As one of William Shakespeare’s most beloved plays, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a masterpiece of literary art. Through its use of figurative language, this play expertly weaves together a complex web of themes, characters, and plotlines. In this essay, we will explore how Shakespeare employs figurative language to create a rich and dynamic world within the play. The first example of Shakespeare’s use of figurative language can be found in the opening lines of Act I, Scene I: “Four days will quickly steep themselves in night; / Four nights will quickly dream away the time.” Here, Shakespeare employs the metaphor of time as a liquid substance that can be “steeped” or “dreamt away”. This metaphor sets the tone for the rest of the play, which is full of instances where time seems to warp and bend in fantastical ways. …show more content…
This metaphor not only emphasizes the queen’s regal status, but also adds to the play’s overall sense of otherworldliness. Perhaps the most famous example of figurative language in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is the extended metaphor of love as a “madness” that runs throughout the play. This metaphor is first introduced by Theseus in Act I, Scene I, when he describes love as a “feeling of madness”. Throughout the play, this metaphor is used to describe the irrational behavior of the characters, who are all under the influence of some form of love potion or spell. By using this metaphor, Shakespeare emphasizes the chaotic and unpredictable nature of love, as well as its ability to drive people to do things they might not otherwise