Forms of Composition in a Midsummer Night's Dream

Examination Questions on A Midsummer Night's Dream

Question: What three forms of composition does Shakespeare use in this play?

Answer: Prose, Blank-Verse, Rhyme. Shakespeare expresses impassioned feeling by means of Blank Verse — e.g., I. 1. 156-178. When he is speaking of the practical affairs of life, in dealing with which there is an absence of intense emotion, he uses Prose — e.g., I. 2 ; IV. 1. 180 to end of the Scene. Here the lovers speak in Verse, the prosaic Bottom in Prose.

He frequently uses Rhyme as a repartee — e.g., I. 1. 180-223. Also, to express a settled determination, a mind made up — e.g., II. 1. 144-145; II. 1. 243, 244 ; IV. 1. 183, 184.

The Fairies speak and sing in a metre of their own.

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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/formsofcomp.html >.

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