Comparing A Midsummer Nights Dream and Romeo and Juliet...

Although many Shakespearean plays are very similar to one another, two stand out from the rest as sharing a great deal in common. Specific, solid parallels can be drawn between Shakespeares plays A Midsummer Nights Dream and Romeo and Juliet. The themes and characters are remarkably similar in many aspects. Firstly, both plays highlight the stereotypical young lovers - Hermia and Lysander in A Midsummer Nights Dream and Romeo and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. Secondly, both plays are very ambiguously categorized. By this I mean that each could have been a tragedy just as easily as a drama (with a few minor modifications). By definition, a tragic play is a play in which the main character has a fatal flaw that leads to†¦show more content†¦It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden. She feels that because they have just met, they should abstain from vaginal penetration of any type. Hermia is also young, and prudent. When Lysander suggests that One turf shall serve as a pillow for both of us, One heart, one bed, two bosoms, and one troth, Hermia replies Nay, good Lysander. For my sake, my dear, Lie further off yet; do not lie so near. Although this couple has known each other for a while (Romeo and Juliet knew each other for one night when the above quote was spoken), Hermia also abstains from even sleeping near Lysander even though she believes he does not have impure intentions. Romeos and Juliets families are feuding. Because of these feuds, their own parents will not allow the lovers to see each other. In the a differnet way Hermia is not allowed to marry Lysander. Hermias father Egeus says to Theseus, Duke of Athens, Full of vexation come I, with complaint Against my child, my daughter Hermia. Stand fourth, Demetrius. My noble lord, This man hath my consent to marry her. Stand forth, Lysander. And, my gracious Duke, This man hath bewitched the bosom of my child. Egeus tells the Duke that his daughter can marry Demetrius, not Lysander. Hermia replies . . . If I refuse to wed Demetrius, Egeus replies Either toShow MoreRelated A Comparison of A Midsummer Nights Dream and Romeo and Juliet992 Words   |  4 PagesParallel Themes and Characters in A Midsummer Nights Dreamnbsp;and Romeo and Julietnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Certain parallels can be drawn between William Shakespeares plays, A Midsummer Nights Dream, and Romeo and Juliet. These parallels concern themes and prototypical Shakespearian character types. Both plays have a distinct pair of lovers, Hermia and Lysander, and Romeo and Juliet, respectively. Both plays could have also easily been tragedy or comedy with a few simple changesRead MoreComparing Differnet Acts of Shakespearian Plays: Romeo and Juliet and Midsummer Night ´s Dream564 Words   |  3 Pagesof Romeo and Juliet and Midsummer Night’s Dream they both were written by William Shakespeare and they both have lovers. Even though they have these similarities the things that will be focused on comparing are Acts 1-3 in Romeo and Juliet and Midsummer Night’s Dream. The First thing being compared in the two stories will be Act 1. In Act 1 of Romeo and Juliet the play starts with a bloody brawl and ends with two lovers meeting at a party, while on the other hand Midsummer Night’s Dream startsRead More The Nature of Love Explored in A Midsummer Nights Dream1563 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"The course of true love never did run smooth,† comments Lysander of love’s complications in an exchange with Hermia (Shakespeare I.i.136). Although the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream certainly deals with the difficulty of romance, it is not considered a true love story like Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare, as he unfolds the story, intentionally distances the audience from the emotions of the characters so he can caricature the anguish and burdens endured by the lovers. Through his masterful useRead More Uncovering Worth Unknown: The Constancy of Love in Sonnet 1162370 Words   |  10 Pagescareer in 1592 when Henry VI was first p roduced and performed (Branam). Most notably writing plays such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare wrote thirty-seven plays altogether, according to general consensus (Gibson). Also notable, though, were his sonnets. Shakespeare began writing his sonnets at approximately the same time as his completion of Romeo and Juliet. One such sonnet is Sonnet 116, or â€Å"Let me not to the marriage of true minds,† which is found in the â€Å"FairRead MoreA Midsummer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare Essay2727 Words   |  11 PagesA Midsummer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare The Course Of True Love Never Did Run Smoothà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Explain how Shakespeare demonstrates this concept of love in the play. Shakespeare often used his plays to explore different feelings and emotions. 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While Shakespeare was creating more romantic and positive tragedies and comedies during the Elizabethan era(such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo and Juliet), during the early 17th century, the Jacobean era, Shakespeare began writing darker tragedies such as Hamlet, Othello, and Macbeth. Shakespeare’s writing in the Jacobean era were more about how persuasive corruption can ruin a hero