A Midsummer Night's Dream: The Athenian Lovers

The Athenians are middle class citizens; they appear to have a formal education. Their names are Lysander, Demetreus, Hermia, and Helena. They speak and act more civil and are generally smarter than the craftsmen. They are important to the story because they add more depth to the plot. The Athenian lovers bring the most conflict and that is the area where the other two plot threads are lacking. Egius wants to kill his daughter Hermia if she does not marry Dimitrius.

'I may dispose of her: Which shall be either to this gentleman Or to her death' (act: 1 scene: 1 page: 2 A Midsummers Night’s Dream). These characters impact the plot because there are three stories that occasionally overlap, so if you were to take one away that would throw off the balance of the plot. Without Oberon ordering Robin to put the juice on Demetrius’s eyes then he would never have found bottom and Titania would have never fallen in love with a human donkey hybrid.

Get quality help now

Sweet V

Verified writer

4.9 (984)

“ Ok, let me say I’m extremely satisfy with the result while it was a last minute thing. I really enjoy the effort put in. ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

The Craftsmen are characters brought to life by Shakespeare’s play. Craftsmen are people in Athens who do not have very much money. These characters had jobs and did various tasks for money. They were asked to put on a play for the duke. 'to play in our interlude before the duke and the duchess, on his wedding-day at night' (act: 1 scene: 2 page: 22 A Midsummer Night’s Dream). The Craftsmen are important to the story because they add comedic relief. Without the Craftsmen, the story would have a mostly serious tone.

The only thing to bring comedy would be the fairies and some of their scenarios have the Craftsmen involved. They impact the plot because a major plot point in the fairy story thead would not have happened. If the Craftsman named Bottom did not transform into the donkey and go where the fairy queen was sleeping then Oberon might not have considered that enough punishment and she would have stayed in love with a woodland creature.

Within the two sets of characters there are commonalities however there are more differences than similarities. One of the most prominent differences is the tone. One story is about risking your life to be happy and the other is about putting on a play hijinks ensue. 'I may dispose of her: Which shall be either to this gentleman or to her death' (act 1 scene 1 page 2) 'Some man or other must present Wall: and let him have some plaster, or some loam, or some rough-cast about him, to signify wall; and let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisby whisper.' (act 3 scene 1 page 3 A Midsummer Night's Dream). One similarity is how both groups cause their own problems.

Although they both cause their own problems they do it in different ways, one group does because of sheer idiocy and lack of education and the other does either from trusting people you should not or slip ups. 'Helen, to you our minds we will unfold: To-morrow night, when Phoebe doth behold Her silver visage in the watery glass, Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass, A time that lovers’ flights doth still conceal, Through Athens’ gates have we devised to steal.' (act: 1 scene: 1 page: 8 A Midsummer Night's Dream) 'But there is two hard things; that is, to bring the moonlight into a chamber; for, You d know, Pyramus and Thisby meet by moonlight' ( act 3 scene 1 page 2 A Midsummer Night's Dream). Another difference is the plot. These two stories are tremendously different; one is about trying to put on a serious play but failing and turning it into a comedy; the other is about trying to run away for a better life with people trying to kill them. In conclusion the Athenian lovers and the Craftsmen both share similarities and differences.