By William Shakespeare

SettingTime:

The treatment of time is inconsistant – generally covers 4 nights and days

Most of the action takes place during one long frantic night

Place: Athens in Ancient GreeceThe play opens at the Court of Theseus – a sunny,

rational, social ordered worldThe main action occurs in the Athenian woods

outside of the town at night – a mysterious world filled with spirits and passions

At the end of the play we return to the daytime and the Court of Theseus

PlotThe plot can be broken down into sections using the

Acts.

EXPOSITION (Act 1): The problem with the four lovers is revealed. They each seem to be in love with the wrong person.

RISING ACTION (Act 2): The quarrel between Oberon and Titania intensifies. Lysander is given the love potion.

CLIMAX (Act 3): Oberon’s plan works. Bottom is transformed and Titania is humiliated. The lovers are in complete disarray.

Plot - ContinuedFALLING ACTION (Act 4): The lovers, Titania

and Bottom wake up from their ‘dreams’. Oberon and Titania are reconciled.

RESOLUTION (Act 5): The three couples are married offstage, and the play within the play is performed,

Let’s play a love game, a love game

The Worlds of the PlayThe play has 4 different worlds or realms

#1: The Royal Court (of Theseus and Hippolta): an extremely social world. It stands for the orderly workings of society.

#2: The Romantic World (of Aristocratic lovers): They travel from court to the woods and back to the court again. This realm is governed by passions and stands for man’s volatile emotional life.

Worlds of the Play - Continued#3: The Workday world (of the rude mechanicals):

Represents the material world because of their simple trades, physical comedy and earthy sensibilities.

#4: The Fairy world (of Titania and Oberon): The fairies are delicate, mysterious and have creative power and poetic art. They represent the world of the spirit.

All together, these worlds that exist simultaneously represent the human universe.

ParadoxDefinition: A statement that contradicts itselfExamples from this play:

Theseus woos Hippolyta “with his sword”. Meaning that they feel in love on opposite sides of the battlefield. Thus two enemies become lovers. This also happens with Pyramus and Thisbe

Helena’s affection for Demetrius seems to make him hate her. Whereas Hermia’s hatred seems to make him love her.

SymbolismDefinition: When something concrete (an

object, a person, etc) is used to represent something abstract.

We will look at three symbols:Theseus and HippolytaThe Love PotionThe Craftsmen’s Play

Theseus and HippolytaThey appear in the daytime at both the

beginning of the play as well as at the end

They represent order and stability that contrasts with the uncertainty, instability and darkness of most of the play

Their reappearance in the play (Act 4) signals the end of the dream state of the previous night and a return to rationality.

The Love PotionIs used by the fairies to wreak romantic

havoc through Acts 2 to 4

It becomes a symbol on unreasoning, fickle, erratic and undeniably powerful nature of love which can lead to inexplicable and bizarre behaviour and cannot be resisted

The Craftsmen’s PlayThe play within a play takes up most of Act 5

It represents (in condensed form) many of the important ideas and themes of the main plot.

It’s a symbol for A Midsummer Nights Dream itself (a story involving powerful emotions that is made hilarious by its comical presentation

ThemeThe theme of a piece of literature is its central

idea which can be stated in general terms.

There are several themes in A Midsummer Nights Dream. Such as:Love ultimately triumphs in the endLove presents pitfallsAppearances are deceivingFather doesn’t always know bestDream the impossible dreamLove has no law but it’s own

Love ultimately triumphs in the endDespite the obstacles they face, the central

characters eventually unite with the ones they love

This relates to the power of love*a general topic for theme to use for

comparative pieces*

Love presents pitfallsAll of the lovers encounter mishaps before

they achieve their hearts’ desire – marriage to the one they love above all others

As Lysander tells Hermia, “The course of true love never did run smooth” (1.1 ln 134)

This is related to Relationships

Appearances are deceivingAgain and again – thanks in part to Puck’s

pranks – reality wears a deceptive mask

This relates to Appearance vs. Reality

Father doesn’t always know bestEgeus orders his daughter Hermia to marry a

man she does not love.Hermia protests and runs awayIn the end it is proven that Hermia knows her

own mind best

This relates to Individual Power vs. Authority

Dream the impossible dreamBottom, Snout, Quince and Flute – all bumbling

comic characters – think of themselves as witty, wonderful actors.

Because of this, they put off a play and it gets chosen to be performed at the wedding

Thus, one should dare to dream and your dream will come true – or at least you will have fun and enjoy life

This relates to Dreams: the importance of believing in yourself

Love has no law but it’s ownLove is not always fair or predictable

This relates to Emotions