A Midsummer Night's Dream - William Shakespeare > Reviews > Ye spotted snakes

Author's product rating:   

Would you read it again?	Absolutely
Story	Good
Characters	Good
Readability	OK

Advantages:	actually very funy .
Disadvantages:	huge cast .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I am a huge fan of classic faerie literature, of which "A Midsummer Night's dream" is a good example. It shows us dangerously playful creatures more consistent with the mythological faerie than cutsy Victorian interpretations, and it's also very funny.

Midsummer night is one of the eyar's turning points, and like Beltain (may the first) and Samhain (Ocbober 31st) it is associated with the veil between worlds growing thin, and strange, magical things happening. In Shakespeare's play, we see two groups of mortals going out into the woods (the greenwood mythologically is associated with chaos, magic and strange goings on.) Group one are four young people - Helena, Hermia, Demetrius and Lysander. Demetrius and Lysander are in love with hermia. Hermia is in love with Lysander but is supposed to be marrying Demetrius. Helena is in love with Demetrius. Demetrius is in love with Hermia. Does it sound like a soap opera yet? Group two are a collection of artisans - Peter Quince, Bottom the weaver, Flute, Starveling and friends. They are rehersing a play to be performed at the king's wedding. Much of the comedy comes from this ittle troupe. Then we have the faeries - their king and queen, Oberon and Titania, have had a fallnig out over ownership of a mortal boy. Oberon employs a particularly wiley faerie called Puck to play a few tricks on the Queen and to sort the young lovers out. Bottom the weaver ends up with a donkey's head and with the faerie queen lusting after him. The lovers end up even moer confused, and much hillarity ensues. Puck is the classic troublesome faeire, Robin goodfellow, the prankster, perhaps there's even a suggestion of Pan in him. he's a wonderful character, and the focal point aorund which the various stories revolve.

Obviously, everything works out ok in the end, with everyone being married off or reconciled, as seems fit. The women are largely at the mercy of the men's choices, but I guess that's just a reflection of how the world used to work - men weilded the political power, and even though it wasn't fair, the women had limited choices.

This play features the device of a play within a play - and a very silly piece it is too, with people being eaten by a lion.

This is a truly funny play with humour that still makes sense for a modern audience. It's difficult to put on - the cast is huge (although it is just about possible to double up.)Bottom's donkey head presents a few practical problems as well. An interesting note - I encountered one production which implied a sexual erlationship between Oberon and Puck, with Puck largely motivated by jealousy - hence is delight in an opportunity to harass the queen. It worked very well.

For anyone interested in reading around, I would strongly recomend Neil Gaiman's "Dream Country" a graphic novel from the Sandman series, which includes a story in which Will's players put on "A Midsummer night's dream" for an unusual audience. I guarentee you will never see Moth, Peaseblossom,and Cobweb in quite the same way again!