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Use Of Motifs In A Midsummer Night's Dream

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William Shakespeare frequently uses dreams as a motif in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A motif is a recurring symbol, idea, or theme. The motif dream is used to represent hopes, to represent nightmares, and used to restore balance.
In Act I, the motif dream is mentioned at least three times. The motif is a recurring symbol in this book and even is mentioned in the title. The first time dreams are referenced is when Theseus says to Hippolyta, “Four days will quickly steep themselves in night;/ Four nights will quickly dream away the time;” (I.i.7-8). Theseus and Hippolyta are soon to be married in four days when he references the motif dream. In this situation, dream doesn’t necessarily represent hopes and aspirations but the time left until …show more content…

Oberon was undoing the magic flower’s spell on Titania and Lysander, and making the night's events seem like a dream to everyone involved. “May all to Athens back again repair/And think no more of this night’s accidents/But as the fierce vexation of a dream.” (IV.i.68-70). Oberon had gotten laughs out of the Athenian mortals and Titania had given him the Indian boy so he was ready to release them and make it seem as if it was all a dream. When the lovers woke, they were very confused. Theseus had found them and told them that Lysander could marry Hermia and Demetrius could marry Helena. “Why, then, we are awake. Let’s follow him,/And by the way let us recount our dreams” (IV.i.208-209). They could not fully distinguish their dreams last night but they were so joyful that everything had worked out well. When Bottom woke from the night's events he was very sure that it was just a crazy dream. “I have had a dream past the wit of man to say/What a dream it was. Man is but an ass if he go about/to expound this dream.” (IV.i.215-217). Bottom was trying to comprehend his dream because he was shocked. He knew he would look like a fool if he tried to present his dream to others, but he did think it would make a good play. The motif dream was heavily relied upon to fix the night’s confusion and restore the …show more content…

And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles do not reprehend.
If you pardon, we will mend (V.i.440-447).
In these lines Puck is explaining that if you were offended by the play's events or disliked some of the actions made by characters, not to worry because it is not real. This is kind of similar to what Bottom and the Mechanicals did in their play. The events in this story were not made to offend anyone, so Puck urged the audience to think of it as just a dream. This was an important use of the motif dream because it helped pull everything together in the end and also could have explained some of the crazy events that occurred. The motif dream is used many times throughout the play. The use of the motif helped convey the ideas, themes, and symbols. It is used to represent actual dreams, nightmares, and it’s also a big part in tying together the beginning and the end of the

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