A midsummer nights dream by Shakespeare

Introduction

Romanticism can be defined as a literary, artistic, and philosophical movement originating in Europe. It emphasized the individual, the subjective, the irrational, the imaginative, the personal, and the spontaneous. (Merriam-Webster) Romanticism can be characterized by it's appreciation for the beauties of nature; a general exaltation of emotion over reason, and of the senses over intellect. Emphasis is placed on imagination and it's role as a access point to awe-inspiring experience and spiritual precision.

Discussion

In William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", magic and fantasy invoke Romanticism is a dream-like state. The play is set in Theseus' Athenian palace. Shakespeare is purposely set it in a vague antique period with the goal of it being a fantasy suitable for the magic of a summer night in a never-never place and time. In the play, the four main characters believe in romanticism. It is also evident in the imagery, language, and setting throughout "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

Demetrius and Lysander both speak in figurative language and both are very handsome. Their love for Helena and Hermia deal mainly with physical attraction and flirtations acts than love that captures mind, body, and soul. All of them appear to be in love with love, more so than in love with each other. They all frantically run about, each changing partners so often that one is never really sure of who loves whom. Each consume themselves with what they consider to be real love to the point of losing touch completely with the real world. To them, love is a fairy tale, which involves no reason. They all believe that falling in love involves nothing more than romantic speech and desire for each other. Helena is one of the silliest characters in the play, and at times can be quite irritating. Demetrius shows no love for her, yet she persists in chasing him. "And even for that do I love you the more. I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, the more you be me, I will fawn on you" (Act 2, Scene 1). Their devotion to each other is far more romanticized and figurative than realistic. Reason and love keep very little company in the play, which is the cause of all the problems.

The fantasy world and real world exist apart form each other, never meeting at any point. The inhabitants of the fairy world are unreal in the sense that they lack feelings and intelligence. The dream world, beyond mortal's comprehension, strongly influences the entire realm of ordinary life. By nature of their humanity, Oberon's power causes vulnerability in the human world. This fairy kingdom is essentially a dream, which appears whenever reason goes to sleep, and during this time Oberon controls all things. Such illusions and dreams, created by Oberson can be dangerous if they block out human's perception of reality. As the play proves, these dreams perform an important function in life.

Fairies, part of the fantasy world, live in the kingdom in the vague, dream-like East. The fairies never think and ...