as fair as she. / But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so.” This contrast in physical appearances suggests to the audience that love is blind, messy, and irrational, because Demetrius “will not know what all but he do know.” This notion is also complicated by Hermia’s specific attraction to Lysander over Demetrius, even though they are ostensibly quite similar, except that marrying Lysander brings about more negative consequences. The deliberate lack of contrast between them, as seen in Hermia’s retort, “So is Lysander,” to Theseus’ comment that “Demetrius is a worthy gentleman,” highlights that an individual does not need a reason to love a specific person. Instead, Shakespeare argues through a manipulation of contrast, it is an emotion that just occurs, sometimes without reason or intent. Thus, through both the deliberate contrast and deliberate lack of contrast⁹ in the four lovers, Shakespeare highlights the inexplicable origins of love and affection, consequently enriching the meaning of the play.

8. Because you’re talking about a play, it’s important to make use of dramatic techniques, rather than just literary devices, to back up your arguments. This will demonstrate your knowledge of form as well as your understanding of the text as a whole.

9. Note that when summarising this argument, we complicate things a bit by acknowledging two different ways in which the author accomplishes something. Although this takes more time and effort to include in a body paragraph, it makes the whole argument much more robust, and consequently helps this essay argue its contention more effectively.

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The contrast between theatre, dreams, and reality, as well as Shakespeare’s blending of these three realms, posits that there can be significance in fantasy, and thus, Shakespeare reflects on his own play’s meaning.¹⁰ Throughout the text, Shakespeare uses the contrast between reality and the dream world to highlight their parallels, and thus to reflect on the meaning that can be gleaned from fantastical elements. This is seen in Hermia’s dream in Act 2 Scene 2, which she describes in the rhyming couplet, “Methought a serpent eat my heart away, / And [Lysander] sat smiling at his cruel prey.” While this is a dream, it does mirror some elements of reality, because while Lysander is not literally watching Hermia’s heart get eaten by a serpent, his love for her has transformed into love for her best friend Helena – a betrayal which would have metaphorically eaten away at her. The power of dreams to reflect reality is further amplified through the manipulation of contrast in Bottom’s referral to his very real experiences as simply a dream, which he wishes to turn into a play, entitled, “Bottom’s Dream.” Bottom’s anacoluthon¹¹, “Methought I was – there is no man can tell what,” suggests that dreams, as shocking as they are, can represent truth, because although Bottom believes there is a distinct contrast between his dream and reality, the audience knows there is not. Through this proposition that fantasy can hold meaningful truths about our society, Shakespeare is able to suggest to the audience that magical elements also have direct parallels with reality. Thus, through Shakespeare’s use of contrast between the dream world and the real world, he is able to subtly enhance the meaning of his play.

10. The fact that Shakespeare conducts self-reflection on A Midsummer Night’s Dream through metatheatrical elements is really important, because it contributes a great deal to the play’s textual integrity. Try to include in essays whenever it’s relevant to the question.

11. Try to use some sophisticated and unique literary devices throughout your essays, as these can help set you apart from the pack. That being said, don’t refer to techniques that you don’t understand. Try to learn a handful of relevant devices and memorise them alongside the quotes they apply to so you can easily integrate them into your arguments.

CONCLUSION

Ultimately, it is in Shakespeare’s poignant use of contrast to explore the fundamental ideas of love, dreams, and reality that A Midsummer Night’s Dream finds its meaning thoroughly enriched. In his contrast of setting, Shakespeare is able to invite the audience into a discussion about the transformative and elusive nature of love¹² and in doing so, develops the meaning of the play. Similarly, his contrast of setting and of the lovers furthers the argument that love’s origins are often without reason. A Midsummer Night’s Dream’s meaning further arises from the distinction between reality and fantasy, and hence, Shakespeare effectively uses contrast to posit important ideas about love, humanity, and theatre and in doing so, creates a play with immense meaning for both his contemporary and modern audiences.