Imagery The Different Languages And Poetic Styles example essay topic

Throughout the play Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare has created many wonderful characters that all have their own distinct personalities. One will begin to see through imagery the different languages and poetic styles that are throughout the play. Helena and Puck are two character examples that Shakespeare created to present different types of imagery using different and similar language and poetic style. Helena is the lovesick, maiden. She is tall and fair, and until events conspire against her, she is madly in love with her cruel beloved, Demetrius.

Another, character that has a major role in this play is Puck. Puck is a mischievous elf that is unique unto himself. He tells us he loves ridiculous things best and he delights no end in the pranks he executes in this play. There is an assortment of imagery that is used throughout the play. Shakespeare uses metaphors and figures to portray imagery in this play.

He condenses into single lines wholes stores of past and possible experiences that the characters are experiencing. At the beginning of the play one finds Helena madly in love with Demetrius. She would do anything to be with him and here is where the language of imagery is first used. "Your tongue's sweet air.

More tuneable than lark to shepherd's ear. When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear". (Act I, Sc. 1,183) One can see the imagery that is present in this statement. One gets the idea of a woman who is madly in love with this mans voice and good looks.

This woman is Helena and she is using metaphors to explain the passion she has for Demetrius. Later in the play Helena again seen talking to Hermia about their past as childhood friends. Helena uses a metaphor to give the image of their past friendship. "Two lovely berries moulded on one stem". (Act, Sc. 2,211) Showing how faithful they used to be as friends growing up.

The character Puck uses metaphors to give an image of his mischievous nature when he mimicking Lysander. "Thou coward, art thou bragging to the stars, Telling the bushes that thou look " st for wars". (Act, Sc. 2,407-8) At the end of the play one finds Puck reflecting on the past events to where he uses the imagery of a dream in proposing the question that this all might have been a dream? "While these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme, No more yielding but a dream, Gentles, do not reprehend".

(Act. V, Sc. 1,396-9) With this statement from Puck one gets the sense of the comedic nature of Shakespeare, through his use of imagery, language and poetic style. Shakespeare utilizes language and poetic form to define the characters and differentiate among the various groups. The language style changes with each set of characters, with blank verse representing the rational, rhyme the irrational. In the court, the language style is predominantly blank verse, perhaps to suggest the voice of reason and rule.

As well as, one will see this blank verse happening among the conversation between Helena and Hermia and Lysander and Demetrius. Among the fairies, the language style tends to use both blank verse and rhyming couplets. Puck used rhyming couplets a lot; to describe what was going on with the love juice and to suggest the idea that this play might have been a dream. Also, the fairies are singing characters. They represent both the rational and the irrational. (Workbook Pg. 67) Therefore, the play Midsummer Night's Dream could be a dream or not a dream.

One does not know because of the imagery that Shakespeare has created in this play, which allows the reader to ponder the language and poetic style and come to ones own conclusions. Shakespeare has many wonderful characters that all have their own distinct personalities. Helena and Puck both used imagery as a way to communicate what they were feeling or thinking. They also, had their own distinct language and poetic style that helped develop their character.