The Flower Motif

During the renaissance, many great works of literature were created due to the renewed interest in the classical Greek and Roman learning (The Middle Ages). For example, A Midsummer Night's Dream by, William Shakespeare, is a story of 4 lovers who get mixed up with Titania, Oberon, and Puck during the time of Duke Theseus and Hippolyta's wedding. The story begins with the argument between Hermia, Helena, Lysander, and Demetrius getting mixed up with Puck's love potion. Then, the play ends with the wedding and a play preformed by the rude mechanicals. Moreover, the use of the flower motif is significant, because it helps develop the theme of love in the play.

In the play, Shakespeare mentions a variety of flowers and plants. Upon researching them, you find that some have further meaning that connects to the play. For instance, the primrose, muskose, and honeysuckle all have to do with love. To illustrate, the primrose was mentioned when Hermia says, "And in the wood where often you and I / Upon faint primroses beds were wont to lie" (1.1.219-20). According to Garden Guides, the primrose symbolizes "youth or young love, or mean 'I can't live without you'" (Garden Guides). This can connect with the play because young
Overall, Shakespeare is showing how love can be challenging and showing things you may experience in love. As he does this simultaneously, he creates a theme that can be summed up with Lysander's quote. Moreover, the flowers connect to the overall theme because the main flowers such as the primrose, muskrose, and honeysuckle show the path of love, whereas the other flowers show what may happen during that path. Shakespeare uses this to communicate to the audience that love is a complex and challenging thing that requires patience and understanding, which is still something we deal with