Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," shows the use of "play" to simultaneously disguise and transmit essential but unpalatable truths. ... In the first scene of act I, Shakespeare introduces us to the patriarchal world of the court. ... Perhaps the most concrete instance of the use of displacement in A Midsummer Night's Dream comes in the games played between Oberon and Titania. ... Through magically displacing Titania's interests from men to animals, Shakespeare is able to communicate multiple ideas about the nature of love in his social context. ... In Shakespeare&#...

• Word Count: 855
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

In Shakespearean terms, a fool is usually a commoner or a clever peasant that uses their skill and wit to out-do those of a higher social status, in that sense, they are historically accurate to the real fools of their time period, but Shakespeare usually portrays his fools as caricatures of their real-life counterparts for dramatic effect, for example; by giving the fool the ability to use magic, Shakespeare created extensive opportunities for distinct and memorable situations to unfold and entertain his audience. Puck and Bottom are both very dramatically effective fools in A Midsummer Night...

• Word Count: 975
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate