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How Does Shakespeare Use Humor In A Midsummer Night's Dream

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In the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare uses the characters to show comedy. A few characters like Bottom, Lysander, and Demetrius get the audience to laugh by using comedic insults. Comedic insults are insults that one character says to, or about another character. The audience finds the insults funny because it can be related to dramatic irony, comedic relief, or it is a basic hilarious joke. It is generally used to engage the audience and lighten the mood. In Act III Scene i Bottom has just reappeared from the forest with an ass head. All the other mechanicals run away because they are afraid of Bottom’s new appearance. Snout the mechanical stays behind to ask Bottom about what happened. Bottom replies with, “What do you …show more content…

Bottom’s reaction was caused by dramatic irony and when he insulted Snout by calling him an asshead it made the audience laugh. The audience thought this was funny because Bottom literally had an asshead. This element of comedy is also used in Act I, Scene i between Demetrius and Lysander. Egeus, Hermia’s father, does not want Lysander to marry Hermia. Lysander is upset that Egeus wants Hermia to marry Demetrius. With this evidence in mind Lysander insults Demetrius by saying, “ You have her father’s love, Demetrius;/ Let me have Hermia’s: do you marry him,” (1.1.95-96). Lysander was mad that Egeus wanted Demetrius over him; so he said how about you let me marry Hermia and you can marry Egeus since he loves you so much. This is a comedic insult because he is insulting him by saying that instead of marrying Hermia, he should just marry her father instead. Lysander believes he is the best person for Hermia, not Demetrius. This is funny to the audience because who wants to marry their crush’s dad? With the help of this element of comedy the theme can be shown: Always fight for true

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In the romantic, and dramatic book of “A Midsummers Night’s Dream,” there is a prime difference between Demetrius and Lysander. Demetrius is displayed as a meaner, and more cruel person; he is often shown as being more aggressive. On the other hand, Lysander’s character is more gentle, sensitive and respectful. For example, Demetrius is shown as more aggressive, when he rushes furiously into the woods with the intentions of finding Lysander and killing him. Demetrius emphasizes this in this quote, “Where is Lysander and fair Hermia? /

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  Lysander compares himself to Demetrius, saying that he is equal to him in every way.   Lysander then points out that he has something Demetrius will never have, Hermia 's love.   He makes it clear that the couple will do anything to be together.   After Egeus denounces his daughter 's chosen love, Hermia and Lysander,

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Egeus approves of Demetrius because he feels that Demetrius is worthy of his daughter’s hand in marriage. Meanwhile, in Egeus’ eyes, Lysander is a thief who stole his daughter’s heart and Egeus believes that Lysander does not deserve the privilege of marrying Hermia. Egeus explains to Theseus that, “this man [Demetrius] hath my consent to marry her… This man [Lysander] hath bewitched the bosom of my child… I beg the ancient privilege of Athens: As she is mine, I may dispose of her.”

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Demetrius wants to win Hermia from Lysander when he tells Lysander to “yield thy crazed title to my certain right.” (Shakespeare 1.1.93-94) This exemplifies that Demetrius is attempting to control both Lysander and Hermia in this scene. He knows that he can not alter Lysanders mind, so he

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The Characters in A Midsummer Night’s dream and Antigone In the play A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare, he utilizes parody through his characters like Bottom and the mechanicals. With Bottom, his character is charming and silly when all is said in done, in light of the way he responds to circumstances and cooperates with others. This can be found in the play when the mechanicals arrange a play inside of the play called "Pyramus and Thisbe" (1.2.22-30). The Humor is seen as Bottom supposes he can assume the greater part of the parts in the play, and he supposes he is a remarkable performing artist.

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“ I beg the ancient privilege of Athens: as she is mine, I may dispose of her, which shall either be with this fine gentleman (Demetrius) or to her death according to our law, immediately provided in that case” (1.1.45-48). Hermia wishes to marry her true love Lysander, who in turn loves her as well; however, even though he is as good a man as Demetrius, status-wise, Hermia’s father, Egeus, would rather kill her or turn her into a nun than let Hermia control her life. This practice was widely done by the Elizabethans. Daughters had no choice but to marry the man their father

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Real Life Situations in Shakespeare's Play A Midsummer Night’s dream, written by William Shakespeare, was written over 400 years ago. The play is really old but, there are many situations that happen in the play that could still happen today. Some situations in the play that happen in the play that happen in real life are, Having different opinions, a big misunderstanding, and over thinking.

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At first glance, the “rude mechanicals” in A Midsummer Night’s Dream are included as little more than additional comic relief to the proceedings; simplistic characters who remain blissfully carefree to the greater events unfolding around them. However, through greater examination, it becomes all the more clear that there is some level of greater insight to be attained from them – they are, in fact, crafted as satirical figures on Shakespeare’s part. This is exemplified in their introductory scene as they go about assigning parts for the performance of their upcoming play for Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding: “The Most Lamentable Comedy and Most Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisbe.” As Peter Quince goes about handing out roles – most of which Nick

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Egeus told that if Hermia wouldn’t marry Demetrius, she would die: this was the law of Athens and his right as her father. The duke agreed that Hermia had to obey her father. Since Lysander was not satisfied with the duke’s decision, he came up with a plan. He and Hermia could escape from Athens and its unjust laws by running away to his widowed aunt's house. There he and Hermia could marry and live in peace.

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The final similarity is Shakespeare’s use of ‘funny characters,’ those whose value seems to be nothing more than to provide the audience, usually the groundlings, with same base form of amusement. Lear has his jester, and the maid Margaret plays the part in Much Ado. However, often these characters will be given deeply philosophical lines and essential parts in the furthering of the plot, which go unseen by the average, non-academic viewer. “While we might think little of the buffoonery of a Nick Bottom or the witticisms of a Feste, Shakespeare, his contemporaries in the early modern professional theatre and especially his audiences, valued clowning highly – and scrutinised it carefully in its

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However, Hermia remains stubborn and is willing to die, so Egeus takes the matter to Theseus, the ruler of Athens. He explains his troubles to Theseus: “Full of vexation come I, with complaint / Against my child, my daughter Hermia.-- / Stand forth, Demetrius.-- My noble lord, / This man hath my consent to marry her.--/ Stand forth, Lysander.--And, my gracious duke, / This man hath bewitch'd the bosom of my child” (1.1.23-28). Egeus is obviously very angry at his daughter for not listening to her father, which is Athenian custom, and at Lysander for stealing his daughter’s better judgement. He says that Lysander “bewitch’d the bosom of my child” as if he is evil and full of malice. Also whenever he addresses Theseus he says “noble lord” and “gracious duke” to try and put Theseus on his side against his daughter.

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In so far laughter provides an empathic connection, and empathy provides insight to morality and understanding of other’s points of view, comedy is able to provide insight to new knowledge through empathic understandings. Nonetheless, the blueprint whereby an author makes someone laugh in order to influence their understandings is not such an easy feat. Creating a relatable character through humor is something even the best of writers have struggled. As George Lucas found out with Jar Jar Binks, whom he predicted to be a fan favorite, there is a fine line between the audience laughing with at a character and laughing at them. Shakespeare, on the other hand, was nearly flawless in his portrayal of Falstaff--who is widely loved among his readers.

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In the final play, many critics are set towards the play-within-the play Pyramus and Thisbe which contains many fancy ideas of Bottom like asking an actor to cast a wall, but he claims to the audience that “you shall see, it [the plot] will fall pat as I told you” (5.1.183-186 AMND). Bottom firmly believes in his own talent, so he still hope others appreciate his play which is actually no so appreciable.  Shakespeare might unconsciously create this hilarious character based on mocking his own pride, for Shakespeare has encountered similar situations. He continued to create numerous

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