Supernatural Elements in Shakespeare's

The Flower Juice

Ironies of Supernatural

The main catalyst in the play is the capability for the Oberon and Puck to control the love and tendencies of the four young lovers. If the fairies could not control these situations, including the love between Titana and Bottom, then there would be no real rising action throughout the play. Unlike many other of Shakespeare's plays, he is not only relying on human behavior to create tension and plot, but a heavy importance on the supernatural world to create action.

There are some ideas that are ironic throughout the play including the inclusion of the characters Wall and Moonshine in the play within the play. This lower class acting, as in the need for these characters, shows how the supernatural realm does not come into the human world all of the way. It is an important feature when describing the supernatural elements, to show how Shakespeare's characters were not aware/in control of these elements in relation to the audience and readers awareness of it.

Is this a Problem?

I wonder if audience members were in a confusion or upheaval at all of the uses of the supernatural and unreal aspects of the play. In a very religious and strict time period, it is easy to understand that magic can be seen as dangerous and evil. So, was this play controversial? One can wonder!

Supernatural elements are the driving force of the entire play!

Supernatural Elements in Shakespeare's

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Unlike many other Shakespearean works, A Midsummer Night's Dream has a plot that is entirely driven by outside supernatural elements. The use of these elements represents many features throughout the play that relate to societal views on aspects of normal life.

Class Jumping

Myth and Tales

We can see that the supernatural elements may be a mock gesture at how society views class jumping, or the advancing in a social structure

Nick Bottom

The rest of the company

As we know Shakespeare was always one for taking stories and making them his own creation. This play, even with the overwhelming amount of supernatural effects, was not something totally new. He took many myths and fairy tales for the basis of the supernatural realm within his play. Although he changes many aspects of these myths and never borrows actual lines from them, the outlines of the stories show that they were actually from societal myths and fairy tales.

A character who is the total ideal of class jumping as being a inappropriate.

Not only does he try and raise up in the human world, but because of the supernatural realm, also gets a taste of the fairy world of royalty.

Not only does he not deserve it, but he is unaware that he is making an ass of himself (If you catch the pun).

The rest of the men working on the play for the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta are seen as ignorant souls who are so unaware of the realm which they live in to understand or be really aware of the supernatural influences. The addition of the prologue in their play shows how they have fears of the upper class and do not wish to scare the upper women of society. The gross exaggeration shows how little they understand the emotions of humans