A Midsummer Night's Dream Textual Analysis Thread

[caffinatedloz]

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

What is this thread for?
This thread is for discussing and understanding the text A Midsummer Night's Dream. It is a central place for inter-state discussion and sharing of resources, as well as a place to ask questions and discuss themes. Find the quote bank for A Midsummer Night's Dream here. Everyone is welcome to contribute; even if you're unsure of yourself, providing different perspectives is incredibly valuable. Please don't be dissuaded by the fact that you haven't finished Year 12, or didn't score as highly as others, or your advice contradicts something else you've seen on this thread, or whatever; none of this disqualifies you from helping others. And if you're worried you do have some sort of misconception, put it out there and someone else can clarify and modify your understanding! There'll be a whole bunch of other high-scoring students with their own wealths of wisdom to share with you, so you may even get multiple answers from different people offering their insights - very cool.

Summary:

You can also watch the full play here. I find that for me personally, when I was first studying Shakespeare, reading his plays and poems was quite difficult and time-consuming, and that a lot went over my head, but hearing the inflection and seeing the actions that accompany the dialogue made it a lot more understandable. I would recommend you find a way to watch this play if you are studying it.

When studying A Midsummer Night's Dream, I think that it is very important to understand that within the one play, there are four interwoven storylines (or four plot levels). These are Theseus and Hippolyta (the adults), the lovers (the teenagers), the mechanicals (Shakesperian tradies and the comedic relief of the play) and the fairies. The fairies have their own personal drama, but also play a big role in the drama that happens between the lovers (as well as messing with the mechanicals).

Themes:
LOVE & MARRIAGE
Despite the text being comedic and thus lighthearted in nature, this story certainly revolves around love and it's complications. The audience is not invited into deep emotional affection but rather compelled to laugh as the torments of love are poked fun at.

APPEARANCE AND REALITY / DREAMS
The theme of dreams is one that continues throughout the whole play. It is used as a way of characters explaining the bizarre things that they have witnessed to others or reconciling their own experiences with themselves. When Puck, Oberon's fairy, transforms the lead mechanical Bottom into a donkey's head, he has some very odd experiences with the fairy queen. The magic that has affected him is explained away as nothing more than a dream. The Bard uses dreams as a tool to manipulate time within the play and make the whole story a light comedy rather than a heavy drama, through Puck's final address to the audience where he suggests that if they did not enjoy the play, they should remember it as only a dream.

The theme of appearance and reality is also explored in the way that a play is contained within a play; the final play that the mechanicals perform at the wedding. The mechanicals do not understand "the magic of theatre" and are not skilled or intelligent enough to create a realistic and believable story. Snug the Joiner addresses his audience and asks them not to be afraid of him, and Puck addresses Shakespeare's audience.

Shakespeare seems to be saying, "We all know that this play isn't real, but you're still sitting there and believing it." That is a kind of magic too.

ORDER AND DISORDER
The play looks at the idea of social order and expectations. Egeus's family is almost ruined by his daughter Hermia wishing to marry the "wrong man". The idea of "natural order" is also looked at. When Oberon and Titania are fighting we see the seasons be disrupted as a result. Natural order being disturbed is also seen in every situation where fairies use magic. When magic is used, it upsets the natural order and ultimately leads to complications and a big mess. (Some people may prefer to examine this theme through the lens of nature or magic.)

JEALOUSY
Jealousy is a theme throughout all of the plot levels, however, it is most obvious when watching the Athenian lovers. Their jealousy creates a big and complicated mess. It is also evident between Titania and Oberon, as well as in the interactions between the mechanicals (to an extent).

Free Notes:
There are no free notes about A Midsummer Night's Dream on the ATARNotes site yet. Feel free to upload your own here.

Other Resources:
- Biographies about William Shakespeare can be found here and here.
- The sparknotes, shmoop and gradesaver pages may be useful.

Thread Index:

character

The Mechanicals

themes

questions

I personally think this is an absolutely wonderful text. It is so much fun and I hope that you really, really enjoy studying it! If you have any questions or contributions, please post them down below! I would love to chat further about this play!

[caffinatedloz]

THE MECHANICALS

Who are the mechanicals?
I have performed in A Midsummer Night's Dream twice and absolutely loved it. By far my favourite characters (and dare I say the audience's too) were the mechanicals. These guys are idiots; absolute bafoons. They are basically Shakesperian tradies. They are men that like to seem very tough and macho, but are absolutely terrible at acting. Together the tradies meet to prepare and rehearse a play that they perform at the end to Theseus, Hippolyta and the lovers at the final wedding. During their rehearsals, Oberon's mischevious fairy Puk plays a joke on Titania by transforming Bottom (one of the mechanicals) and giving him the head of a donkey, before having Titania fall in love with him. When the mechanicals see Bottom's new head, they are very, very afraid. But all works out in the end, in time for them to perform their terrible play and even worse "Burgomaster's" dance. See one example of such dance here.

BOTTOM
A cocky and confident leader. He is a weaver and chosen to play Pyramus, the lead role in the play that it to be performed. He is very excited and every time another role is given out, Bottom explains why, in fact, he would be the best person to do that role as well. Although this frustrates the others, as they adore Bottom so his bad behaviour is forgiven. He goes on a strange journey where he is waited on by Titania's fairies before returning in time to lead his crew in their play before the Duke.

QUINCE
Quince is the director of the play that is going to be put on by the mechanicals. He knows what he wants, but is often pushed to the side by Bottom. He is easily exasperated but quick to forgive. Quince reads the prologue of the play, which, was clearly written by someone with very poor grammar.

STARVELING
Starveling is the tailer, chosen to play the role of moonshine in the play. During the play he is mocked by many of the audience members and is quite salty in return.

FLUTE
Flute is the tradie who plays Thisbe in the play. Thisbe is the lady that Pyramus is to love and thus Flute cops a bit of a ribbing from the other mechanicals when the parts are given out.

SNOUT
Snout plays the part of the wall during the play. He holds out his hand to form a chink through which Pyramus and Thisbe whisper (and kiss).

SNUG
Snug is a timid and kind tradesman who doesn't know how to read. He is very gentle, and hates playing the part of the lion because he doesn't want to scare the ladies.

What scenes are they in?
- Act 1, Scene 2: The parts are given out.
- Act 3, Scene 1: The mechanicals meet and discuss potential issues with the play. During their rehearsal, something very strange happens to Bottom.
- Act 4, Scene 2: The mechanicals are very sad as it appears that Bottom has died. The men begin to get excited about their play.
- Act 5, Scene 1: The play is performed.