Shakespeare’s Imagery Analysis

Nature and love follows in the play everywhere. If we look at this passage carefully it show as great amount of imagery and metaphors Shakespeare used in this passage, like war, death, and sickness Lysander was not talking about sickness or war at that time he was talking about love few lives before he said “The course of true love never did run smooth”(I.I.134) which he just compared to war, death, and sickness which overall means he is talking about love is violence that is what I think, then he drops in a great image “momentany as a sound” momentany means momentary Google wise. If we move further a simile was in the passage “Swift as a shadow” according to dictionary swift means fleet- moving faster the thing is he is not talking about walking faster or running faster in his word swift means love fast as a shadow, I didn’t realize this until I read the passage carefully, then he talks about dream which is another motif. He also makes an image talking about lightning which I don’t really get. After few line he says “So quick bright things come to confusion.” What could he really mean by bright things it could be something that you see in your vision that you think is real but in the end it is not, that is where the confusion comes from.

III.II.196-Helena “Lo, she is one of this confederacy! Now I perceive they have conjoin’d all three to fashion this false sport, in spite of me. Injurious Hermia! Most ungrateful maid! Have you conspired, have you with these contrived To bait me with this foul derision? Is all the counsel that we two have shared, The sisters’ vows, the hours that we have spent, When we have chid the hasty-footed time For parting us,–O, is it all forgot? All school-days’ friendship, childhood innocence? We, Hermia, like two artificial gods, have with our needles created both one flower, Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion, Both warbling of one song, both in one key, As if our hands, our sides, voices and minds, Had been incorporate. So we grow together, Like to a double cherry, seeming parted, But yet an union in partition; Two lovely berries moulded on one stem; So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart; Two of the first, like coats in heraldry, Due but to one and crowned with one crest. And will you rent our ancient love sex, as well as I, may chide you for it, though I alone do feel the injury.

Analyze:

Shakespeare used great amount of figurative language in this passage more like imagery, cause she says “The sisters’ vows, the hours that we have spent” Helena is looking back to where she and Hermia were kids. Few passages before Helena talk’s back to Hermia telling her how they bother are different and that Hermia is beautiful because Demetrius like her. Here is when Shakespeare really describe humans, first she was jealous but, didn’t show it but, now she comes with these lines saying how they were “So we grow together, like to a double cherry, seeming parted, but yet an union in partition” (III.II.204) in this line she is clearly comparing their friendship with double cherry that hang down the tree and they both are separated but their hips are join. Then Helena makes a metaphor at “So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart; two of the first, like coats in heraldry, due but to one and crowned with one crest”. These both lines means the same and they are being compared with same concept but different items by items I mean words like bodies, heart, coats, crest.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Act 3, Scene 2. Lines: 196-223.

shakespeare.clusty.com; October 28, 2010

Hermia

You speak not as you think: it cannot be.

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Act 1, Scene 1. Lines: 134-137.

shakespeare.clusty.com; October 28, 2010

Hermia

Beteem them from the tempest of my eyes.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Act 1, Scene 1. Lines: 143-151.

shakespeare.clusty.com; October 28, 2010

Hermia

O hell! to choose love by another’s eyes.

Helena

Do not say so, Lysander; say not so

Macbeth – Act 3, Scene 2. Lines: 30-32. shakespeare.clusty.com; October 25, 2010

Macbeth

Can touch him further.

Macbeth – Act 1, Scene 5. Lines: 68-78. shakespeare.clusty.com; October 25, 2010

Macbeth

To-morrow, as he purposes.

Macbeth

We will speak further.