Midsummer Night's Dream Figurative Language

Throughout A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare uses several powerful metaphors and similes to compare and contrast character motives and ideas, as well as to foreshadow important aspects in the story. Perhaps the most powerful and prominent aspect of Shakespeare’s writing is his excellent use of figurative language. He uses a myriad of symbols, motifs, metaphors, and vivid imagery in A Midsummer Night’s Dream that enrich and illustrate the story. Shakespeare metaphorically uses the moon to tie conflicts together and unite the characters in a common struggle. He uses the moon to a point were it becomes more than just a setting or part of the imagery. It becomes personified metaphorically and is a major influence of desire, deceit and disorder …show more content…

As suggested by the title, the moon is a very prominent part of the story that carries a lot of meaning about love and romance. This passage is particularly important because it lays the foundation for one of the largest conflicts that will arise throughout the story. One of the biggest sources of tension in the story is between genders and focuses on male dominance. When Hippolyta responds that “Four nights will quickly dream away the time,”(Act I.I. 7-9) she places a special emphasis on the night, and how they are dreamt away and forgotten. This makes me think that she wants to “dream away the time” she has to spend with Theseus. There is an obvious misalignment between Theseus and Hippolyta’s desires. While Hippolyta compares the moon to a witness that will oversee their faithful union, Theseus personifies the moon as an obstacle to getting what he really wants from his …show more content…

The moon serves as a symbol of chastity in this aspect. When Theseus talks to Hermia about going against her fathers will, he says that she should not “live a barren sister all your life, chanting faint hymns to the cold, fruitless moon” (I.I.72-73). He is trying to persuade her to comply with her father, Egeus and marry Lysander. The theme of male dominance is particularly present in this scene, as shown through Hermia’s desperate attempts to persuade her father to let her be with Lysander instead of Demetrius. Not only is she restricted to whom she can marry; she can be killed or sent way for disobeying her father’s