Part One Discussion of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' by William Shakespeare
What has made this silly play endure centuries of adaptation? Why does Helena want to be a spurned spaniel? And WHAT IS LOVE?
Thank you for indulging my love of Shakespeare for this short summer readalong. If prose is more your thing, we will get back to a traditional novel next month with Quicksand by Nella Larsen. If you enjoy reading plays, or if you are up for a challenge, welcome to our Act I & II discussion!
Last week, I had the pleasure of seeing A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed at the American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin. My husband and I have been attending APT every summer (minus a couple due to deployment or pregnancy) for almost 16 years. Even though it wasn’t my favorite Midsummer performance, there was plenty to love about this year’s adaptation. Hermia and Helena far outshined their male counterparts; the actor who played Bottom was a comedic star. The set pieces caused distraction during climactic scenes, but a dual-performed Puck added unique interest to the play. It was a mix! It is incredibly helpful to have seen the play right before jumping into the text for this readalong, though. I could not have timed that more perfectly *pats self on back*.
After reading this week’s section, a very short Act I & II, I turned to JSTOR for inspiration and guidance on which direction to take us on our reading journey. With Shakespeare, there is TOO MUCH to choose from; we could spend ten newsletters on close readings in Act I alone. There are so many summary resources available for Shakespeare, so recaps are unnecessary. There is also plenty of solid scene-by-scene analysis at your fingertips.
What I can offer you instead is a targeted close reading experience, super nerdy deep dives from scholarly research, and discussion questions that bring the play into context with contemporary culture.
Let’s start with one of my favorite questions to ask of a Shakespeare play: what has made this piece of art endure for centuries?
In 1980, The Shakespeare Quarterly published an answer from M.E. Comtois, who explored the text’s “flexibility” and “hardiness” as a staple of summer festivals, experimental productions, and amateur attempts at adaptation. Comtois argues that the structure of A Midsummer Night’s Dream renders it “indestructible.” Whether a director sets the play in a circus tent, strips the musical interludes, or makes a big thematic statement, audiences are generally well-pleased.
We can see the set-up of this “hardy” structure in Acts I & II. Shakespeare gives us a peek at the end of the play: Theseus and Hippolyta are to be married and celebrate. Everything must culminate in this happy event, but Shakespeare drops in sub-problems to be solved first: Hermia must marry the man her father wants her to, or the celebration will be marred by discontent. The rude mechanicals must put together a play to be performed after the wedding ceremony, but they are interrupted by fairy magic. The fairy king and queen are in town to bless the marriage, but their own personal discord leads to mix-ups and antics that threaten the characters’ goals.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream makes an excellent play for individual scene performances, for acting classes, or Shakespeare festivals, because each scene feels completely its own. Scenes between the lovers feel like a traditional comedy, full of beautiful poetry and interpersonal conflict. Scenes between the fairies feel mystical, magical, and weird. Scenes between the rude mechanicals are slapstick, clownish, and meta (a play within a play). Midsummer is like a variety show, except each scene moves the play forward towards its inevitable conclusion. Each small problem solved gets us closer to the big problem, and all of these separately entertaining movements—when put together—do feel like a dream.
In Acts I & II, we fall into the dream world and meet our characters, who belong to four distinct groups:
Royalty
Lovers
Fairies
Workmen/Artisans
Let’s discuss gender dynamics between the lovers, take a closer look at monologues on love, and ponder the importance of Puck. I have marked core discussion questions in bold lettering, but please bring your own thoughts, questions, and observations to the comments.
