29 March 2010

Describing a character

This is the third Midsummer post and is due before class starts on Wednesday, March 31.

Shakespeare created numerous memorable characters, who exhibit the human traits that people still have today. A Midsummer Night's Dream is no different. In this play, there are both human characters (mortals) and fairies, and all of them are unique.

Choose one of the characters we've met so far and describe what makes them unique. As part of your answer, choose a line or two of dialogue that the character speaks and use it to help explain that character's personality. Think of descriptive words and phrases to help illustrate just what kind of personality traits your chosen character has. Choose some lines of dialogue that accurately and clearly illustrate his or her personality.

Remember, when you cite dialoge from the play, follow this format: "Full of vexation come I, with complaint/Against my child, my daughter Hermia." (Act I, sc.1, lines 22- 23)

Good luck...

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thus far in the play, I believe Puck is quite a unique character. He is both fun loving and endearing toward his master, Oberon. Puck seems not to care about reproductions, however he takes his work very seriously when it comes to making Oberon laugh. I feel as if Puck tries to put off the facade that he doesn't care about anyone's true feelings as long as it's comical. However, I have found this is not true. Puck cares very much about Oberon's feelings. If Oberon is not happy, it affects Puck because Puck feels compelled to make his master laugh. When Oberon orders Puck to cast a spell on Titania, Puck takes it to heart. Though Puck seems carefree and mischievous, he treats Oberon with utmost respect. When Oberon tells Puck to cast a spell on Titania, Puck responds with gusto, saying, "Fear not, my lord, your servant shall do so." (Act II Scene 2, line 268). He takes his job very seriously, and never lets anything meddle in the affairs of his trick playing. This is the only thing he takes seriously, however. However, outside of his job of pleasing Oberon, Puck takes nothing else seriously. No one is exempt from his trick playing, and this makes him interesting. Puck is an interesting character to me because he is both carefree and caring. He has the capacity to care for others, as displayed with Oberon, however he lives mainly for humor and entertainment. Puck’s ability to quickly vacillate between caring and comic entertainment makes him an interesting character to me.
-Jena

Anonymous said...

So far i think that Puck is one of the most unique characters. He is very loyal to Oberon. He always help him out in what he wants to do. But one thing that makes him very unique is that he is able to do very remarkable things. For example he was about to travel around the whole earth in only 40 minutes. "ill put a girdle round about the earth in forty minutes" (ActI, sc.1, lines 175-176). He was doing this to try and find the special her to put in the eyes on people that he wanted to make fall inlove.

Jack Limauro

Anonymous said...

Puck may be one the most outgoing yet the most respectful one of the whole cast. He respects his master oberon very well and obeys him whenever he is called upon to do so. He also is very funny and can make Oberon and anyone else in the play laugh. In (Act II, Secene i, line 45-46) He shows off his comical side with joking around and acting like a horse and joking around.
-Austin

Anonymous said...

I would say Puck is one of the main characters who would be very unique. The why I think he is so unique is because he is nothing like the other characters. For example, even though he thinks he is talented he is not afraid to speak his mind. He is very out spoken; he can be a threat towards the other character by being in charge and trying to tell them what to do. He is also very irritate at some point and can be very clumsy as well. In (Act II, sc.1, lines 41-58) you see how Puck may overly exaggerate to make him look like he can form into any shape or disappear and come back when ever, etc. He says, “And sometimes lurk I in a gossip’s bowl, In very likeness of a roasted crab; And when she drinks, against her lips I bob, And on her withered dewlap pour the ale.” This shows how he tried too hard to impress others. He cares too much about what others think about him.
Victoria

Anonymous said...

So far in a “Midsummer Night’s Dream”, we have met quite a few interesting and unique characters. I think that Nick Bottom is especially quite a character in himself. He has a very vivacious personality and is quite conceited. Nick Bottom believes that he is capable of playing all of the parts in the show that the humans are putting on for the queen. He believes that he is extremely talented and he wants everyone to see his abilities. However, when he asks if he can play each of the other people’s parts, they say no and he moves on. Nick Bottom is also quite oblivious. At one point, Puck turns Nick Bottom’s head into one with a head of an ass however, Bottom is completely unaware that this has happened. All of his friends are running offstage laughing, giggling, and screaming and he thinks they are mocking him and playing a joke. Nick Bottom says, “I Have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream; past the wit of man to say what dream it was. Methought I was - -man is but an ass if he go about to expound this dream. Methought I was - -and methought I had - -man is but a patched fool if he will offer to say. What methought I was and what methought I had.” (Act II, sc. i) Bottom has no idea that he has the head of an ass, and is actually making fun of himself without realizing it.

Anonymous said...

-Emily ^

Anonymous said...

Out of all the character we’ve read about so far I think Helena is the most unique. She is so fanatical about Demetrius that she doesn’t have much self worth, “I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, The more you beat me, I will fawn on you” (Act II, sc 1, lines 203-205). Helena loves him but she is also obsessed with him. She is desperate and doesn’t have any self-esteem because even though Demetrius says “I am sick when I do look on thee.” (Act I, sc 1, lines 212) she tells him she doesn’t care and that she just wants his attention. Helena is pathetic and pitiful yet she is unique because no other character has shown as much passion as Helena. To make Demetrius happy Helena tells Demetrius where Hermia is even though it will help Demetrius marry Hermia.
Ashley

Anonymous said...

out of all the characters i think that Helena is unique because she does anything to try to get demetriuses attention. She is despret and obssed with him. Even if he beats her she doesnt care and will still be inlove with him. Demitrius is inlove with with hermia“I am sick when I do look on thee.” (Act I, sc 1, lines 212) she tells him she doesn’t care and that she just wants his attention.
Rashawn Bryant

Anonymous said...

Out of all of the characters I think that Puck is the most vovacious kind of characters. He just stands out. He loves irony so when ever something happens he just doesn't like it he "loves" it. He is nothing like the other characters. Puck always thinks that he is in charge but there are many more faries and other characters eho feel the same way puck does. He is also very respectful but just to Oberon. Oberon is telling puck to put spells on everyone so everything and everyone would be very confusing. One night Lysander and. Hermia were sleeping and were in love with each other now he's in love with someone else. Puck is always trying to cause irony and making everybody confused but in
a dramatic way.
Elyssa

Anonymous said...

Puck is one of the most interesting charatcers in the play. He is a very mischevious and misbehaved character but at the same time he is very loyal to Oberon. He loves to play a good joke and will try and get as many laughs out of a situation as possible. Puck is a very static character and is changing his mood and attitudes constantly. In one scene, he is giving Nick Bottom the head of an ass and in another scene he is searching the globe just so that Oberon can have his flower. "I’ll put a girdle round about the Earth in forty minutes". (Act II, Scene I, Line 160). Puck is a very loyal servant to his master Oberon but after he retires from the seriousness and loyalty of his work to Oberon, he becomes a mischevious and fun loving charatcer her is in need of some comedy and a good laugh. He plays tricks and messes with people. He even gives Nick Bottom the head of an ass. "Then will two at once woo one. That must needs be sport alone.And those things do best please me that befall preposterously." (Act III, Scene II, Line 120-123) Puck look sat this situation as a sport and gets enjoyment out of watching the mortals try and sort out this mess of things, which shows his tricky nature and how much he enjoys having fun.

JAKE-

Anonymous said...

All of the characters in A Midsummer Night's Dream are unique, and one of them is Helena. Helena is young and fair just like her friend, Hermia. But because her affections were denied by Demetrius, her confidence is lowered severely. She feels that Hermia possesses higher class and beauty because Demetrius loves her. And the more Demetrius ignores her, the more irresistible he becomes to her. Therefore, the lower self-esteem every time. At one point, Helena says to herself after unsuccessful chase for Demetrius: "I am as ugly as a bear; For beasts that meet me run away for fear." (ActII, sc.2, lines 94-95) It is common for a human to feel worthless when rejected by someone they value.
Anjita

Anonymous said...

Oberon is unique because he is very quick to use his abilities as a fairy to get his way. After his fight with he gets a flower that makes people fall in love with the first person they see and explains that, "And with this juice i'll streak her eyes and make her full of hateful fantacies"(act 2 scene 1 lines 227-228). He basically just forced his wife to be in love with him just because he didn't want to deal with the argument.
-Brede

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