A Midsummer Night’s Dream: the Confusion of Dreams

Kelly Johnson ENGL 3000-006 Remien March 5, 2010 Paper 1 The Confusion of inhalations You are f every(prenominal)ing accelerated and faster through the pale blue-blooded sky with no parachute and zero point to grab on to. The shards of rock on a lower floor seem to arise crisp and sharper as a wave of fear and hopelessness takes over. You are in force(p) moments onward from certain death when entirely of the abrupt you wake up and realize it was all a dream. In William Shakespeares A midsummer nights Dream, he subprograms the power of dreams to construct the possibility of an sky reality.A midsummer nighttimes Dream has many crude elements, which whitethorn gift been offensive to many members of the audition, maybe causing the removal of his play. In value to combat this potential problem, Shakespeare adds pucks utmost speech to serve as an exculpation. Instead of using a unprejudiced apology though, Shakespeare attempts to convince the audition members the y in appendage were in a dream by linking the listening to the characters of the play, powerful discourse and imagery. all(prenominal) of these elements allow the reader or dish to see at ease sooner of resentment as the play commences.The utmost speech of A Midsummer iniquitys Dream at graduation exercise seems forth of place. As this play is a comedy, Oberons final speech step ups to be the perfect ending. However, the last words go to hockey puck, the fairy responsible for all of the hurt seen passim the play, as he tries to choose the earreach with a sense of ataraxis by playing with the idea of dreams. In concurrence with the title, dreams are a preponderating element throughout the play. Instead of the lovers questioning any topic that previously happened, they fitting accept they all had the uniform dream, which allows them to happily play along with their lives as all peace was restored.This speech offers an quotation of the possibility that it was al l a dream to the reference. hockey puck calls on the audience to work out, That you have merely slumbered hither/ While these visions did appear (5. 1. 417-418). Puck and the other fairies were able to patch all of the problems between the lovers and this speech should do just the same for the audience. If everything previously witnessed is altogether a dream, then there is no need for outrage and all is mended (5. 1. 416). By creating a dream-like environment, the focus turns from the drama that unfolded throughout the play to the mystical and humorous occurrences.This enables the audience to feel sense of closure. In plus to relating the audience to the characters, the habituate of discourse back up to the dream-like sense. Throughout A Midsummer Nights Dream, the way language is utilise plays an important role in the message Shakespeare is portraying and the final speech is no different, with the language used mirroring the language throughout the play. The final lines of the play extend upon the use of binary opposites. Throughout this speech, Puck offers remote ideas that cause further confusion for the audience, standardised to the way dreams are viewed as discombobulate upon waking up.Puck insists And, as I am an honest Puck, If we have enearned spate Now to scape the serpents tongue, We will make amends ere tenacious Else the Puck a liar call. (5. 1. 415-420) The abridgement between honest and liar is unconcealed and it is impossible to be both. Additionally, while this is an apology as Puck attempts to gain the audiences trust, this speech is filled with weighty images, such(prenominal) as serpents tongue adding a sense of uncertainty and unease. This confusion further adds to the dream-like sense Shakespeare is nerve-racking to create.In addition to the binary opposites that are used, this speech is spoken in such a way that it has a opinion of a lullaby. After suggesting the fact everything previously witnessed may have been a dream, Puck utters the lines And this worn out and idle theme, No more(prenominal) yielding but a dream, Gentles, do not reprehend, If you pardon, we will mend. (5. 1. 419-422) While throughout the play, various other characters spoke lyrically, these lyrically spoken lines sound like something out of a lullaby, as if Puck wants the audience to once again fall fast asleep(predicate) and dream as to possibly pass on everything that had just transpired.Unlike the supernatural joke that was used on the characters throughout the play, Puck is attempting to use the magic of words to get the audience to do and think as he pleases. Using the words weak and idle, yielding and Gentles make the audience feel at peace and willing to do what Puck is asking of them. In addition to the form used, Shakespeare uses the images of shadows in this complex apology. The use of imagery throughout A Midsummer Nights Dream, including the final speech, plays a powerful role in the rudimentary meaning of the play.In the first lines of his improvident monologue, Puck states If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended- That you have but slumbered here While these visions did appear. (5. 1. 415-418) Instead of referring to the actors as a people, he calls them shadows. The fairies, whose presence has often been underground and murky, throughout the play have enjoin the course of events that transpired. Therefore, it would make sense to the audience to want to follow what Puck is saying, as in the moment, it is the most natural thing to do.Similar to many of the other aspects of this speech, this proposes that what had just happened was simply the work of each someones imagination. In this sense, Puck is thusly leaving it up to the audience to dissolve if what they have just witnessed is good or bad. The shadows simply exist it is up to the audience to give them meaning that relates to each of their lives, just as the characters in the play did. The final s peech of A Midsummer Nights Dream wants to make the audience feel as though they were dreaming, which is carry through by linking the audience to the characters, discourse and imagery.Pucks final monologue of A Midsummer Nights Dream is more than just a simple apology. Even with the darker images and contradictions of the speech, it provides closure for the audience. Just as the characters in the play were able to think everything happened was simply a dream and continue to go about with their lives, Shakespeare is attempting to instill the same belief in the audience and hoping they enthrall the happy ending. Works Cited Shakespeare, William, and Russ McDonald. A Midsummer Nights Dream. New York, N. Y. Penguin, 2000. Print.