“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.” F. Scott Fitzgerald
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Features of language in A Midsummer Night's Dream
Share the paragraph you wrote with your group explaining the effects of the feature you chose. Don't forget to write the names of the members of your group. Feel free to comment on other groups' ideas. Due by Monday, June 6th.
In A Midsummer Night's Dream, sounds are often used and create different effects. In Act III.1.89, after having transformed Bottom into an “ass”, Puck delivers a speech full of consonances in [b], [h], [r] and [n], adding on to the lexical field of wild animals. In particular, the consonance in [b] present in words such as “bog”, “bush”, “brake” and “briar” line 89 contributes in creating an atmosphere of wilderness and an impression of violence. Moreover, consonances in [h] in “horse”, “hound”, “hog” and “headless” (lines 90-91) add an exhilarating aspect to Puck's natural world. These consonances accumulate to make Puck's speech more and more striking and somehow threatening. In a different way, in the first scene of act IV, Bottom's speech and its alliterations contribute to the humorous atmosphere of the mechanicals' play. Thus, Bottom uses harsh sounds such as [d] and [k] to make Pyramus's speech more tragic, unintentionally emphasizing the comical aspect by being over-the-top or by using words that don't belong in tragedy to make those sounds. This can be seen in line 265, when Bottom exclaims “O dainty duck, O dear !”. Additionally, the end of his speech is particularly striking in its excess in [k] alliteration with the words “quail, crush, conclude” and “quell”, making Bottom look even more ridiculous, and adding on to the light, humorous atmosphere. Consequently, Shakespeare creates through sounds different effects on the audience form concern and confusion to amusement. This truly contributes to the complexity of the play.
A rhetorical question is a question asked by a character who does not expect an answer in order to create a dramatic effect. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, rhetorical questions are used in scenes of tension. A good example of this comes when Hermia, in act III scene 2, asks: “Am I not Hermia? Are not you Lysander?”. This absurd question is a striking way to convey her despair. Everything she knew is now put into question. Moreover, rhetorical questions are used by Shakespeare to explore the themes of power and conflict. On the one hand, Oberon uses rhetorical questions to amplify his sway over Titania and the fairy world. On the other hand, Hermia, who has lost everything, uses them to regain her power. On the contrary, the mechanicals constantly ask non-rhetorical questions, suggesting that they are not seeking power and allowing Shakespeare to make a reflection on social classes. On the whole, rhetorical questions are mostly used by the lovers to whom the simplest things are no longer reliable because of Oberon and Puck. Rhetorical questions are thus related to illusion. On a dramatic level, rhetorical questions can allow a break in the rhythm. It can entail either a silence or a quick reaction because the nature of a rhetorical question is, in itself, surprising. That break in the rhythm can stress a particular word, emotion or idea. For example, in act IV scene 1, Demetrius wonders if he is “awake” even though he already knows the answer. It thus arouses a reflection about the different levels of dream and illusion in the play.
In a Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakepeare uses malapropism in order to reinforce the comic aspect of the play. Indeed, as the mechanicals embody this feature of language, a stricking example is the quotation of Bottom in act one scene two: 'I will aggravate my voice so that I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove'. This comparison between a dove and a lion is absurd and depicts Bottom's desire to appear well well-educated by making poetic references. Moreover, he misemploys 'sucking' for 'sithing', usually associated with lambs, whereas 'sithing' is associated with a dove which means gentle and inocent. As a matter of fact, we can definitely not compare a lion to a dove, which make Bottom appear really dumb. Furthermore, he also misuses the verb 'aggravate' when actually meaning 'moderate'. This therefore changes the whole meaning of the sentence. It shows Bottom's imbecility so that the readers/ audiance would laugh at him. Thus, Shakespeare's use of malapropism enhences the comic effect of the play in the contrast it brings after the tensions of the beginning of the play, which sound quit tragic at first. That feature of language brings comic relief to the play A Midsummer Night's Dream. Olivia - Emma S. - Vanille - Anaïs
In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, one can notice several echoes, at the level of the play as a whole, inviting the reader to draw links between scenes or characters or within a dialogue, developing characterization. One interesting example of this is the repetition of the word “visions” throughout the play. This peculiarity of language is most apparent in act IV scene when Bottom claims that “[he] ha[s] had a most rare vision” (l.200) and in Puck’s final soliloquy (V, 1) when he invites the audience to imagine that they “slumbered here/ While these visions did appear”. This particular choice of word, opposed to the often used “dream” encourages the audience to associate these two characters. Provided that Bottom is the only human who can see the fairies and that Puck is able to meddle with human lives through magic, they can be considered as linking devices between the potlines. Furthermore, “visions” connotates a higher level of awareness than dreams and it applies only to Bottom and the audience, adding a sense of uniqueness to those two entities as they can see beyond the illusion. Other than broad echoes, we can notice repetitions within scenes. A significant example of this comes in I, 1 when Helena and Hermia argue about the former’s love struggle with the repetition of the word “fair” four times by Helena after Hermia only used it once. Similarly, she picks on Hermia’s ideas when she says “The more I love, the more he hateth me”, reusing the exact same structure as Hermia and thus creating a chiasmus. This might convey Helena’s will to resemble Hermia, through her language as through her looks due to a lack of confidence and personality. Repetitions are thus important elements to consider while studying language in Shakespeare’s works as they tend to provide informations on the themes and on characters which help the audience grasp the key ideas of the play. *Esteban*Emma*Augustin*Julie*
In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare uses parallelism - a literary device wherein two lines or parts of lines are linked through similar grammatical or rhetorical construction - for manifold purposes. It may be used to develop relationships between characters, either to emphasise contrast between them or similarities. This is often specific to Helena, as when she replies to Hermia’s “The more I hate, the more he follows me”, “The more I love, the more he hateth me” on lines I.1.198-9. This use of very similar grammatical structure develops at once Hermia’s relationship with Helena, Hermia’s with Demetrius, and Helena’s with Demetrius. Parallelism also allows her to play on the other characters’ words, for example when she turns Demetrius’ being “sick when [he does] look on [her]” into her “being sick when [she] look[s] not on [him]”. However, parallelism may not only link characters, but also ideas within a single character’s speech. Once again Helena presents us with a very good example of this, when she states in Act II Scene 1 lines 241-242 that “[Women] may not fight for love, as men may do; / [They] should be wooed, and were not made to woo”. The parallelism used reinforces Helena’s arguments and give them a powerful and memorable aspect here. Finally, parallelism, especially when it is used by the mechanicals, adds to the comic dimension of the play. For instance, in act 5 scene 1 lines 277 and 278, Bottom, playing Pyramus, mourns Thisbe, saying that she “was the fairest dame/ That lived, that loved that liked, that looked with cheer”. While it was meant by the Mechanicals to inspire pity from the audience and to be a solemn and tragic part of the scene, this parallelism seems exaggerated. Indeed, parallelisms are often used to reinforce ideas but here the vocabulary is too simple and the repetition of ‘that’ so many times makes the overall effect of this passage too heavy and thus comical as Bottom’s use of language is ridiculous. Parallelism is therefore a key feature of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as its binary nature reflects the way the play can be seen both as separating and as bringing together (whether it be ideas, characters or even whole worlds). It can be used either to amplify the comedy or to add to the dramatic tension, reminding the reader of the ambivalence that pervades the entire work.
In his play A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare uses rhymes as an important feature of language. First of all, rhymes can be used to define the social classes. In fact, as the mechanicals speak in prose, they don't use rhymes at all and this reinforces their spontaneity and the fact that they speak naturally and with honesty. On the contrary, the fairies and Puck always use rhymes which could suggest superficiality or something less trustworthy in their language. It also creates an atmosphere for the fairy world as rhymes add musicality and beauty to language. Also, Shakespeare uses rhyming couplets for important characters as Oberon, representing authority, or for important events. For example, Helena's soliloquy, turning point of act 1, is written in rhyming couplets and her last lines are very serious and almost tragic: "But herein mean I to enrich my pain,/ To have his sight thither and back again." The rhyme between "pain" and "again" highlights Helena's feelings and adds seriousness in her decision about denouncing the lovers. Finally, shared rhymes are used to show a relationship between two characters. Shakespeare uses shared rhymes in act 2, when Helena is having a conversation with Hermia about Demetrius. This highlights their friendship and their strong links but also emphasizes their differences as Helena compares herself to Hermia. As the play is mostly written in verse, Shakespeare plays with rhyme and the absence of rhyme to create an athmosphere or to deepen characterization.
In Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, shared lines are omnipresent and can have multiple purposes. This is most apparent in act II scene 1 when Titania and Oberon are quarrelling about the changeling boy. Indeed, the line in iambic pentameter is shared between the two fairy rulers to convey the idea that Titania is taking over the argument and to build up the tension between them. Furthermore, shared lines can also accelerate the pace, such as in act II scene 1 when Puck goes to find the flower he screams he’ll go around the earth “In forty minutes!” and Oberon completes this line with “Having once this juice”. Without actually having the flower, Oberon starts to think about what he’ll do with it, this accelerates the situation and makes the idea seem clearer and more precise. Moreover, shared lines can show the love between two characters. This can be seen in act I scene 1 when Lysander tells Hermia “[At his aunt’s house he will] stay for thee” and Hermia replies “My good Lysander”. This split line shared between the two lovers Hermia and Lysander shows the passion they feel for one another and strengthens their relationship. To conclude, shared lines are used in Shakespeare’s play in order to emphasize the tone and atmosphere of a conversation between two characters, show their relationship and accelerate the pace.
Ninon Metin, Eva Heijnen, Charles Bayou, Kavi Ashta
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In A Midsummer Night's Dream, sounds are often used and create different effects. In Act III.1.89, after having transformed Bottom into an “ass”, Puck delivers a speech full of consonances in [b], [h], [r] and [n], adding on to the lexical field of wild animals. In particular, the consonance in [b] present in words such as “bog”, “bush”, “brake” and “briar” line 89 contributes in creating an atmosphere of wilderness and an impression of violence. Moreover, consonances in [h] in “horse”, “hound”, “hog” and “headless” (lines 90-91) add an exhilarating aspect to Puck's natural world. These consonances accumulate to make Puck's speech more and more striking and somehow threatening. In a different way, in the first scene of act IV, Bottom's speech and its alliterations contribute to the humorous atmosphere of the mechanicals' play. Thus, Bottom uses harsh sounds such as [d] and [k] to make Pyramus's speech more tragic, unintentionally emphasizing the comical aspect by being over-the-top or by using words that don't belong in tragedy to make those sounds. This can be seen in line 265, when Bottom exclaims “O dainty duck, O dear !”. Additionally, the end of his speech is particularly striking in its excess in [k] alliteration with the words “quail, crush, conclude” and “quell”, making Bottom look even more ridiculous, and adding on to the light, humorous atmosphere. Consequently, Shakespeare creates through sounds different effects on the audience form concern and confusion to amusement. This truly contributes to the complexity of the play.
ReplyDeleteAlice and Maëlys
(I believe the "form" at the end is a typo and that it was meant to be a "from")
DeleteA rhetorical question is a question asked by a character who does not expect an answer in order to create a dramatic effect. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, rhetorical questions are used in scenes of tension. A good example of this comes when Hermia, in act III scene 2, asks: “Am I not Hermia? Are not you Lysander?”. This absurd question is a striking way to convey her despair. Everything she knew is now put into question. Moreover, rhetorical questions are used by Shakespeare to explore the themes of power and conflict. On the one hand, Oberon uses rhetorical questions to amplify his sway over Titania and the fairy world. On the other hand, Hermia, who has lost everything, uses them to regain her power. On the contrary, the mechanicals constantly ask non-rhetorical questions, suggesting that they are not seeking power and allowing Shakespeare to make a reflection on social classes. On the whole, rhetorical questions are mostly used by the lovers to whom the simplest things are no longer reliable because of Oberon and Puck. Rhetorical questions are thus related to illusion. On a dramatic level, rhetorical questions can allow a break in the rhythm. It can entail either a silence or a quick reaction because the nature of a rhetorical question is, in itself, surprising. That break in the rhythm can stress a particular word, emotion or idea. For example, in act IV scene 1, Demetrius wonders if he is “awake” even though he already knows the answer. It thus arouses a reflection about the different levels of dream and illusion in the play.
ReplyDeleteChloé, Elisa, Jinte and Juliette
In a Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakepeare uses malapropism in order to reinforce the comic aspect of the play. Indeed, as the mechanicals embody this feature of language, a stricking example is the quotation of Bottom in act one scene two: 'I will aggravate my voice so that I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove'. This comparison between a dove and a lion is absurd and depicts Bottom's desire to appear well well-educated by making poetic references. Moreover, he misemploys 'sucking' for 'sithing', usually associated with lambs, whereas 'sithing' is associated with a dove which means gentle and inocent. As a matter of fact, we can definitely not compare a lion to a dove, which make Bottom appear really dumb.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, he also misuses the verb 'aggravate' when actually meaning 'moderate'. This therefore changes the whole meaning of the sentence. It shows Bottom's imbecility so that the readers/ audiance would laugh at him.
Thus, Shakespeare's use of malapropism enhences the comic effect of the play in the contrast it brings after the tensions of the beginning of the play, which sound quit tragic at first. That feature of language brings comic relief to the play A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Olivia - Emma S. - Vanille - Anaïs
In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, one can notice several echoes, at the level of the play as a whole, inviting the reader to draw links between scenes or characters or within a dialogue, developing characterization. One interesting example of this is the repetition of the word “visions” throughout the play. This peculiarity of language is most apparent in act IV scene when Bottom claims that “[he] ha[s] had a most rare vision” (l.200) and in Puck’s final soliloquy (V, 1) when he invites the audience to imagine that they “slumbered here/ While these visions did appear”. This particular choice of word, opposed to the often used “dream” encourages the audience to associate these two characters. Provided that Bottom is the only human who can see the fairies and that Puck is able to meddle with human lives through magic, they can be considered as linking devices between the potlines. Furthermore, “visions” connotates a higher level of awareness than dreams and it applies only to Bottom and the audience, adding a sense of uniqueness to those two entities as they can see beyond the illusion. Other than broad echoes, we can notice repetitions within scenes. A significant example of this comes in I, 1 when Helena and Hermia argue about the former’s love struggle with the repetition of the word “fair” four times by Helena after Hermia only used it once. Similarly, she picks on Hermia’s ideas when she says “The more I love, the more he hateth me”, reusing the exact same structure as Hermia and thus creating a chiasmus. This might convey Helena’s will to resemble Hermia, through her language as through her looks due to a lack of confidence and personality. Repetitions are thus important elements to consider while studying language in Shakespeare’s works as they tend to provide informations on the themes and on characters which help the audience grasp the key ideas of the play.
ReplyDelete*Esteban*Emma*Augustin*Julie*
In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare uses parallelism - a literary device wherein two lines or parts of lines are linked through similar grammatical or rhetorical construction - for manifold purposes. It may be used to develop relationships between characters, either to emphasise contrast between them or similarities. This is often specific to Helena, as when she replies to Hermia’s “The more I hate, the more he follows me”, “The more I love, the more he hateth me” on lines I.1.198-9. This use of very similar grammatical structure develops at once Hermia’s relationship with Helena, Hermia’s with Demetrius, and Helena’s with Demetrius. Parallelism also allows her to play on the other characters’ words, for example when she turns Demetrius’ being “sick when [he does] look on [her]” into her “being sick when [she] look[s] not on [him]”. However, parallelism may not only link characters, but also ideas within a single character’s speech. Once again Helena presents us with a very good example of this, when she states in Act II Scene 1 lines 241-242 that “[Women] may not fight for love, as men may do; / [They] should be wooed, and were not made to woo”. The parallelism used reinforces Helena’s arguments and give them a powerful and memorable aspect here. Finally, parallelism, especially when it is used by the mechanicals, adds to the comic dimension of the play. For instance, in act 5 scene 1 lines 277 and 278, Bottom, playing Pyramus, mourns Thisbe, saying that she “was the fairest dame/ That lived, that loved that liked, that looked with cheer”. While it was meant by the Mechanicals to inspire pity from the audience and to be a solemn and tragic part of the scene, this parallelism seems exaggerated. Indeed, parallelisms are often used to reinforce ideas but here the vocabulary is too simple and the repetition of ‘that’ so many times makes the overall effect of this passage too heavy and thus comical as Bottom’s use of language is ridiculous. Parallelism is therefore a key feature of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as its binary nature reflects the way the play can be seen both as separating and as bringing together (whether it be ideas, characters or even whole worlds). It can be used either to amplify the comedy or to add to the dramatic tension, reminding the reader of the ambivalence that pervades the entire work.
ReplyDeleteSophia, Ambre, Ondine and Tom
In his play A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare uses rhymes as an important feature of language.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, rhymes can be used to define the social classes. In fact, as the mechanicals speak in prose, they don't use rhymes at all and this reinforces their spontaneity and the fact that they speak naturally and with honesty. On the contrary, the fairies and Puck always use rhymes which could suggest superficiality or something less trustworthy in their language. It also creates an atmosphere for the fairy world as rhymes add musicality and beauty to language.
Also, Shakespeare uses rhyming couplets for important characters as Oberon, representing authority, or for important events. For example, Helena's soliloquy, turning point of act 1, is written in rhyming couplets and her last lines are very serious and almost tragic: "But herein mean I to enrich my pain,/ To have his sight thither and back again." The rhyme between "pain" and "again" highlights Helena's feelings and adds seriousness in her decision about denouncing the lovers.
Finally, shared rhymes are used to show a relationship between two characters. Shakespeare uses shared rhymes in act 2, when Helena is having a conversation with Hermia about Demetrius. This highlights their friendship and their strong links but also emphasizes their differences as Helena compares herself to Hermia.
As the play is mostly written in verse, Shakespeare plays with rhyme and the absence of rhyme to create an athmosphere or to deepen characterization.
Marie - Laure - Nathan - Pauline
In Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, shared lines are omnipresent and can have multiple purposes. This is most apparent in act II scene 1 when Titania and Oberon are quarrelling about the changeling boy. Indeed, the line in iambic pentameter is shared between the two fairy rulers to convey the idea that Titania is taking over the argument and to build up the tension between them. Furthermore, shared lines can also accelerate the pace, such as in act II scene 1 when Puck goes to find the flower he screams he’ll go around the earth “In forty minutes!” and Oberon completes this line with “Having once this juice”. Without actually having the flower, Oberon starts to think about what he’ll do with it, this accelerates the situation and makes the idea seem clearer and more precise. Moreover, shared lines can show the love between two characters. This can be seen in act I scene 1 when Lysander tells Hermia “[At his aunt’s house he will] stay for thee” and Hermia replies “My good Lysander”. This split line shared between the two lovers Hermia and Lysander shows the passion they feel for one another and strengthens their relationship. To conclude, shared lines are used in Shakespeare’s play in order to emphasize the tone and atmosphere of a conversation between two characters, show their relationship and accelerate the pace.
ReplyDeleteNinon Metin, Eva Heijnen, Charles Bayou, Kavi Ashta
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