A Midsummer Night's Dream Order and Disorder
HUM 120
10 April 2013
Disorderly Order William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is often seen as a meta-drama, meaning that it is essentially a play about plays. There are several productions within the work, which give the play depth and essentially, layers. These layers allow for Shakespeare to provide inferences about order, which further develops A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a meta-drama. The first play-within-a-play is the interaction between the lovers in the forest, which may seem to be a chaotic and confusing situation at times. The second such play is the exchange that takes place between the mechanicals, which are attempting to preform a play for the soon-to-be newlywed couple, Hippolyta and Theseus. The third drama is the altercation between Oberon and Titania, the fairy royalties. All of these “mini-plays” are enclosed by the life of Theseus and Hippolyta. By examining the manner in which these plays-within-a-play occur, it is clear to see that the reoccurring theme of order and disorder contributes the to way A Midsummer Night’s Dream reflects upon itself as a work of art. This is mainly because throughout the play, social and natural order is disrupted and must restored prior to the conclusion of the play. As each individual drama takes place, a sense of disorder occurs, which is ultimately resolved in the conclusion of the play. If one or more of these plays-within-a-play did not occur, the conclusion would not be as perfectly settled.
It can be debated that the concept of order and disorder merely distracts from the way the plays-within-a play are arranged because it can be difficult to distinguish whether disorder is necessary to establish order or vise versa. Because of this incongruity between the two aspects, the theme of order and disorder may diffuse the overall concept of a meta-drama. For example, there is disorganization when Hermia decides that she cannot marry Demetrius, but must instead marry Lysander. Because this
10 April 2013
Disorderly Order William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is often seen as a meta-drama, meaning that it is essentially a play about plays. There are several productions within the work, which give the play depth and essentially, layers. These layers allow for Shakespeare to provide inferences about order, which further develops A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a meta-drama. The first play-within-a-play is the interaction between the lovers in the forest, which may seem to be a chaotic and confusing situation at times. The second such play is the exchange that takes place between the mechanicals, which are attempting to preform a play for the soon-to-be newlywed couple, Hippolyta and Theseus. The third drama is the altercation between Oberon and Titania, the fairy royalties. All of these “mini-plays” are enclosed by the life of Theseus and Hippolyta. By examining the manner in which these plays-within-a-play occur, it is clear to see that the reoccurring theme of order and disorder contributes the to way A Midsummer Night’s Dream reflects upon itself as a work of art. This is mainly because throughout the play, social and natural order is disrupted and must restored prior to the conclusion of the play. As each individual drama takes place, a sense of disorder occurs, which is ultimately resolved in the conclusion of the play. If one or more of these plays-within-a-play did not occur, the conclusion would not be as perfectly settled.
It can be debated that the concept of order and disorder merely distracts from the way the plays-within-a play are arranged because it can be difficult to distinguish whether disorder is necessary to establish order or vise versa. Because of this incongruity between the two aspects, the theme of order and disorder may diffuse the overall concept of a meta-drama. For example, there is disorganization when Hermia decides that she cannot marry Demetrius, but must instead marry Lysander. Because this