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A Study Guide by Craig Carroll
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The Contents
Section ....................................................................................... Page #
A History: Four Centuries/Seven Paragraphs.............
2
Basic Plot Structure ...................................................................
4
Characters ........................................................................................
5
Themes ...............................................................................................
6
Shakespeare (for everyone) .....................................................
7
Comedy ..............................................................................................
8
Elizabeth Swain Presents (Director’s Cut)......................
9
Essay Questions ..........................................................................
10
Glossary ............................................................................................
11
References ........................................................................................
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About the Author .........................................................................W. Shakespeare
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A History: Four Centuries/Seven Paragraphs
A Midsummer Night’s Dream was written and performed for the first time between
1594 and 1596. The fact that we cannot know where, when, or especially how the first
performance was undertaken has bothered a few directors over the past four centuries. All
we have is the actual text to turn to if we wish to know what themes to emphasize and what
sort of world (or worlds) we want to present upon the stage. However, this can also be
liberating for a director and her company. As soon as it was published in its first quarto book
of 1600, A Midsummer Night’s Dream began a life of constant metamorphosis, which in the
end has only proven the vitality of Shakespeare’s original.
From 1600 to 1700 (the 17th century), Midsummer was frequently enjoyed by the low
and high classes in varying ways. For the lower classes, directors would sometimes go so far
as to cut almost everything except for the comical parts with the six ―actors‖ and some of the
parts with the fairies. Toward the end of the 17th century, in 1692, Henry Purcell turned the
play into the very dramatic opera The Fairy Queen, which was performed at King William
and Queen Mary’s fifteenth wedding anniversary. Half of Shakespeare’s original was cut,
but the basic structure of the play held the opera together.
From 1700 to 1800 (the 18th century), when the English were seriously reforming the
―western canon,‖ poor Midsummer was almost in hiding. It was not thought serious enough.
But on very few occasions (like three times) parts of the play were put into song form and
performed for large audiences at the famous English theater on Drury Lane. There is no
doubt that comic performances of the ―actors‖ in the forest with Oberon, Titania, and Puck,
and at the final wedding scene, were still happening on stages throughout England and even
America, where Shakespeare was just beginning to be disseminated to the masses as pop
culture.
From 1800 to 1900 (the 19th century), Midsummer got big! The funny thing about
this century is that for some reason it wanted to see things ―realistically.‖ So the forest in the
play was made to look like a real forest, which Shakespeare would not have thought of doing.
(One production even had rabbits on the stage.) And the costumes sometimes got lavish,
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very ―Victorian‖ – in fact, Victoria was the Queen of England during most of the 19 th
century. At the same time that companies were changing Shakespeare’s intended stage
presentation, they were, ironically, trying hard to stick completely to Shakespeare’s original
dialogue. Fewer and Fewer songs. Fewer cuts. Fewer updates. All Shakespeare’s words.
So the stage became a ―realistic‖ spectacle. And, of course, American productions copied
this. While American actors and producers were striving to make Shakespeare an American
household name, they also tried very hard to adopt the contemporary ―high class‖ dialect of
the Brits.
The 19th century deserves two paragraphs. Everyone who is alive today should be
aware of a German production directed by Ludwig Tieck. For this production, a composer
by the name of Felix Mendelssohn wrote the world famous ―Wedding March.‖ (You know,
―Here comes the bride, all dressed in white…‖). Victoria got hold of this song (for she was
German), and had it performed at her daughter’s wedding, locking that piece of music for ever
into the western rite of marriage.
From 1900 to 2000 (the 20th century), Midsummer went from modern to post-modern
and finally to ―post-post-modern,‖ which I conveniently ask you to explain in the advanced
essay question below. The gist of the 20th century is this: the original text is almost always
performed faithfully (except for the first movie version), but the stage has become more of a
symbolic or metaphorical space. Sometimes there is a return to Victorian realism, like in
Michael Benthall’s 1954 production; sometimes there is an implied interpretation, as in
Benjamin Britten’s homoerotic version or Max Reinhardt’s 1935 version set against the
backdrop of Nazi Germany to emphasize the play’s ―darker‖ elements. Or, most notably,
there is the use of metaphorical images, like tie-died shirts, trapezes, and the ladders in Peter
Brook’s 1970 production. The point is that each one today makes different points.
So here we are at the end of the history and the beginning of a new century. Where
this play will take its performers and audiences in the future we cannot know. Based on the
history of this play we can be certain that Shakespeare has provided us with the right ―stuff‖
– as he would say – to keep the play, and us, going.
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Basic Plot Structure
The title of this section is not really appropriate for this play, for the plot of a
Midsummer is anything but basic. Superficially, it can seem basic. It starts in the city, goes
to the forest, and returns to the city. This is as basic, and as conventional, as any plot can
be. In fact, it is the basis of many, many, many, many plots – especially Fairytales. Oh my!
This story has fairies in it. Well, what do you know?
There should be no confusion whatsoever – this was not meant to be a fairytale.
However, we may have Shakespeare to thank for influencing the creation of the fairytale
genre. (And the bright mind might want to think more about this. Consider, for instance, that
fairytales are usually about growing up and/or getting married….)
Since this is not strictly a fairytale, we still have much to understand about the plot
structure. We can start unraveling it like this:
The first three scenes are a peek into Shakespeare’s complex plans for this plot.
We begin in ―high class‖ Athens. For an entire scene we get a glimpse of the problems with
human society. ―The course of true love never did run smooth.‖ Two lovers who are told
they can’t marry decide to go to the forest to be together. Next, we go down the road
somewhere and find a group of working class men, who have a hilarious plan to rise up the
social ladder. Not that they are desperate to rise up the social ladder, for they are quite
comfortable with, and proud of, the working class world in which they live. But they got big
ideas! They decide to go into the forest to practice a play about two lovers who, because
they can’t be with each other, choose to kill themselves. (This is the play that they eventually
will be performing in front of a bunch of people who, for now, don’t really want to marry each
other.) In the third scene we now go to the forest, where we find a bickering fairy couple and
a little sprite who likes to confuse people.
The forest and the city are woven together by the situations in which the characters
find themselves. And Bottom the Weaver is the one character we might be able to say
literally weaves the worlds together by becoming an ass. Let’s see if it works.
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Characters
This is a list of the characters in order of appearance. Also, a brief description of each
might help you to better understand his or her role in the play.
Theseus: King of Athens; wants to hurry up and marry the queen he just captured.
Hippolyta: the queen who Theseus has captured. She’s in no hurry to marry, but doesn’t
resist either.
Egeus: father of Hermia; wants her to get married to Demetrius.
Hermia: doesn’t want to marry Demetrius. She loves Lysander.
Demetrius: ready to marry Hermia, and he can’t stand Helena.
Helena: in LOVE with Demetrius.
Lysander: wants to marry his love, Hermia.
(All of this changes throughout the course of the play).
Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snout, and Starveling: Six working class guys who want to
perform at a wedding! (Can anyone think of recent movies in which there are goofy guys
performing at weddings?)
Robin (or Puck): fairy who causes all kinds of trouble. His boss is Oberon.
Fairy: a fairy in the service of her boss, Titania.
Oberon: King of the Fairies.
Titania: Queen of the Fairies.
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Themes
There are probably more themes in the play than can fit on one page. Only three are highlighted here, and they’re followed up by questions that we might ask while watching the play.
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1) The mysterious world of dreams
Where do dreams come from? Are dreams more real than real life? Is the past a dream?
How do dreams influence us in our daily lives? How do dreams influence a playwright’s
imagination?
2) Love is a battlefield
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Why do young people have so many problems (with love)? Aren’t they too young??!
Why do we sometimes ―fall in love‖ with those who do not love us back? Why do we call it
a ―fall‖ and not a ―rise‖ to love? What is the relationship (or difference) between love and
lust? Do we hurt people we love the most?
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3) Who has the power?
Are we controlled by powers greater than ourselves? If so, what are those powers? Do
we have power over others? Do we allow others to have power over us? Do we want
power more than love? What is the relationship (or difference) between power and love?
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Shakespeare for Everybody
In 1598, an English man by the name of Francis Meres wrote a book about the
writers of his era. One of the writers he mentions is William Shakespeare. This is what he
says about him:
―As Plautus and Seneca are accounted the best for Comedy and Tragedy among
the Latines : so Shakespeare among y' English is the most excellent in both kinds….‖v
Plautus and Seneca were both Roman playwrights who were (and still are) greatly admired
by the English people. For Shakespeare to be compared to these men in his own lifetime is
a testament to Shakespeare’s brilliance as a writer.
It is because of his brilliance that we can find Shakespeare’s name in almost any
anthology of literature. He has influenced, and has been adapted by, just about every
―western‖ performer who came after him. Even The Beatles performed Shakespeare.
Check out this Youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEuo2uUHpYQ .
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His plays are at the core of many contemporary films.
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Lots of people, these days, who are first introduced to Shakespeare’s work, are
intimidated by Shakespeare’s language (which is English). But the stories can still be
understood when they are brought to life on a stage or in a film. The current production that
is being performed by the University Players at California State University Long Beach is
a tribute, but not just a tribute to the language and culture of Shakespeare (which is
English). It is a tribute to his ability to tell stories, to make people laugh and think. Most of
all, he is the best at inviting audiences into an imagination that is still developing – our own
imagination.
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Comedy
What is comedy? Simply put, it is that which makes us laugh. The Literary genre of
Comedy is much, much more than that. There are other essential ingredients in all of
Shakespeare’s comedies that help to give his characters and audience members a feeling of
harmony with their environment and a sense of satisfaction with life. This section lists 10
characteristics seen in Shakespeare’s Comedy. You might be able to reference them when
writing college essays. Or, if you want to be the next Shakespeare, you can just absorb and
practice them in your comic writing.
1) Plot development is of more interest than any character’s development
2) Ridiculous, incongruous, absurd, situations (that never, I mean always,
happen in real life)
3) Mistaken identities (hence, dramatic irony)
4) Disguises (hence, dramatic irony)
5) Unexpected meetings
6) Characters balanced; parallelism between scenes
7) A journey
8) Music
9) A clown or a fool—to provide wit and humor
10)Unions: marriages and/or reunions
That last one contrasts with tragedy, where separations and death predominate.
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Elizabeth Swain Presents (Director’s Cut)
Elizabeth Swain, the director of the current production, is no stranger to
Shakespeare. She most recently has directed Hamlet and Macbeth. She has seen and
been part of many metamorphoses of Shakespeare’s plays. With this armory of experience
she comes to Cal State Long Beach. For this production of Midsummer, Swain is
compelled to let the stage be the metaphorical space that Shakespeare intended it to be,
while emphasizing the shadowy, even macabre substance of dreams, love, and power.
After working closely with Dr. Swain, one discovers that her method of directing is
organic and democratic. What might that mean? For one thing she is constantly learning new
things in the rehearsal process, from both her company and the text of the play. She listens
for new ideas that, through the centuries, are still communicated in Shakespeare’s words.
Also, her actors, assistant directors, costumers, and stage and lighting designers are invited
to unlock NEW knowledge and interpretations of the play. She maintains the simplicity of
Shakespeare’s stage, so that even the audience is invited to make NEW sense of
Shakespeare’s metaphorical space.
Of course, as a director, she does have an outlook, and a specific one at that. She
feels that each new generation of actors, directors, and audiences, should have the ability
and the courage to have fun with a Midsummer. Play with it. This play, like all of
Shakespeare’s plays, is aware of itself as a ―play.‖ You may notice that some actors double
up and play two characters. You may notice that the trees don’t look like trees, and that the
costumes don’t reflect a specific time period. This is not because we are ―all out of actors,
trees, and Elizabethan costumes,‖ says Swain, but rather because ―this is theater.‖ Theater
does not believe itself to be a ―true‖ representation of life, and it doesn’t want you to think it
is. It is a reflection on life – A DREAM – and, strangely enough, a very realistic dream in
which we find ourselves. Remember, Shakespeare never held an actual mirror up to nature,
but only a mirror so to speak.1
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See Hamlet
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Essay Questions
1) LOVE (our favorite subject). Shakespeare uses this play to show us what kind of
emotion love is. Discuss three relationships from the play and show how they
represent, in different ways, the nature of love. In your conclusion, define love.
Relationships to choose from:
Lysander/Hermia
Demetrius/Helena
Theseus/Hippolyta
Hermia/Helena
Lysander/Helena
Pyramus/Thisbe
Bottom/Titania
Oberon/Titania
(Or any others)
2) COMEDY (our other favorite subject). In the section of this study guide called
―Comedy,‖ there is a list of 10 characteristics of comedy. Which three characteristics
are most prominent in this production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream ? Next,
discuss which three characteristics are least prominent? How would the play be
affected if those characteristics that were least prominent were more prominent? In
your conclusion, define comedy.
3) METAPHOR. The play has many metaphors. The costumes are metaphors.
The setting, the stage, the plot, the characters – these are all metaphors. Discuss
three metaphors you see in this production of the play? What are they metaphors
for? Organize them from moderately important to most important.
Advanced
4) THEORY. What elements of this production reflect modernism? Next: What
elements of this production reflect post-modernism and feminism? Finally: What
elements of this production reflect a new way of executing this play, Shakespeare in
general, and theater? What is that new way?
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Glossary
―Lord, what fools these mortals be.‖
Athenian: city person
Bower: a bed or resting place in the outdoors
Cloister: a closed-up place for a very holy person
Changeling: a child of a fairy, elf, or troll, who is swapped
for a human child
Cowslip: a cute little colorful plant
Dote: to shower someone with love
Doth: do
Ercles: Hercules
Extempore: improvised
Hempen homespuns: people who are dressed really shabby
Hiem: Winter
Hippolyta: Legendary strong, defiant Amazon queen, daughter of
Ares the god of war
Idolatry: loving something as if more than God
Mechanicals: Working class people; the six hempen homespuns who
perform Pyramus & Thisbe. They are a carpenter, a weaver (makes
fabrics), a tailor, a tinker (collects old pots and pans), a
joiner (carpenter specializing in corners), and a bellows-mender
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(fixes these things
Mortal:
Human (unless you know something I don’t know)
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Nosegays: small bouquets of flowers
Nuptial: anything having to do with a wedding
Ninus’ tomb: where the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe go to meet each
other and where they eventually commit suicide
Phoebe/Diana: the Moon
Progeny: child; offspring; or RESULT!
Pyramus and Thisbe: Classic lovers who kill each other because
they can’t be together
Sex: gender
Sport: fun
Sprite: fairy
Theseus: legendary noble king of Athens, son of Poseidon, the
god of the sea
Translated: changed into a new being (like when a person becomes
a donkey)
Vot’ress: a faithful, worshipping follower
Wood: the forest, where all kinds of weird things can happen!!
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Sources Cited and Image References
i
Teeuwisse, Arie. (1971) “Scene from a Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Special thanks to Brian Gowen for his help in
formatting the picture of this sculpture.
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“Midnight Dreams” (2009) http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3A*%3AIESearchBox&rlz=1I7GWYE&q=dreams.
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“Young Love” (2009) http://www.redbubble.com/people/cheerishables/art/1306286-1-young-love.
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Lion and lamb” (2009) http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3A*%3AIESearchBox&rlz=1I7GWYE&q=lion+lamb.
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Meres, Francis. Palladis Tamia, Wit’s Treasury (1598). Elizabethanauthors.com (2008)
http://www.elizabethanauthors.com/palladis.htm.
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Beatles perform Shakespeare. (2009).
http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3A*%3AIESearchBox&rlz=1I7GWYE&q=beatles+shakespeare.
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10 Things I hate about you. (2009). http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:*:IESearchBox&rlz=1I7GWYE&q=shakespeare+pop+culture&start=21&sa=N&ndsp=21.
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“Recipe for Comedic Success” (2008) http://eclairefare.wordpress.com/category/hulu/.
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Bellows 1 (2009). http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3A*%3AIESearchBox&rlz=1I7GWYE&q=bellows.
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