Essay on Social Order In A Midsummer Nights Dream

Society needs order because it is the keystone that keeps modern civilization from collapsing in on itself. Once removed, society succumbs to its most basic state: emotions. Pure, raw emotions fill the void where logic once dictated and the world falls into chaos. It is this very situation where Shakespeare drew his inspiration for his play, A Midsummer’s Night Dream. In a world with four lovers, hoodwinked by the lord of the fairies and his loyal servant Robin, disorder ensnares the human race and chaos ensues. Through the use of prosody, Shakespeare was able to juxtapose the Athenian nobles, the working class, and the fairy world to create a sense of disarray that demonstrated the human need for order. Shakespeare first†¦show more content†¦This contrasts to the unrhymed iambic pentameter of the Athenians. Because the meters are in fact inverses of each other, it shows how, although both worlds are similar on the surface, they are very different at the core. Both the Athenians and the fairies were struggling with complexities of love. Demetrius with Helena, Lysander with Hermia, and Oberon with Titania all fought the impending chaos that so often accompanied love. The only difference between the squabbling couples was their nature. In the case of Demetrius, Helena, Lysander and Hermia, they were nothing more than mortals. However, the fairies were considered magical beings of great power. Their presence was intimidating and their command was to be respected. By giving end rhyme to the fairies, Shakespeare set them apart intellectually from the lovers and they became more dignified and lyrical in their nature. Because Shakespeare blurred the lines of dominance between the l overs and the fairies through similar meter while maintaining the stereotypical fairy personality of the time, he induced a sense of chaos. Social order began to crumble and emotional breakdowns started soon after. Another focal point of Shakespeare’s juxtaposition was the comparison between the fairies and the common peasants. Again, the fairies used rhyming and trochaic meter. However, this time they engage in conversation with one of the peasants. In this specific scene Titania sits with Bottom, doting on him and his every whim,Show MoreRelatedEssay on Analysis of Rationality In A Midsummer Nights Dream1058 Words   |  5 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is not simply a light-hearted comedy; it is a study of the abstract. Shakespeare shows that the divide between the dream world and reality is inconstant and oftentimes indefinable. Meanwhile, he writes about the power of the intangible emotions, jealousy and desire, to send the natural and supernatural worlds into chaos. 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