A Midsummer Night's Dream (Collins Classroom Classics)

This Collins Classroom Classics edition includes an introduction, textual notes and a theme and character index to support students, written by an experienced teacher.

ISBN 978-0-00-840049-1

£2.50

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9 780008 400491

A Midsummer Night’s Dream William Shakespeare

If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended, That you have but slumber’d here While these visions did appear.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream William Shakespeare 12/05/2020 17:09

Introduction One of the main things about the human condition is that we constantly seek to understand, define and categorise our experience – to make sense of the world. In the same way, critics and audiences have often tried to categorise Shakespeare’s plays as comedies, tragedies or histories. But what if those categories are not as clear as they seem? What if one of his plays breaks down the wall between different genres, and in other ways defies expectations? A Midsummer Night’s Dream could well be that play.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream tells the story of a pair of lovers, Hermia and Lysander, who plan to run away from Athens to a nearby forest because Hermia’s father, Egeus, wants her to marry a man of his choice. Sound familiar? Surely this is going to be a tragedy along the lines of Romeo and Juliet?

But that isn’t the case. Once the lovers reach the woods, suddenly what might have been tragedy takes a different turn.

Followed by Demetrius (the man intended to be Hermia’s husband) and Helena, who adores him, the scene is set for a confusing tangle between the four lovers set in motion by the king of the fairies, Oberon, and his mischievous servant, Puck.

Add to the mix a group of honest but simple workmen who are in the woods rehearsing a play for the Duke of Athens’s wedding, and you have all the ingredients for a fantastical, chaotic set of events that corresponds more with dreams than reality. This is not a play that can be easily categorised.

As the title hints, this is also a drama in which audience members find themselves constantly questioning what is real and what is a dream. Shakespeare presents us with both the mortal world, filled with human desire and human failings, and the dream world of the fairies, whose actions sometimes mirror those of the humans they both assist and trick. It is when the two worlds intersect – when the barrier between them falls – that the drama really begins. As the weaver Bottom says, ‘the wall is down’ (Act 5, Scene 1, line 338).

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introduction

In a literal sense, he is referring to the wall that formerly separated the lovers in the play he and his companions perform at Duke Theseus’s wedding, but the image speaks of much more. For A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a play in which walls are regularly demolished: the wall between appearance and reality, between the fairy world and the real, between different social classes and, perhaps most importantly of all, the so-called ‘fourth wall’ – the invisible barrier between audience and performers.

In dreams, appearance and reality can feel as if they are one and the same. The wall between our waking and dream selves disintegrates and we play a role that is partly our true self, partly fantasy or invention. So it is that appearance (what seems to be real) and reality are explored throughout the play. At the start, Lysander is said to have ‘bewitch’d’ Hermia into loving him (Act 1, Scene 1, line 27). In Egeus’s eyes, Lysander’s love is a sort of pretence – a magic trick that has no place in the reality he visualises for his daughter. Demetrius claims to love Hermia, but Lysander believes this love is a fiction: Demetrius once loved Helena; how can he switch allegiance so easily? Bottom, it could be argued, performs three roles: the enthusiastic weaver, the ‘translated’ figure with the head of a donkey whom Titania, queen of the fairies, is tricked into loving, and the classical lover Pyramus in the play-within-the-play. Yet throughout, he remains resolutely Bottom, unchanged by the roles he has enacted.

This idea of playing multiple roles was an integral part of Shakespeare’s theatrical world. His acting company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, probably comprised only a relatively small number of core actors, so doubling parts would have been common practice. Even in modern performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the roles of Titania/Hippolyta and Oberon/Theseus are often taken by the same actors – another way in which directors can tear down the fourth wall. These dual roles may serve the purpose of drawing attention to the actors rather than the characters they play, or of creating interesting parallels between the two characters.

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A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

But this is also a play of enormous physical and verbal comedy, enacted on the battleground between the sexes. It begins with echoes of Romeo and Juliet yet, far from that, resolves matters through magic and the conventional comedy ending of marriage. Most notably, and uniquely, it brings together three social landscapes – the duke’s court, the world of the tradesmen, and the fairy realm – in a dream that questions the very idea of self. Are class, gender, love, hate, and so on, simply roles that can be exchanged or transformed?

Or, in restoring order at the end of the play, does Shakespeare suggest they are immutable?

Themes in context

Comedy and darkness Shakespeare’s comedies generally contain three certainties: people will fall in love; chance events or deliberate disguise will cause confusion and laughter; at the end of the play, order will be restored through marriage.

This seems to be a fairly accurate template for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but is it really as clear cut as that? The tradesmen describe their interpretation of the playwithin-the-play, Pyramus and Thisbe, as ‘very tragical mirth’ (Act 5, Scene 1, line 57) and this may be an apt way of describing the wider play too. It begins with a father (Egeus) demanding that his daughter marry the man he chooses rather than the one she professes to love. Should she refuse, she will either ‘die the death’ or ‘abjure / For ever the society of men’ (Act 1, Scene 1, lines 65–66) – in other words, she will face execution or spend the rest of her life in a nunnery. As in Romeo and Juliet, Lysander and Hermia’s decision to escape to exile leads to unintended consequences, but unlike the young lovers from Verona, they are happily united at the end of the play, thus fulfilling comedic convention.

Yet it is difficult to completely forget the dark opening, and there are several moments throughout the play that blur the line between the two genres. Under the influence of the love potion, Lysander rejects Hermia for Helena. His words sound particularly cruel: ‘Be certain, nothing truer; ’tis no

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LIST OF CHARACTERS Theseus

Duke of Athens

Egeus

father to Hermia

Lysander Demetrius

}

in love with Hermia

Philostrate Master of the Revels to Theseus Quince

a carpenter

Snug

a joiner

Bottom

a weaver

Flute

a bellows-mender

Snout

a tinker

Starveling a tailor Hippolyta Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus Hermia

daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander

Helena

in love with Demetrius

Oberon

King of the Fairies

Titania

Queen of the Fairies

Puck or Robin Goodfellow Peaseblossom Cobweb Moth Mustardseed

}

fairies

} }

Prologue Quince Bottom Pyramus Thisby presented Flute Wall by Snout Moonshine Starveling Lion Snug Other Fairies attending their King and Queen Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta The Scene: Athens and a wood near it

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ACT 1 SCENE 1 1–19. These opening lines are vitally important, for they must strike the keynote of harmony, quickly lost and only regained towards the close of the play. Theseus and Hippolyta, the royal lovers, are not stiff, they are passionate and tender, but they are also dignified. Their union reconciles spontaneous love with social order, and though the day of their wedding will be filled with public ceremony and rejoicing, the night will satisfy their own strong desires.

They could sweep on from opposite sides of the stage, each followed by a crowd of richly dressed attendants, meet, and kiss – just long enough to show they mean it. The pattern of movement could suggest dancing; the mood is urgent, joyful, but controlled.

1–2. our nuptial hour Draws on apace: ‘our wedding-day’s coming fast’. Theseus and Hippolyta are going to be married in four days’ time, at the new moon (which the Elizabethans thought was a lucky time for weddings, promising fertility). In fact, the play’s action takes under three days: the young lovers run off to the wood tomorrow night (Act 1, Scene 1, line 164) and are married along with Theseus and Hippolyta the next day. Perhaps Shakespeare confused the times when he revised the play for a fresh performance, or the longer time here in Scene 1 may be deliberately meant to build up suspense before getting on more quickly with the action.

4. lingers my desires: ‘holds up the satisfaction of my desires’.

5–6. Theseus imagines the moon as a wrinkled old woman who lives on and on while the heir grows as impatient for the full enjoyment of his wealth (revenue) as Theseus is to enjoy Hippolyta. Step-dame means ‘stepmother’; a dowager is a widow with the right to a living out of her dead husband’s money.

7. steep: sink (as the sun sinks into the sea at night).

7–8. Hippolyta, picturing time rushing on to the wedding, is as eager as Theseus to consummate their marriage. Day and night, which are so important in the play, are first mentioned here.

9–10. In contrast to Theseus, Hippolyta has a lovely image for the fresh new moon. Herself a warrior and huntress, she thinks of the moon as a great bow.

Notice how the moon and its changes, moonlight, and the moon-goddess, keep coming into the play.

11. our solemnities: ‘our marriage ceremony’.

11–15. Theseus gives instructions to Philostrate, his master of ceremonies, that public joy must reflect the royal lovers’ happiness.

13. pert and nimble: lively and active.

15. The pale companion: ‘that dismal-looking fellow’. Theseus treats Mirth and Melancholy as real people – he doesn’t want a wet blanket like Melancholy (unhappiness) at his party. pomp: splendid ceremonial.

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ACT 1 SCENE 1

ACT 1 SCENE 1 Athens. The palace of Theseus [Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE and ATTENDANTS]

Theseus Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour Draws on apace; four happy days bring in Another moon; but, O, methinks, how slow This old moon wanes! She lingers my desires, Like to a step-dame or a dowager, Long withering out a young man’s revenue.

Hippolyta Four days will quickly steep themselves in night; Four nights will quickly dream away the time; And then the moon, like to a silver bow New-bent in heaven, shall behold the night Of our solemnities.

Theseus Go, Philostrate,

Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments; Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth; Turn melancholy forth to funerals; The pale companion is not for our pomp.

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[Exit PHILOSTRATE]

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A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM 16. Theseus fought and mastered the Amazon queen in battle. Now he can be loving and generous for she is in the right place for an Elizabethan wife: only when the man rules the woman, his natural inferior, can marriage be happy, and in this play Theseus and Hippolyta enjoy an ideal relationship.

22. Now a quarrel breaks in on the happy opening mood. Hermia is pale and determined, old Egeus and the rival lovers so angry that even Theseus’ presence barely restrains them from rudeness. Theseus probably sits in judgment with Hippolyta silent beside him. The rest all stand.

27. Notice that even Egeus, who strongly disapproves of love because it makes his daughter defy him, thinks of it as a kind of magic, and the play shows that he is right. (It seems possible that Shakespeare really wrote ‘witch’d’, not bewitch’d: certainly the extra syllable sounds awkward.)

28. Thou, thou . . . Egeus – who is fussy, pompous, and excitable – is spluttering with rage.

28–38. Egeus accuses Lysander of tricking Hermia into love with poems, lying (feigning) songs sung by moonlight, and gifts (gawds . . . sweetmeats) of trinkets, flowers and food.

32. stol’n the impression of her fantasy: ‘secretly stamped yourself on her imagination’ (as a seal is stamped in warm wax) so that Hermia can dream of no one else.

35. prevailment: power. unhardened: inexperienced. (Still soft, like wax.)

36. filch’d: stolen.

37–8. This is the crunch. Egeus must have Hermia’s absolute obedience, and the suspicion that she has a will of her own drives him crazy with a kind of jealousy.

39. Be it so: if.

39–45. Egeus calls on an Athenian law which gives him, as a father, total power over his daughter: if she disobeys he can have her put to death.

45. Immediately: on purpose.

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ACT 1 SCENE 1

Hippolyta, I woo’d thee with my sword, And won thy love doing thee injuries; But I will wed thee in another key, With pomp, with triumph, and with revelling.

[Enter EGEUS, and his daughter HERMIA, LYSANDER and DEMETRIUS]

Egeus Happy be Theseus, our renowned Duke!

Theseus Thanks, good Egeus; what’s the news with thee?

Egeus Full of vexation come I, with complaint Against my child, my daughter Hermia.

Stand forth, Demetrius. My noble lord, This man hath my consent to marry her.

Stand forth, Lysander. And, my gracious Duke, This man hath bewitch’d the bosom of my child.

Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes, And interchang’d love-tokens with my child; Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung, With feigning voice, verses of feigning love, And stol’n the impression of her fantasy With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits, Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats – messengers Of strong prevailment in unhardened youth; With cunning hast thou filch’d my daughter’s heart; Turn’d her obedience, which is due to me, To stubborn harshness. And, my gracious Duke, Be it so she will not here before your Grace Consent to marry with Demetrius, I beg the ancient privilege of Athens: As she is mine I may dispose of her; Which shall be either to this gentleman Or to her death, according to our law Immediately provided in that case.

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46. Be advis’d: think better of it.

48. compos’d: put together.

46–51. Theseus, who as Duke of Athens has to uphold the law and keep the peace, urges Hermia that since her father created her he has the right to destroy her, just as he could choose to keep or break a shape he’d stamped in wax.

54. ‘But as a husband, since your father doesn’t approve . . .’

57. Theseus tries to persuade Hermia that since her father doesn’t see it her way she must see it his.

60–1. concern my modesty . . . thoughts: ‘be fitting for me as a modest woman to speak out like this before such an important person as the Duke’. Hermia is behaving very boldly in speaking for herself, but of course love is the power that drives her.

63. befall me: ‘happen to me’.

65. die the death: be executed.

65–6. abjure For ever the society of men: ‘swear to give up male company for ever’.

67–70. Theseus, who knows that women are not just dolls without feelings or desires, asks Hermia if she can bear to live without love. know of: find out from. blood: passions, sexuality.

69–70. Whether . . . You can endure the livery of a nun: ‘Whether you can bear to wear nun’s uniform’ (that is, simply, to be a nun).

71. For aye: For ever, cloister: convent.

71–3. Theseus makes convent life sound unpleasant and unhealthy by describing it in chilly, depressing words: shady; mew’d (shut up, like a bird in a cage); barren (childless); faint; and the cold fruitless moon. This gloomy prospect is meant to put Hermia off – but it also chimes in with the play’s general praise of marriage, fertility and a full sexual life rather than one of virginity.

73. cold fruitless moon: Diana the moon-goddess, who is a virgin herself and served by virgins.

74–8. Though those who can control their passions so as to journey through life unmarried may win the greatest spiritual reward, Theseus thinks married women are far earthlier happy (happier on earth).

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ACT 1 SCENE 1

Theseus What say you, Hermia? Be advis’d, fair maid.

To you your father should be as a god; One that compos’d your beauties; yea, and one To whom you are but as a form in wax, By him imprinted, and within his power To leave the figure, or disfigure it.

Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.

Hermia So is Lysander.

Theseus In himself he is;

But, in this kind, wanting your father’s voice, The other must be held the worthier.

Hermia I would my father look’d but with my eyes.

Theseus Rather your eyes must with his judgment look.

Hermia I do entreat your Grace to pardon me.

I know not by what power I am made bold, Nor how it may concern my modesty In such a presence here to plead my thoughts; But I beseech your Grace that I may know The worst that may befall me in this case, If I refuse to wed Demetrius.

Theseus Either to die the death, or to abjure For ever the society of men.

Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires, Know of your youth, examine well your blood, Whether, if you yield not to your father’s choice, You can endure the livery of a nun, For aye to be in shady cloister mew’d, To live a barren sister all your life, Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon.

Thrice-blessed they that master so their blood To undergo such maiden pilgrimage;

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