What Is The Archetype Of The Forest In A Midsummer Night's Dream
Lexi Richards
Ms. Volta
English 12H
October 26, 2015
The Mysterious Forest In the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare uses the archetype of a forest to show that society, love and gender roles do not always apply the way they are supposed to. Catherine Belsey states in her essay, “The Athenian court represents the world of reconciliation and rationality, of social institutions and communal order, while the wood outside Athens is the location of night and bewildering passions, a place of anarchy and anxiety, where behavior becomes unpredictable and individual identity is transformed” ( A Modern Perspective 189). This plays shows readers that in the forest gender roles are reversed and rules do not apply, revealing that society is a judgmental …show more content…
Hermia and Lysander run away into the forest together to escape Hermia’s planed marriage with Demetrius. When Helena, Hermia’s friend who loves Demetrius, tells of her plans, they both run into the forest after them. When a magic potion is placed upon Lysander’s eyes, he awakens and immediately loves Helena. Lysander exclaims, “Not Hermia, but Helena I love” (II, ii, 61). The roles of Hermia and Helena ae reversed, when Hermia is now left without a love. Before the four leave the forest, Robin says, “Every man shall take his own” (III, ii, 117). The lovers return to their original relationships. This is Shakespeare’s way of expressing how in the forest, or society, love is a mystery and can ruin and destroy exquisite things. Overall Shakespeare breaks away from communal order of gender roles inside the forest, when he reverses the power between Oberon and Titania and creates a love triangle due to a magical force. The archetype of the forest and its mystery allows Shakespeare to create a message that gender roles do not always play out the way society expects them to and reveals that with love come sacrifice and
Ms. Volta
English 12H
October 26, 2015
The Mysterious Forest In the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare uses the archetype of a forest to show that society, love and gender roles do not always apply the way they are supposed to. Catherine Belsey states in her essay, “The Athenian court represents the world of reconciliation and rationality, of social institutions and communal order, while the wood outside Athens is the location of night and bewildering passions, a place of anarchy and anxiety, where behavior becomes unpredictable and individual identity is transformed” ( A Modern Perspective 189). This plays shows readers that in the forest gender roles are reversed and rules do not apply, revealing that society is a judgmental …show more content…
Hermia and Lysander run away into the forest together to escape Hermia’s planed marriage with Demetrius. When Helena, Hermia’s friend who loves Demetrius, tells of her plans, they both run into the forest after them. When a magic potion is placed upon Lysander’s eyes, he awakens and immediately loves Helena. Lysander exclaims, “Not Hermia, but Helena I love” (II, ii, 61). The roles of Hermia and Helena ae reversed, when Hermia is now left without a love. Before the four leave the forest, Robin says, “Every man shall take his own” (III, ii, 117). The lovers return to their original relationships. This is Shakespeare’s way of expressing how in the forest, or society, love is a mystery and can ruin and destroy exquisite things. Overall Shakespeare breaks away from communal order of gender roles inside the forest, when he reverses the power between Oberon and Titania and creates a love triangle due to a magical force. The archetype of the forest and its mystery allows Shakespeare to create a message that gender roles do not always play out the way society expects them to and reveals that with love come sacrifice and