AN INTRODUCTION TO SHAKESPEARE COMEDY

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

BACKGROUND

A Midsummer Night’s Dream has long been one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays.

It was probably first performed in 1595 or 1596

May have been written for a special occasion (a wedding)

BACKGROUND

Shakespeare used elements from earlier stories and folklore to write Midsummer.

He does not retell other people’s stories, but weaves these elements into a story of his own.

THESEUS AND HIPPOLYTA

A famous story that is found is several different forms throughout Greek and English literature.

One example can be found in Chaucer’s A Knight’s Tale

According to the myth, Theseus conquers Hippolyta and then they get married.

B O RR OW ING CHARACTERS AN D OTHER EL EM ENTS

The characters of Egeus and Philostrate (from Midsummer) are also borrowed from Chaucer.

In Midsummer, one of the storylines involves a fighting King and Queen, this storyline is also borrowed from Chaucer.

PYRAMUS AND THISBE

In Midsummer, one of the storylines involves the retelling of a well known myth called “Pyramus and Thisbe”.

Pyramus and Thisbe involves two young lovers who are forbidden to be together. In the end, they commit suicide.

In Midsummer, this story turns from tragedy to comedy, due to the fact that the actors performing are really, really terrible.

FUN FACTSThe traditional wedding march was originally composed for a version of Midsummer Night’s Dream

FUN FACTS

Before Shakespeare and his contemporaries portrayed fairies as harmless sparkly flying creatures, fairies were associated with the devil. (It's a good thing Shakespeare came along and wrote A Midsummer Night's Dream – otherwise, we might not have characters like Tinker Bell.)

FUN FACTS In the 1989 movie Dead Poets Society, one of the

film's central characters lands the role of Puck in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. The play within the film adds layers of meaning to many of the themes from both works, including obedience to parents, poetry, the pastoral, and more.

SHAKESPEARE COMEDY

Comedy today differs from what was considered a “comedy” in Shakespeare’s time

Comedy is Shakespeare times didn’t always mean the play was going to make you laugh.

Comedy in Shakespeare’s time could be funny, but Shakespeare offered more than a laugh.

COMEDY CHARACTERISTICS

In Shakespeare’s comedies, things always turn out for the better (meaning there is always a happy ending and no one dies)

Word Humor- Audiences in Shakespeare’s day loved Verbal Humor. Especially puns, the worse, the better.

COMEDY CHARACTERISTICS

Quibbles- Audiences loved word quibbling ( a form of verbal arm wrestling in which each opponent tries to squeeze as many meanings out of a word as possible)

Topical humor- Shakespeare, like comics today, used topical humor. There may be references that we do not understand today, but to the audiences that saw plays when they were first performed, they were very topical.

COMEDY CHARACTERISTICS

Running Gags- Audiences in Shakespeare’s time loved references to “cuckolds and cuckoldom” A Cuckold is a man whose wife is unfaithful, making him a sexual loser who can’t satisfy a woman. It comes from the cuckoo, a bird that lays egss in other’s nests.

According to legend, a cuckoo grew horns on their brows. Thus any reference to a horn or anything connected to a horn (a goat, deer, ram, etc) would make the audience roar with laughter.

THINGS YOU WILL SEE

The main action is about love.Mistaken identities – not always but usually.The lovers or “would-be” lovers must overcome multiple obstacles and misunderstandings before being united in harmonious union.Usually, not always, but usually it includes elements of the improbable, the fantastic, the supernatural, or the miraculous.

THINGS YOU WILL SEE

Philosophical aspect involving weightier issues and themes; personal identities; the power of language; and appearance vs. reality.Family tensions – resolved in the end.Frequent use of puns – yup, it’s punny!

MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

http://www.sparknotes.com/sparknotes/video/msnd

THERE ARE 4 STORIES IN THIS PLAY

1. The main storyline involves 4 young lovers: Hermia, Lysander, Helena, and Demetrius.

Hermia and Lysander are in love. BUT Hermia’s dad wants her to marry Demetrius, even though Demetrius and Lysander are pretty much equal in status, wealth, and looks.

Hermia loves Demetrius loves Demetrius, but he wants to marry Hermia, probably because Hermia is prettier.

LYSANDERCitizen of some standing in Athens, listens more to his heart than to the law and customs, quick to act – even if somewhat impetuously)

Loves Hermia; Hermia loves him

But Egeus does NOT approve

DEMETRIUS

Loves Hermia but she does not love him

Helena LOVES him

Of equal social standing as Lysander

Believes Hermia will learn to love him if the law (and Egeus) decrees Hermia his

DIFFERENT than Lysander – he listens to the law and customs – not heart.

EGEUS

Upstanding citizen on Athens,

listens more to social and legal guidelines

than to his own daughter’s heart.

HERMIA

Daughter of Egeus

Believes that love is more

important than anything else

Stubborn to the point of self-destruction

HELENA

Acts as a victim of fate

Treated unfairly

Believes that intellect overpowers the emotions of love

THERE ARE 4 STORIES IN THIS PLAY

2. Another plot in this story involves the King and Queen of fairies.

• King Oberon and Queen Titania are fighting in the forest outside Athens.

• There are 2 reasons for the fight. • 1.Each believes the other is cheating. • 2. Titania has custody of a changeling boy, and Oberon

wants him.

OBERON

King of the fairies

Manipulator

Proud and strong

TITANIA

Queen of the fairies

Proud

More trusting and emotional than Oberon

PUCK

Oberon’s jester

Trickster

Manipulator

Also referred to as –• Robin Goodfellow

THERE ARE 4 STORIES IN THIS PLAY

3. All the action of the play takes place during the days leading up to a wedding.

• The Duke of Athens (Theseus) is going to marry the Queen of the Amazons (Hippolyta)

• Theseus and Hippolyta are anxious for the wedding to arrive. Do I need to explain why?

THESEUSDuke of Athens

• Law-abiding citizen, dedicated ruler.

HIPPOLYTA

Queen of the Amazons

About to marry Theseus

THERE ARE 4 STORIES IN THIS PLAY

4. Finally, the comic relief. There is a group of Athenians who want to put on a play for the Duke’s wedding. …

• The “mechanicals” as they are called are a group of men who have everyday jobs. They want to be the entertainment at the wedding.

• They rehearse in the forest, where chaos ensues. • They perform at the wedding, they are really bad

actors.

NICK BOTTOM

Weaver

Plays Pyramus in the play “Pyramus and Thisby”

Believes he is the BEST

Full of himself

PETER QUINCE

Carpenter

Director of play

Natural leader

FRANCIS FLUTE

Bellows mender (pipes of an organ)

Plays Thisbe – think of flute (high voice)

Would rather play a knight or warrior

than a woman

TOM SNOUTTinker (pan and kettle mender)

Plays The Wall

Ironic that he is the wall

with holes, which is

opposite to the holes

he mends in the pots

SNUG

Furniture maker

Plays the lion

He is given a part with NO lines

because he admits to being “slow of study”

ROBIN STARVELINGA tailor

Plays moonlight

Tailors were known to be thin

CONFUSED ALREADY?