Magic
The motif of magic is present throughout A Midsummer Night's Dream. This motif is wielded by the fairies and plays a large role in relationships within the play, most notably, the four lovers and the fairy king and queen. Magic most affects the themes of love being complicated or difficult, things are not always what they seem, nothing going as planned and true love always prevailing, which can be seen in both the lovers plot and the fairy plot.
" Fetch me that flower, the herb that I showed thee once; the juice of it on sleeping eyelids laid will make or man or woman madly dote upon the next live creature that it sees."
Within A Midsummer Night's Dream magic plays huge role as a motif, and at the heart of magic is the flower discussed in the quote above. This flower can make people fall in love with other, and as a result of its magic, turmoil follows it. The flower is used within the four lovers throwing them into chaos, and the flower is also used as a means for revenge by Oberon. This little flower causes a lot of trouble in the play and helps magic as a motif.
" Fetch me that flower, the herb that I showed thee once; the juice of it on sleeping eyelids laid will make or man or woman madly dote upon the next live creature that it sees."
Within A Midsummer Night's Dream magic plays huge role as a motif, and at the heart of magic is the flower discussed in the quote above. This flower can make people fall in love with other, and as a result of its magic, turmoil follows it. The flower is used within the four lovers throwing them into chaos, and the flower is also used as a means for revenge by Oberon. This little flower causes a lot of trouble in the play and helps magic as a motif.
Dreams
The motif of dreams plays an important role in A Midsummer Night's Dream. It is used to describe things that the characters are unable to comprehend, such as the existence of magic. This motif is seen mostly in the characters who are affected by magic, but is also exhibited in Puck's parting speech. Dreams supports the themes of love being complicated and things not always being as they seem, and it plays a part in the lovers' plot, the fairy plot, and the workmen's plot.
"Help me Lysander help me! Do thy best to pluck this crawling serpent from my breast! Ay me for pity, what a dream was here?"
The motif of dreams is used in A Midsummer Night's Dream to describe the indescribable. In the case of the quote above, Hermia is trying to describe the immense pain caused by Lysander's love being stolen away, but dreams are used in other ways too. When characters are affected by magic, they wake up believing it was a dream. This is because they cannot comprehend the existence of magic, and so dismiss it. Dreams are a way to describe those things that are inexpressible.
"Help me Lysander help me! Do thy best to pluck this crawling serpent from my breast! Ay me for pity, what a dream was here?"
The motif of dreams is used in A Midsummer Night's Dream to describe the indescribable. In the case of the quote above, Hermia is trying to describe the immense pain caused by Lysander's love being stolen away, but dreams are used in other ways too. When characters are affected by magic, they wake up believing it was a dream. This is because they cannot comprehend the existence of magic, and so dismiss it. Dreams are a way to describe those things that are inexpressible.
Contrast
The motif of contrast can be seen in many places within A Midsummer Night's Dream. Shakespeare uses this motif to magnify differences in order to identify groups. This motif influences most of the characters in the play, but is most prevalent in the personalities of the four lovers. The theme of contrast affects the themes of love being complicated, things not always being what they seem, and love always prevailing, and it encompasses all of the plots within the play.
"Merry and tragical? Tedious and brief? That is hot ice and wondrous strange snow! How shall we find the concord of this discord?"
The theme of contrast is used as comedic relief as well, and this aspect of contrast can be seen within the workmen's plot. The quote above is a description of the workmen's play written by the workmen. It is the contrast of is description that catches the duke's eye as the description given uses antonyms to describe the same thing. This contrast adds comedy into the situation and lightens a more serious mood.
"Merry and tragical? Tedious and brief? That is hot ice and wondrous strange snow! How shall we find the concord of this discord?"
The theme of contrast is used as comedic relief as well, and this aspect of contrast can be seen within the workmen's plot. The quote above is a description of the workmen's play written by the workmen. It is the contrast of is description that catches the duke's eye as the description given uses antonyms to describe the same thing. This contrast adds comedy into the situation and lightens a more serious mood.
Women's Social Standing
The motif of women's social standing is more prevalent in the beginning of A Midsummer Night's Dream. It is used to create conflict within the relationships of the four lovers and the fairy King and Queen. This motif affects most of the female characters as men try to make their decisions for them. Women's social standing affects the themes of love being complicated or difficult most and nothing going was planned, and it affects the women in the lovers' plot as well as the fairy plot.
"Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex, we cannot fight for loves men may do!"
One motif I noticed was the of women's social standing. As said by Helena in the quote above, women at that time did not have the same freedom they do today. They were married off by there fathers and then thought of as a piece of property by their husbands. They rarely had any choice in who they married. This ownership of women can be seen in Hermia's relationship with her father, and Oberon's relationship with Titania. In each the man thinks he has rights over the women and this makes things harder for the women.
"Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex, we cannot fight for loves men may do!"
One motif I noticed was the of women's social standing. As said by Helena in the quote above, women at that time did not have the same freedom they do today. They were married off by there fathers and then thought of as a piece of property by their husbands. They rarely had any choice in who they married. This ownership of women can be seen in Hermia's relationship with her father, and Oberon's relationship with Titania. In each the man thinks he has rights over the women and this makes things harder for the women.