The love potion symbolizes how love is always chaotic and hectic and extremely unpredictable, and how love cannot be resisted. It also ultimately brings the four young lovers together in the end.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Symbol
The love potion symbolizes how love is always chaotic and hectic and extremely unpredictable, and how love cannot be resisted. It also ultimately brings the four young lovers together in the end.
Universal Themes
Love ultimately triumphs in the end
Despite all the obstacles they face, the characters eventually unite with the ones they love
Appearances can be deceiving
Thanks to Puck's pranks, we see how looks can easily be masked.
"The course of true love never did run smooth"
Love isn't easy.
Dream big
Bottom, Snug, Snout, Quince and Flute are all horrible actors, but put on a play anyways.
Only you know whats best for yourself in the end
Euges was opposed to the marriage of Hermia and Lysander at first, but in the end they ended up together anyways.
Despite all the obstacles they face, the characters eventually unite with the ones they love
Appearances can be deceiving
Thanks to Puck's pranks, we see how looks can easily be masked.
"The course of true love never did run smooth"
Love isn't easy.
Dream big
Bottom, Snug, Snout, Quince and Flute are all horrible actors, but put on a play anyways.
Only you know whats best for yourself in the end
Euges was opposed to the marriage of Hermia and Lysander at first, but in the end they ended up together anyways.
5 Archetypes
"I was with Hercules and Cadmus once,
When in a wood of Crete they bayed the bear
With hounds of Sparta: never did I hear…
So musical a discord, such sweet thunder."
The reference to Hercules and Camdus, and in a wood of Crete and hounds of Sparta are all references to Greek lore.
"Jack shall have Jill;
Nought shall go ill;
The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well."
Reference to a well known children's limerick
"Cupid is a knavish lad"
Referring to the Greek God who shot arrows at humans to make them fall in love
"By the simplicity of Venus’ doves"
Venus is the name for the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite. She was the mother of Cupid.
"I swear to thee, by Cupid’s strongest bow"
Referring again to the Greek God of love, Cupid.
When in a wood of Crete they bayed the bear
With hounds of Sparta: never did I hear…
So musical a discord, such sweet thunder."
The reference to Hercules and Camdus, and in a wood of Crete and hounds of Sparta are all references to Greek lore.
"Jack shall have Jill;
Nought shall go ill;
The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well."
Reference to a well known children's limerick
"Cupid is a knavish lad"
Referring to the Greek God who shot arrows at humans to make them fall in love
"By the simplicity of Venus’ doves"
Venus is the name for the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite. She was the mother of Cupid.
"I swear to thee, by Cupid’s strongest bow"
Referring again to the Greek God of love, Cupid.
Plot Summary
The play begins with Theseus announcing that he will marry Hippolyta (the queen of the amazons) in four days. Their wedding will have a play preformed by the 6 characters Quince, Bottom, Flute, Starveling, Snug, and Snout. He hears Egeus complaining that his daughter, Hermia, will not marry the man he wants her to marry, Demetrius, since she's in love with Lysander. Demetrius however is madly in love with Hermia. Egeus doesn't like Lysander and therefore Theseus says that Hermia has to marry Demetrius, or choose between death or joining a nunnery. Lysander tells Hermia to flee to the his aunt's house in the Forest and marry him. Helena, one of Hermia's friends who is also in love with Demetrius, hears about it and tells Demetrius in hopes of catching them elope in the woods.
In the forest, Oberon and Titania (the king and queen of the fairies)argue that he should have her Indian orphan child as his page. Titania doesn't want to and refuses since she is the queen. To get the boy, Oberon tells Puck to get a flower from Cupid that makes the person who took it fall in love with the first person they see. Oberon plans to give it to Titania, so that she will fall in love with something vile and give him the child. Meanwhile Demetrius and Helena arrive in the forest. After Puck arrives with the flower, Oberon tells Puck to give it to Demetrius so he'll love Helena rather than Hermia. Oberon then gives it to Titania. In the forest, Lysander and Hermia lie down to rest. Puck, thinking Lysander is Demetrius, accidentally gives him the flower. Helena appears and awakes Lysander, and Lysander immediately falls in love with her.
In the forest, the ones planning the play for Thesus and Hippolyta's wedding discuss the logistics of their play. Puck appears and transforms Bottom's head into a donkey's for Titania to fall in love with. The actors run away, and Titania awakes and falls in love with him. Puck sees that Demetrius is chasing Hermia, and realizes that he gave the flower to the wrong man. Oberon tries to fix this by giving Lysander the flower so he'll fall in love with Helena, and he does. But now they are faced with both men loving Helena and Helena thinking neither of them are serious because shes so insecure. When Hermia arrives Helena accuses her of telling the men to tease her. Once Oberon realizes Puck caused all these problems, he orders him to make a thick fog to separate the four people and force them into a deep sleep, so the spell can wear off.
Oberon then awakes Titania and transforms Bottom back to a human. Oberon and Titania make up and fall in love with each other once again. In the woods, Theseus, Hippolyta, and Egeus show up and wake up Demetrius, Lysander, Helena and Hermia. Demetrius and Lysander inform them of their love for Helena and Hermia and they agree to let them marry.
After the long night Bottom returns and discuss with the other players what they should do for the play. They return to the palace where Hippolyta and Thesus discuss the nights activities. When the happy couples enter Thesus decides to start the nights festivities and the play "Pyramus and Thisbe" is preformed. The play is finished by Puck's appologies for the terrible acting and him promising better at his next preformance.
In the forest, Oberon and Titania (the king and queen of the fairies)argue that he should have her Indian orphan child as his page. Titania doesn't want to and refuses since she is the queen. To get the boy, Oberon tells Puck to get a flower from Cupid that makes the person who took it fall in love with the first person they see. Oberon plans to give it to Titania, so that she will fall in love with something vile and give him the child. Meanwhile Demetrius and Helena arrive in the forest. After Puck arrives with the flower, Oberon tells Puck to give it to Demetrius so he'll love Helena rather than Hermia. Oberon then gives it to Titania. In the forest, Lysander and Hermia lie down to rest. Puck, thinking Lysander is Demetrius, accidentally gives him the flower. Helena appears and awakes Lysander, and Lysander immediately falls in love with her.
In the forest, the ones planning the play for Thesus and Hippolyta's wedding discuss the logistics of their play. Puck appears and transforms Bottom's head into a donkey's for Titania to fall in love with. The actors run away, and Titania awakes and falls in love with him. Puck sees that Demetrius is chasing Hermia, and realizes that he gave the flower to the wrong man. Oberon tries to fix this by giving Lysander the flower so he'll fall in love with Helena, and he does. But now they are faced with both men loving Helena and Helena thinking neither of them are serious because shes so insecure. When Hermia arrives Helena accuses her of telling the men to tease her. Once Oberon realizes Puck caused all these problems, he orders him to make a thick fog to separate the four people and force them into a deep sleep, so the spell can wear off.
Oberon then awakes Titania and transforms Bottom back to a human. Oberon and Titania make up and fall in love with each other once again. In the woods, Theseus, Hippolyta, and Egeus show up and wake up Demetrius, Lysander, Helena and Hermia. Demetrius and Lysander inform them of their love for Helena and Hermia and they agree to let them marry.
After the long night Bottom returns and discuss with the other players what they should do for the play. They return to the palace where Hippolyta and Thesus discuss the nights activities. When the happy couples enter Thesus decides to start the nights festivities and the play "Pyramus and Thisbe" is preformed. The play is finished by Puck's appologies for the terrible acting and him promising better at his next preformance.
Imagery
"This is Ercles' vein, a tyrant's vein."
Allusion
“The course of true love never did run smooth”
Personification
"So we grew together,
Like to a double cherry,
seeming parted,
But yet an union in partition."
Similie
"I was with Hercules and Cadmus once,
When in a wood of Crete they bayed the bear
With hounds of Sparta: never did I hear…
So musical a discord, such sweet thunder.
"
Allusion
"Love looks not with the eyes,
but with the mind,
and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind"
Personification, Rhyming
"Swift as a shadow,
short as any dream;
Brief as the lightning in the collied night."
Similie
"Jack shall have Jill;
Nought shall go ill;
The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well."
Allusion
"Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire,
I do wander everywhere."
Rhyming, alliteration
"My heart is true as steel."
Similie
"Two lovely berries moulded on one stem;
So,
with two seeming bodies,
but one heart."
Metaphor
"Cupid is a knavish lad"
Allusion
"Whereat with blade, with bloody blameful blade,
He bravely broached his boiling bloody breast."
Alliteration
"A lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing."
Metaphor
Allusion
“The course of true love never did run smooth”
Personification
"So we grew together,
Like to a double cherry,
seeming parted,
But yet an union in partition."
Similie
"I was with Hercules and Cadmus once,
When in a wood of Crete they bayed the bear
With hounds of Sparta: never did I hear…
So musical a discord, such sweet thunder.
"
Allusion
"Love looks not with the eyes,
but with the mind,
and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind"
Personification, Rhyming
"Swift as a shadow,
short as any dream;
Brief as the lightning in the collied night."
Similie
"Jack shall have Jill;
Nought shall go ill;
The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well."
Allusion
"Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire,
I do wander everywhere."
Rhyming, alliteration
"My heart is true as steel."
Similie
"Two lovely berries moulded on one stem;
So,
with two seeming bodies,
but one heart."
Metaphor
"Cupid is a knavish lad"
Allusion
"Whereat with blade, with bloody blameful blade,
He bravely broached his boiling bloody breast."
Alliteration
"A lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing."
Metaphor
Archetypes
PuckPuck is considered to be the stereotypical mischief maker. Although graceful, he is very cunning and pulls pranks just for the amusement. For instance when he turns Bottom's head into an ass.
HelenaHelena is portrayed as your typical love sick, jealous, and insecure woman. Her love for Demetrius and enviousness of Hermia leads her to devise a plan to get Hermia and Lysander caught eloping in the forest by Demetrious. However, the plan somewhat backfires.
OberonOberon, because of his anger towards his wife Titania for not taking control of an Indian boy who he wants as a prince, causes much of the confusion in the story.
TitaniaTitania is the steriotypical beautiful fairy queen
Demetrius
Demetrious is the heart breaker. He was initially in love with Hermia but sets off a complicated love triangle.
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