Essay Comparing Macbeth And A Midsummer Night's Dream

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Serial killers, many wonder why they murder others. Lovers, many wonder why they act differently once they fall in love. The answer is not all that easy to discern. William Shakespeare shares his opinion on these in Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. By utilizing violence in Macbeth, he shows the corrupting power of ambition and the impact of emotions on decisions. In contrast, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the four lovers’ feelings for each other show the blinding nature of love. Though he differentiates themes and moods throughout his plays, he uses both plays to give insight into the philosophy of the time. Using characters’ actions as evidence, Shakespeare contends that people act based on their fate, relationships, and feelings. Fate …show more content…

On the other hand, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream Shakespeare uses fate as a way to control the plot through the use of a magical element, namely a love potion. For instance, Egeus believes that his daughter, Hermia, should marry Demetrius, but she is enamored with Lysander. However, Hermia refuses to accept her future and says to Lysander, “O hell, to choose love by another’s eye”(1.1.140). Fortunately for her, Oberon overhears Lysander and her talking in the forest and decides to use the love potion to ensure that her life is not determined by what her father wants. Without the intervention of Oberon, Hermia’s destiny may well have ended in misery or death. Not only does fate affect a person’s judgment, but relationships also play a large role. Shakespeare uses relationships, in particular familial ones, to create a dynamic that influences the characters’ judgment. This is seen in Macbeth when Lady Macbeth encourages her husband to kill Duncan in order to capture the crown and thus fulfill the prophecy. With this intention, Lady Macbeth prevents her husband from backing out of the murder by questioning his

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