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Definition of Motif
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the central themes of a book... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of... read full definition
Act 1, scene 1
Explanation and Analysis—The Moon:
The moon is a recurring motif in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It has a powerful effect on lovers and fairies alike, and it characterizes the forest atmosphere, making all sorts of love and mischief possible. In Act 1, Scene 1, Egeus uses the presence of moonlight to describe the illicit courtship between Lysander and his daughter Hermia. He means to demonize Lysander’s tactics and invokes the presence of moonlight as part of what allowed Lysander to steal Hermia’s affections from the suitor he chose for her. He says:
Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes
And interchanged love tokens with my child.
Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung
With feigning voice versus of feigning love
And stol’n the impression of her fantasy
In this passage, the moonlight takes on an association of forbidden, romantic meetings. It is the moonlight, in part, that brought Lysander and Hermia together. It served as a backdrop for the formation of their love; the moon is therefore a signifier of romance and secrecy. However, in the forest, the moon takes on additional layers of meaning. When Oberon and Titania—warring jealous lovers and rulers of the forest—encounter one another in Act 2, Scene 1, Oberon greets Titania by saying:
Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania.
His churlish greeting foreshadows the spirit of their interaction, but it also references the fact that Oberon and Titania are lovers. He says that he is not happy to see her by referencing the presence of the moon, which might, under different circumstances, create an atmosphere of love. This use of the moon as a motif is even referenced comedically by Quince. In Act 3, Scene 1, as he and his group of actors discuss how to create the proper setting for Pyramus and Thisbe to meet, they run into the problem of trying to create moonlight. Quince says:
Well, it shall be so. But there is two hard things: that is, to bring the moonlight into a chamber, for you know Pyramus and Thisbe meet by moonlight.
In this scene, Quince and his fellow actors understand that it's important to create the correct atmosphere when the lovers meet. Because they are putting on a play, they have to artificially create moonlight, whether through the use of a lamp or by opening a window and letting the moon shine through. This instance of artificial moonlight references the significance that moonlight has taken on in the play so far. Ultimately, the motif of the moon comes to stand for the secrecy and mystery of the forest at night, as well as the perfect backdrop for the meeting of lovers.
Related Themes:
Act 2, scene 1
Explanation and Analysis—The Moon:
The moon is a recurring motif in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It has a powerful effect on lovers and fairies alike, and it characterizes the forest atmosphere, making all sorts of love and mischief possible. In Act 1, Scene 1, Egeus uses the presence of moonlight to describe the illicit courtship between Lysander and his daughter Hermia. He means to demonize Lysander’s tactics and invokes the presence of moonlight as part of what allowed Lysander to steal Hermia’s affections from the suitor he chose for her. He says:
Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes
And interchanged love tokens with my child.
Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung
With feigning voice versus of feigning love
And stol’n the impression of her fantasy
In this passage, the moonlight takes on an association of forbidden, romantic meetings. It is the moonlight, in part, that brought Lysander and Hermia together. It served as a backdrop for the formation of their love; the moon is therefore a signifier of romance and secrecy. However, in the forest, the moon takes on additional layers of meaning. When Oberon and Titania—warring jealous lovers and rulers of the forest—encounter one another in Act 2, Scene 1, Oberon greets Titania by saying:
Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania.
His churlish greeting foreshadows the spirit of their interaction, but it also references the fact that Oberon and Titania are lovers. He says that he is not happy to see her by referencing the presence of the moon, which might, under different circumstances, create an atmosphere of love. This use of the moon as a motif is even referenced comedically by Quince. In Act 3, Scene 1, as he and his group of actors discuss how to create the proper setting for Pyramus and Thisbe to meet, they run into the problem of trying to create moonlight. Quince says:
Well, it shall be so. But there is two hard things: that is, to bring the moonlight into a chamber, for you know Pyramus and Thisbe meet by moonlight.
In this scene, Quince and his fellow actors understand that it's important to create the correct atmosphere when the lovers meet. Because they are putting on a play, they have to artificially create moonlight, whether through the use of a lamp or by opening a window and letting the moon shine through. This instance of artificial moonlight references the significance that moonlight has taken on in the play so far. Ultimately, the motif of the moon comes to stand for the secrecy and mystery of the forest at night, as well as the perfect backdrop for the meeting of lovers.
Related Themes:
Act 3, scene 1
Explanation and Analysis—The Moon:
The moon is a recurring motif in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It has a powerful effect on lovers and fairies alike, and it characterizes the forest atmosphere, making all sorts of love and mischief possible. In Act 1, Scene 1, Egeus uses the presence of moonlight to describe the illicit courtship between Lysander and his daughter Hermia. He means to demonize Lysander’s tactics and invokes the presence of moonlight as part of what allowed Lysander to steal Hermia’s affections from the suitor he chose for her. He says:
Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes
And interchanged love tokens with my child.
Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung
With feigning voice versus of feigning love
And stol’n the impression of her fantasy
In this passage, the moonlight takes on an association of forbidden, romantic meetings. It is the moonlight, in part, that brought Lysander and Hermia together. It served as a backdrop for the formation of their love; the moon is therefore a signifier of romance and secrecy. However, in the forest, the moon takes on additional layers of meaning. When Oberon and Titania—warring jealous lovers and rulers of the forest—encounter one another in Act 2, Scene 1, Oberon greets Titania by saying:
Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania.
His churlish greeting foreshadows the spirit of their interaction, but it also references the fact that Oberon and Titania are lovers. He says that he is not happy to see her by referencing the presence of the moon, which might, under different circumstances, create an atmosphere of love. This use of the moon as a motif is even referenced comedically by Quince. In Act 3, Scene 1, as he and his group of actors discuss how to create the proper setting for Pyramus and Thisbe to meet, they run into the problem of trying to create moonlight. Quince says:
Well, it shall be so. But there is two hard things: that is, to bring the moonlight into a chamber, for you know Pyramus and Thisbe meet by moonlight.
In this scene, Quince and his fellow actors understand that it's important to create the correct atmosphere when the lovers meet. Because they are putting on a play, they have to artificially create moonlight, whether through the use of a lamp or by opening a window and letting the moon shine through. This instance of artificial moonlight references the significance that moonlight has taken on in the play so far. Ultimately, the motif of the moon comes to stand for the secrecy and mystery of the forest at night, as well as the perfect backdrop for the meeting of lovers.
Related Themes:
