The Significance of Dreams and Dreaming in A Midsummer Nights Dream b

The Significance of Dreams and Dreaming in A Midsummer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare In Pucks final speech of the play he says And this weak and idle theme No more yielding than a dream It has been argued that Shakespeare structured the play around the notion of a dream. Explore the importee of dreams and dreaming in the play, both as a theme and dramatic device. There are several definitions of a dream, although no one can authentically define a dream, it is what we make it. The first theory is that it is a mixture of images, accumulated from your thoughts or experiences, that happen whilst you are asleep. It could also be a deception you experience whilst your semi-conscious which you have no control over. It could also be simply wish fulfillment. All these definitions relate to the play as the fairy characters are fantasy, lordly the humans experiences and granting them their wish fulfillments. I think Shakespeare thought of the notion o f a dream and from all these different ideas, dreamed up a story have all of them, perhaps it was his wish fulfillment or came from a dream he once had. Pucks weak and idle theme is anything but, approximately cultures such as the Chinese believe you shouldnt wake someone up whilst they are sleeping because their wondering soul would not have had metre to reunite with their body, this relates to the play as all the characters appear to be wondering around in their sleep, not actually realizing they are asleep. The Elizabethan audience would bet all the images of magic, love and freedom from the name Midsummer Nights Dream and would expect it to be a light hearted roma... ...king as if they were handmade using only plants. The fairies haircloth is all golden, long and full of ringlets underneath a headdress of flowers. Shakespeare managed to present ideas of dreaming brilliantly throughout the play. The lovers fell asleep in their dream, what do yo u dream when you fall asleep in a dream? Is dreaming reality, or reality dreaming? What does a blind person dream if they have seen cypher they wish for or want to aspire to? These questions are created from the play. This shows that Pucks final speech and this weak and idle theme, no more yielding than a dream is not a weak theme after all but something, if messed with can go very wrong or very right. This is illustrated by the mixing up of the love potions in Hoffmans film, something so harmful as love can create so much sadness and pain.