Examination Questions on A Midsummer Night's Dream
Question: What is the nature of this play?
Answer:I. It is more a Masque than a drama. In it Shakespeare is more a poet than a dramatist. The plot is very simple; there is little or no development of character; there is very little portrayal of passion; nor is there much dramatic movement.
Hence, it is almost as difficult to analyze it as it
would be to analyze the fragrance of a flower, the song of the bird. The play must be studied not so much in the bare light of facts as with the imagination.
How to cite this article:
Fleming, William H. How to Study Shakespeare. New York: Doubleday and Co., 1898. Shakespeare Online. 10 Aug. 2010. (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/midsummer/questions/masque.html >.