A Midsummer Night's Dream Research Paper

The Role of the Fairies in A Midsummer Nights Dream

Introduction ============

In this assignment I will be exploring the role of the fairies in 'A Midsummer Nights Dream'. I will consider Elizabethan views about fairies, how fairies are presented in the play and the significance of the magical events.

Background ==========

Many Elizabethans had strong beliefs that fairies, goblins, and sprites existed and came out at night to play tricks on innocent people. It was believed they could make people go insane, give them terrible nightmares, or even lure them into a devilish underworld. Fairies were a part of everyday life in Elizabethan times.

The Fairy Setting =================

Furthermore the enchanted wood also had yellow wild flowers that bloomed in late spring which were called Cowslips (at 10-15cm, they are not tall except to a fairy).Titania's bower in a leafy shelter and is her sleeping place.

Summary Of Actions

Oberon is angry with Titania because she refuses to give him the Indian boy she is raising they the go on to criticise each others, after that Oberon says this disaster will end if she gives up the Indian boy, but Titania refuses. Oberon thinks up a sneaky plan to get the boy back. He sends Puck out to find a plant called love-in-idleness, the juice of which makes any person love next creature he or she sees.

Oberon takes his revenge on Titania by making her fall in love with bottom who has an ass's head.

Puck explains what he has done to Oberon, who is pleased with the way his plan has turned out Everything seems perfect, until Demetrius and Hermia walk past, Hermia believing Demetrius has harmed Lysander,

The Fairies - Titania =====================

My First impression of Titania was that she was very beautiful however she shows that she is not scared to do what she wants like when she did not hand the Indian boy over to Oberon. Titania is Oberon's wife.

The Magical Events ==================

Bottom's human head is transformed into a donkey's head while practicing in the woods. He frightens his friends away and is completely oblivious to this change. When Titania awakes, she sees Bottom as the ass and falls in love.

The magic flower has a juice that when placed on the sleeping eyelids of a man or woman, it will cause him or her to fall in love with the next live creature that he or she sees. The flower is called love-in-idleness. Puck gives the juice to the wrong people in Demetrius, Lysander and Helena and this causes all sorts of problems.

When Puck creates a deep fog in which the lovers will get lost and, finally, fall asleep in exhaustion. When they awake in the morning, the night's events will seem like a dream except that Demetrius will be in love with