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Definition of Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the story. Foreshadowing can be achieved directly or indirectly, by making... read full definition
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the story. Foreshadowing can be achieved... read full definition
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the... read full definition
Act 1, scene 1
Explanation and Analysis:
In the play’s first scene, after receiving a harsh sentence from her father and the Duke of Athens, Hermia’s belief in love falters. Her lover Lysander comforts her, and his judgment of their situation foreshadows the acts that follow. Though his statement is general and none of the following conflict specifically references his philosophy, it becomes emblematic of the central conflicts of the play. He says:
For aught that I could ever read,
Could ever hear by tale or history,
The course of true love never did run smooth.
Related Themes:
Act 2, scene 2
Explanation and Analysis—Hermia's Nightmare:
In Act 2, Scene 2, Hermia suffers from a nightmare that foreshadows a new threat to her relationship with Lysander. She and Lysander have escaped the court of Athens and fallen asleep together in the woods. While sleeping on the forest floor, Hermia has a bad dream. When she wakes up, she cries out for the comfort of her lover, for in her first waking moment, she cannot dispel the terror of her vision. She says:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Help me, Lysander, help me! Do thy best
To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast.
Ay me, for pity! What a dream was here!
Lysander, look how I do quake with fear.
Methought a serpent ate my heart away,
And you sat smiling at his cruel prey.
Related Themes:
