Descriptive Language In A Midsummer Night's Dream
Demetrius’s Dream One of Shakespeare’s major theme in A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the analogy that love is like being in a dream; mystical, unexplainable and changeable. This can be seen in Act 3 scene 2 lines 140 through 147, where Demetrious describes Helena’s beauty and perfection after being drugged with Cupid’s flower by Oberon, the Fairy King. Through the usage of unique language and context Shakespeare is able to penetrate the imagery of Demetrious’s love to enforce this theme throughout the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The use of descriptive language, through Demetrious, enhances the theme of love being like a dream. In lines 142 and 143 of Act 3 scene 2, Demetrious exults that Helena’s lips are compared to ripe cherries and her
skin to pure snow. The descriptive language in this passage allows the audience a further understanding that this is a new but well blossomed love that is ripe for the taking. Demetrious goes on to compare her beauty to the fresh snow on an Asian mountain. “That pure congealed white, High Taurus’ snow, Fanned with the eastern wind, turns the crow” (3.2 144-145). The description enhances the sense that Demetrius is just waking from a dream of purity and enchantment to find these aspects in the loving of Helena. Demetrious himself changes after Oberon anoints his eyes with Cupid’s flower, his language becomes poetry, beautifully detailed, and dream like. A stark difference from his earlier abusive words, this change in language allows for a deeper understanding of Demetrious’s changed heart. By expanding the language of Demetrious in his love for Helena Shakespeare intensifies the mystical, unexplainable, and ever-changing qualities that both love and dreaming share.
The use of context in this play allows the audience a deeper understanding to what is happening within the characters. As soon a Demetrious is woken from his drugged sleep and hears Helena’s voice, which at the time is scolding and not very lovable, he begins to describe her; “O, Helen, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine” (3.2 140) By using the context of goddess, nymph, and Helen, (the shortened name of Helena) a nod to the Trojan Queen Helen that legendarily launched a thousand ships to steal her back to Sparta, Demetrious shows how deeply he admires her beauty. Thus comparing Helena to the greatest beauties and legendary lovers all being mystical, mythical, and perfect and further installing that to love is to dream. To love fully and truly is for everything to be possible, mystical, and “perfect, divine” (3.2 140).
A theme of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is that love is as mystical, unexplainable, and ever-changing as dreaming, implying that love maybe a form a dreaming. Shakespeare uses description and context to interlace the theme throughout the play, allowing for mystical and whimsical imagery.
The use of descriptive language, through Demetrious, enhances the theme of love being like a dream. In lines 142 and 143 of Act 3 scene 2, Demetrious exults that Helena’s lips are compared to ripe cherries and her
skin to pure snow. The descriptive language in this passage allows the audience a further understanding that this is a new but well blossomed love that is ripe for the taking. Demetrious goes on to compare her beauty to the fresh snow on an Asian mountain. “That pure congealed white, High Taurus’ snow, Fanned with the eastern wind, turns the crow” (3.2 144-145). The description enhances the sense that Demetrius is just waking from a dream of purity and enchantment to find these aspects in the loving of Helena. Demetrious himself changes after Oberon anoints his eyes with Cupid’s flower, his language becomes poetry, beautifully detailed, and dream like. A stark difference from his earlier abusive words, this change in language allows for a deeper understanding of Demetrious’s changed heart. By expanding the language of Demetrious in his love for Helena Shakespeare intensifies the mystical, unexplainable, and ever-changing qualities that both love and dreaming share.
The use of context in this play allows the audience a deeper understanding to what is happening within the characters. As soon a Demetrious is woken from his drugged sleep and hears Helena’s voice, which at the time is scolding and not very lovable, he begins to describe her; “O, Helen, goddess, nymph, perfect, divine” (3.2 140) By using the context of goddess, nymph, and Helen, (the shortened name of Helena) a nod to the Trojan Queen Helen that legendarily launched a thousand ships to steal her back to Sparta, Demetrious shows how deeply he admires her beauty. Thus comparing Helena to the greatest beauties and legendary lovers all being mystical, mythical, and perfect and further installing that to love is to dream. To love fully and truly is for everything to be possible, mystical, and “perfect, divine” (3.2 140).
A theme of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is that love is as mystical, unexplainable, and ever-changing as dreaming, implying that love maybe a form a dreaming. Shakespeare uses description and context to interlace the theme throughout the play, allowing for mystical and whimsical imagery.