Characters
Understanding that characters are often used symbolically to express ideas is critical to reading a Shakespearean play. William Shakespeare often used characters to represent or reflect ideas that were prevalent in Elizabethan society. Therefore, it is useful not only to learn about each character individually but also to consider them in comparison to other characters in the play.
When thinking about characters, try to consider the wide range of strategies used by Shakespeare to create and develop characters within A Midsummer Night’s Dream. These include:
- How characters are established
- How characters are presented:
- Physical appearance or suggestions about this
- Their actions and motives
- What they say and think
- How they interact with others
- What others say and think about them
- How far the characters conform to or subvert stereotypes
- Their relationships to other characters
Below you will find character profiles of:
Main characters
Other characters
Exam Tip
Demonstrate in your exam response that you understand how Shakespeare has deliberately created characters to perform certain dramatic functions within the play.
For example, try and think about why Shakespeare has chosen to present Bottom in the way that he does. Why was his head transformed into a donkey’s head? What characteristics does he have that Shakespeare is perhaps mocking? Try and explore reasons as to why Shakespeare has chosen to do this and what it might suggest about the character.