Midsummer Nights Dream Essay
Explain your reading of the opening act of ‘A Midsummers Night Dream’ written by William Shakespeare:
‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ Written by influential and iconic playwright and actor William Shakespeare during the Elizabethan Era uses Ideas including men’s domination over women, finding oneself and the moon, the use of language called Shakespearean and general Shakespeare conventions used in his plays , the readers own values and attitudes and life experiences, texts the reader has also read and the plays own historical, social and cultural aspects to assist the reader in understanding the first act of scene 1, making it easier for them to analyse and annotate.
Throughout scene 1 there are many ideas expressed including the men’s domination over women, finding oneself and the moon. Theseus is the first character to speak and be introduced; he says that he won Hippolyta by defeating her. “Hippolyta I wooed thee with my sword” he is clearly the dominant one in the relationship and makes Hippolyta seem like the submissive one. Egeus goes to Theseus for help to force his daughter into marrying Demetrius, the man he has chosen for her to marry which removes her free right to love. Finding oneself is represented with the forest which is the place where all issues should be resolves, Hermia here is able to seek freedom from her father and fight arranged marriage for love. The moon is what all everything is revolved around, the coming of the new moon sets the date for Theseus’ marriage and the Duke makes this the date on which Hermia must decide whether to Marry Demetrius, to die or to become a nun. The moon is associated with the goddess Diana and chastity which is what Hermia is trying to protect “ere I will yield my virgin patent up unto his lordship” virgin patent is the right to remain a virgin and Hermia believes it is her right to keep it.
Shakespeare uses language from Elizabethan times which back when ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ was played in theatres was
‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ Written by influential and iconic playwright and actor William Shakespeare during the Elizabethan Era uses Ideas including men’s domination over women, finding oneself and the moon, the use of language called Shakespearean and general Shakespeare conventions used in his plays , the readers own values and attitudes and life experiences, texts the reader has also read and the plays own historical, social and cultural aspects to assist the reader in understanding the first act of scene 1, making it easier for them to analyse and annotate.
Throughout scene 1 there are many ideas expressed including the men’s domination over women, finding oneself and the moon. Theseus is the first character to speak and be introduced; he says that he won Hippolyta by defeating her. “Hippolyta I wooed thee with my sword” he is clearly the dominant one in the relationship and makes Hippolyta seem like the submissive one. Egeus goes to Theseus for help to force his daughter into marrying Demetrius, the man he has chosen for her to marry which removes her free right to love. Finding oneself is represented with the forest which is the place where all issues should be resolves, Hermia here is able to seek freedom from her father and fight arranged marriage for love. The moon is what all everything is revolved around, the coming of the new moon sets the date for Theseus’ marriage and the Duke makes this the date on which Hermia must decide whether to Marry Demetrius, to die or to become a nun. The moon is associated with the goddess Diana and chastity which is what Hermia is trying to protect “ere I will yield my virgin patent up unto his lordship” virgin patent is the right to remain a virgin and Hermia believes it is her right to keep it.
Shakespeare uses language from Elizabethan times which back when ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ was played in theatres was