A Midsummer Night's Dream

Here's a Sparknotes summary of A Midsummer Night's Dream

By now we all have read work from William Shakespeare, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. One work of his that has stuck out is A Midsummer Night's Dream. This play is a perfect example of a romantic comedy, introducing young lovers who fall in and out of love for a fleeting moment. Their real world problems are solved magically, enemies reconcile, and true lovers reunite in the end. The function of comedy is to entertain the audience, while also portraying social institutions and persons as corrupt, and mock them through satirizing, parodying, and poking fun at their debauchery. Plays are primarily concerned with idealized love affairs, it is a fact that love never goes smoothly; however true love can overcome difficulties and end with a happy union.

While the Shakespearean comedy is romantic, it mixes the light and the serious. Follies are exposed and ridiculed, but the laughter is gentile and sympathetic. We laugh with the people and not at them. Romantic love is the theme of this play, naturally this comedy was a story of love ending in marriage. The whole atmosphere of this comedy is filled with love. One line that really sticks out across the whole play and that embodies the overall message is "the course of true love never did run smooth" spoken by Lysander from the opening scene in act 1.

Comedy, specifically this kind of romantic comedy, is very meaningful. Nowadays most of us view comedy as a vehicle to only entertain, not teach. But Shakespeare's comedy introduces a universal truth that surpasses time. The truth that "the course of true love never did run smooth" is a part of every intimate relationship we will experience in our life. The play teaches us that though true love may not go the way we intended, it will (hopefully!) end with a happy ending. It also teaches us that you cannot take love too seriously, it requires the balance between comedy and honesty. Although this may seem cheesy, this is something that is relevant to all our lives, present and future.