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A Midsummer Night's DreamCreation of the playA Midsummer Night’s Dream was probably created in 1595 or 1596. The play cannot be earlier than the baptismal feast for Prince Henry, eldest son of James VI of Scotland, in 1594. An account of the celebrations, A True Repertorie, was entered on the Stationers’ Register the same year and became one of Shakespeare’s sources. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is mentioned by Francis Meres in Palladis Tamia, published in 1598, and must have been performed by then. It is usually dated to the same period in the mid-1590s as Shakespeare’s Richard II, Romeo and Juliet, and Loves’s Labour’s Lost, all of which are similar in style. Early performancesThe title-page of the first quarto of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, published 1600, states that the play ‘hath been sundry times publickley acted’ by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Its first public performances were probably at the Theatre. However, it is generally agreed that the play was created to celebrate a wedding in a noble household. There are two such occasions appropriate for this first performance. One is the wedding in 1595 of Elizabeth Vere, Lord Burghley’s granddaughter, to William Earl of Derby at Greenwich Palace. The other, considered more likely, is the wedding in 1596 of Elizabeth Carey to Thomas, son of Lord Berkeley at the Blackfriars house of the bride’s father, Sir George Carey. Elizabeth Carey was the granddaughter of Henry, Lord Hunsdon, Lord Chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth. Lord Hunsdon was the patron of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, Shakespeare’s company. A Midsummer Night’s Dream was probably performed at court on 1 January 1604. Publication in quarto and folioA Midsummer Night’s Dream appeared in four editions before 1642.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream was entered on the Stationers’ Register by Thomas Fisher on 8 October 1600. It was printed for him by Richard Bradock that same year. The second quarto appeared with the imprint ‘printed by Iames Roberts’ dated 1600. It was, in fact, one of a group of ten plays printed by William Jaggard for Thomas Pavier in 1619. These were apparently intended to form a collection of plays attributed to Shakespeare. The King’s Men may have protested against Pavier’s intentions, for the Lord Chamberlain subsequently wrote to the Stationers’ Company demanding that no more plays belonging to them should be printed except with their consent. British Library copies of A Midsummer Night's Dream contains detailed bibliographic descriptions of all the quarto copies of the play. Shakespeare’s sourcesThere are no specific sources for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but Shakespeare did draw on several works for various aspects of the play.
Story of the playA Midsummer Night’s Dream is set in Athens and the surrounding woods. (Act 1) In Athens, Theseus, Duke of Athens, and Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, look forward to celebrating their marriage. Theseus decrees that Hermia must marry Demetrius, although she is in love with Lysander. Hermia and Lysander agree to run away together in secret. Helena loves Demetrius, although he is in love with Hermia. She learns of the plans of Hermia and Lysander and decides to tell Demetrius. Bottom the weaver and his fellow craftsmen rehearse the play about Pyramus and Thisbe that they hope to present during the marriage celebrations. (Act 2) In the woods outside Athens, night falls. The King and Queen of the Fairies have quarrelled. Oberon sends Puck for a love-potion, with which he can take revenge on Titania. He sees Helena unhappily pursuing Demetrius, and instructs Puck to use the love-potion on him. While Titania sleeps, Oberon uses the love-potion on her so that she will fall in love with the first creature she sees on waking. Hermia and Lysander are lost in the woods. Tired, they sleep and Puck uses the love-potion on Lysander by mistake. He awakes, sees Helena and instantly falls in love with her. John Gielgud as Oberon, 'I know a bank where the wild thyme blows', (Act 3) Bottom and his fellows meet for another rehearsal. Puck transforms Bottom with an ass’s head, and the others run away in fear. Titania awakes to see Bottom and is immediately enamoured. Oberon and Puck see Demetrius pursuing Hermia and discover Puck’s error. Hermia flees and the tired Demetrius lies down to sleep. Oberon uses the love-potion on Demetrius just as Helena arrives, pursued by Lysander. Demetrius awakes, and falls in love with Helena. Hermia enters to find Demetrius and Lysander quarrelling over Helena. She and Helena quarrel as well. Oberon commands Puck to put things right. Puck leads the lovers through the woods until all are tired, once he has Hermia alongside Lysander and Helena alongside Demetrius, he lets them settle down to sleep. Puck uses an antidote to the love-potion on Lysander. John Gielgud as Puck, 'My mistress with a monster is in love', John Gielgud as Oberon, 'Thou see’st these lovers seek a
place to fight', (Act 4) Titania dallies with Bottom, still wearing his ass’s head. They fall asleep together. Oberon uses the antidote to the love-potion on Titania. She awakes and is repelled by Bottom. Oberon and Titania are reconciled. Day breaks as Theseus and Hippolyta arrive with a hunting party. They discover and awake the sleeping pairs of lovers. Theseus decrees that Hermia will marry Lysander, and Helena will marry Demetrius. Bottom, restored by Puck to his natural appearance, awakes. He is convinced that his amorous adventures with Titania were a dream. (Act 5) Back in Athens, the three couples, Theseus and Hippolyta, Hermia and Lysander, and Helena and Demetrius have each been married. Bottom and his fellow craftsmen play the story of Pyramus and Thisbe before the newly-weds. The three couples leave to enjoy their wedding-nights. Oberon, Titania, and Puck come to bless the house and all its occupants. |
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