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A Midsummer Night's Dream: William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564 – died 23 April
1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as
the greatest writer in the English language and the world's
pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national
poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviv-
ing works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative
poems, and several other poems. His plays have been trans-
lated into every major living language, and are performed
more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare
was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18
he married Anne Hathaway, who bore him three children:
Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Between 1585 and
1592 he began a successful career in London as an actor,
writer, and part owner of the playing company the Lord
Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He ap-
pears to have retired to Stratford around 1613, where he died
three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life
survive, and there has been considerable speculation about
such matters as his sexuality, religious beliefs, and whether the
works attributed to him were written by others. Shakespeare
produced most of his known work between 1590 and 1613. His
early plays were mainly comedies and histories, genres he
raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of
the sixteenth century. Next he wrote mainly tragedies until
about 1608, including Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, con-
sidered some of the finest examples in the English language. In
his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as ro-
mances, and collaborated with other playwrights. Many of his
plays were published in editions of varying quality and accur-
acy during his lifetime, and in 1623 two of his former theatrical
colleagues published the First Folio, a collected edition of his
dramatic works that included all but two of the plays now re-
cognised as Shakespeare's. Shakespeare was a respected poet
and playwright in his own day, but his reputation did not rise
to its present heights until the nineteenth century. The Ro-
mantics, in particular, acclaimed Shakespeare's genius, and
the Victorians hero-worshipped Shakespeare with a reverence
that George Bernard Shaw called "bardolatry". In the twentieth
century,
1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as
the greatest writer in the English language and the world's
pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national
poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviv-
ing works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative
poems, and several other poems. His plays have been trans-
lated into every major living language, and are performed
more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare
was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18
he married Anne Hathaway, who bore him three children:
Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Between 1585 and
1592 he began a successful career in London as an actor,
writer, and part owner of the playing company the Lord
Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He ap-
pears to have retired to Stratford around 1613, where he died
three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life
survive, and there has been considerable speculation about
such matters as his sexuality, religious beliefs, and whether the
works attributed to him were written by others. Shakespeare
produced most of his known work between 1590 and 1613. His
early plays were mainly comedies and histories, genres he
raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of
the sixteenth century. Next he wrote mainly tragedies until
about 1608, including Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, con-
sidered some of the finest examples in the English language. In
his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as ro-
mances, and collaborated with other playwrights. Many of his
plays were published in editions of varying quality and accur-
acy during his lifetime, and in 1623 two of his former theatrical
colleagues published the First Folio, a collected edition of his
dramatic works that included all but two of the plays now re-
cognised as Shakespeare's. Shakespeare was a respected poet
and playwright in his own day, but his reputation did not rise
to its present heights until the nineteenth century. The Ro-
mantics, in particular, acclaimed Shakespeare's genius, and
the Victorians hero-worshipped Shakespeare with a reverence
that George Bernard Shaw called "bardolatry". In the twentieth
century,
99 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 12, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 22, 2022
'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is an interesting play - one staged with multiple marriages in Athens, and some interventions by the Fairy Folk.
As it carries on, it becomes very much intrigued with the comedy of errors-esque trope in certain Shakespearean comedies - where the man loved by one woman is plucked by Puck and enchanted to love the wrong woman. Some of the comedic aspects are admirable, though I must say, the play's language is far less intriguing than other comedies, tragedies and histories.
**************
The 'Dream' is written in a very smooth, stripped-down manner when compared even to Shakespeare's other comedies. This play is a raucous, rollicking, ribald affair where consummation never actually happens, and love gets messed with on numerous levels.
The motifs on the loss of identity (or slipperiness) I think intrigued me more than any other parts of the play, in comparison to Love, Magic, Loss of Reason, and its other themes. It fits with the forest setting - everyone becomes someone else, whether the other object of an affection, or the very literal transformation of Bottom into an Ass. Puck seems above it all, being the servant of Chaos. He is the Player - the one most conscious of being in the Play, and the Play-within-the-Play, serving perhaps as an authorial figure for Billy S. He lacks any sense of true identity beyond his smart-ass mischief-making. He sets in motion most of the mishaps and lost love connections, seemingly suspending identity, time, space, and person at will while the play takes its zany course.
************
Despite all this, I would say that 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is overrated, and perhaps just one of Shakespeare's "fun plays" - comedy for the sake of comedy, rather than having to say anything deep with and through the comedy. I much prefer 'Twelfth Night', 'The Merchant of Venice', and the comedic aspects of 'Hamlet', to be honest. Perhaps I am wrong, as Shakespeare far surpasses my depths, but that is how I have felt.
As it carries on, it becomes very much intrigued with the comedy of errors-esque trope in certain Shakespearean comedies - where the man loved by one woman is plucked by Puck and enchanted to love the wrong woman. Some of the comedic aspects are admirable, though I must say, the play's language is far less intriguing than other comedies, tragedies and histories.
**************
The 'Dream' is written in a very smooth, stripped-down manner when compared even to Shakespeare's other comedies. This play is a raucous, rollicking, ribald affair where consummation never actually happens, and love gets messed with on numerous levels.
The motifs on the loss of identity (or slipperiness) I think intrigued me more than any other parts of the play, in comparison to Love, Magic, Loss of Reason, and its other themes. It fits with the forest setting - everyone becomes someone else, whether the other object of an affection, or the very literal transformation of Bottom into an Ass. Puck seems above it all, being the servant of Chaos. He is the Player - the one most conscious of being in the Play, and the Play-within-the-Play, serving perhaps as an authorial figure for Billy S. He lacks any sense of true identity beyond his smart-ass mischief-making. He sets in motion most of the mishaps and lost love connections, seemingly suspending identity, time, space, and person at will while the play takes its zany course.
************
Despite all this, I would say that 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is overrated, and perhaps just one of Shakespeare's "fun plays" - comedy for the sake of comedy, rather than having to say anything deep with and through the comedy. I much prefer 'Twelfth Night', 'The Merchant of Venice', and the comedic aspects of 'Hamlet', to be honest. Perhaps I am wrong, as Shakespeare far surpasses my depths, but that is how I have felt.
November 9, 2020
A Midsummer Night's Dream takes place in Athens. Our character Theseus, the Duke of Athens, is planning his marriage with Hippolyta. This story is filled with classic Shakespeare drama, murderous rage and love. Between Hermia, her true Lysander, and the man she is told to marry Demetrius. We find the events of Hermia and Lysander to be tougher than they imagine when they can't marry and Hermia will either be killed or sent to a nunnery for not marrying the man her father chose. This story gets juicy and keeps you on the edge of your seat till the very. end
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews