sociology
Comedic Devices - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Challenger/English 2 R/CP/H
In your reading of A Midsummer Night's Dream, as well as in class, you have been exploring how Shakespeare creates humor. We may have acted out some scenes or specific lines, and have begun to analyze passages in order to expand upon your knowledge of what makes the play funny and why.
As you begin reading Act V, you should continue to think about what comedic devices Shakespeare uses. Below is a list of comedic devices, their definitions, and examples of each from the text. After the comedic elements, we’ve also provided information on other terms we’ve already covered.
Familiarize yourself with these terms; they will help you understand the comedic elements of the play, will help you deepen your reading of the play, and will prepare you for the final assessment.
Verbal Irony - Occurs when the actual meaning is different from the stated meaning.
TITANIA
Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.
Dramatic Irony - Occurs when the reader knows something about present or future circumstances that the character in the story does not know.
QUINCE
Bless thee, Bottom, bless thee! Thou art translated!
He exits.
BOTTOM
I see their knavery. This is to make an ass of me, to fright me, if they could.
Situational Irony - Occurs when the outcome of the story turns out to be different from what the audience expected.
LYSANDER
In Hermia’s love I yield you up my part.
And yours of Helena to me bequeath . . . “
Oxymoron - Occurs when words, terms, or expressions appear to be self-contradicting.
In Act V, scene I, you’ll see Theseus reading the following from a description provided by the actors:
"A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus
And his love Thisby; very tragical mirth.'
Merry and tragical! tedious and brief!
That is hot ice and wondrous strange snow."
Incongruity – The interaction between two things that are not compatible.
Juxtaposition – placing two
Challenger/English 2 R/CP/H
In your reading of A Midsummer Night's Dream, as well as in class, you have been exploring how Shakespeare creates humor. We may have acted out some scenes or specific lines, and have begun to analyze passages in order to expand upon your knowledge of what makes the play funny and why.
As you begin reading Act V, you should continue to think about what comedic devices Shakespeare uses. Below is a list of comedic devices, their definitions, and examples of each from the text. After the comedic elements, we’ve also provided information on other terms we’ve already covered.
Familiarize yourself with these terms; they will help you understand the comedic elements of the play, will help you deepen your reading of the play, and will prepare you for the final assessment.
Verbal Irony - Occurs when the actual meaning is different from the stated meaning.
TITANIA
Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.
Dramatic Irony - Occurs when the reader knows something about present or future circumstances that the character in the story does not know.
QUINCE
Bless thee, Bottom, bless thee! Thou art translated!
He exits.
BOTTOM
I see their knavery. This is to make an ass of me, to fright me, if they could.
Situational Irony - Occurs when the outcome of the story turns out to be different from what the audience expected.
LYSANDER
In Hermia’s love I yield you up my part.
And yours of Helena to me bequeath . . . “
Oxymoron - Occurs when words, terms, or expressions appear to be self-contradicting.
In Act V, scene I, you’ll see Theseus reading the following from a description provided by the actors:
"A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus
And his love Thisby; very tragical mirth.'
Merry and tragical! tedious and brief!
That is hot ice and wondrous strange snow."
Incongruity – The interaction between two things that are not compatible.
Juxtaposition – placing two