A Midsummer Night's Dream

By William Shakespeare

Gorgeous, strange and magical, A Midsummer Night's Dream is perhaps the best-loved of Shakespeare's plays.

Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is illustrated throughout by Sir John Gilbert, and includes an introduction by Ned Halley.

A young woman flees Athens with her lover, only to be pursued by her would-be husband and her best friend. Unwittingly, all four find themselves in an enchanted forest where fairies and sprites soon take an interest in human affairs, dispensing love potions and casting mischievous spells. In this dazzling comedy, confusion ends in harmony, as love is transformed, misplaced, and – ultimately – restored.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Release date: Aug 11, 2016
• ISBN: 9781509831616

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is the world's greatest ever playwright. Born in 1564, he split his time between Stratford-upon-Avon and London, where he worked as a playwright, poet and actor. In 1582 he married Anne Hathaway. Shakespeare died in 1616 at the age of fifty-two, leaving three children—Susanna, Hamnet and Judith. The rest is silence.

Book preview

Contents

INTRODUCTION

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

ACT I

SCENE I

SCENE II

ACT II

SCENE I

SCENE II

ACT III

SCENE I

SCENE II

ACT IV

SCENE I

SCENE II

ACT V

SCENE I

GLOSSARY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION

Consider the plot. In Athens, Girl 1 loves Boy 1, but her father commands her to marry Boy 2, whom she refuses. The Duke of Athens orders Girl 1 to obey her father and marry Boy 2, on pain of death or exile to a nunnery. Girl 2, who is Girl 1’s best friend, loves Boy 2. But Boy 2, who once professed love for Girl 2, insists he now prefers Girl 1. Girl 1 and Boy 1 abscond to a wood near the city, where the Duke’s remit does not run, to effect the forbidden marriage. Girl 2 hears of the plan from Girl 1 and tells Boy 2, who pursues Girl 1 to the wood to prevent the marriage. Girl 2 follows Boy 2 to the wood, in which an argumentative Fairy King and Queen interfere in the relationships between the Girls and Boys. After magical mishaps and bizarre encounters with a theatrical troupe who happen to be in the wood to rehearse a play they are putting on for the Duke of Athens’s forthcoming wedding, Girls, Boys and Fairies are all reconciled. Girl 1’s father and the Duke forgive the elopers, and there are marriages for the 1s and the 2s as well as the Duke.

Small wonder that Boy 1, Lysander, tells Girl 1, Hermia, in the opening scene of A Midsummer Night’s Dream that:

The course of true love never did run smooth

Were an outline of such a play presented to a theatre producer at any time, let alone in Elizabethan London at the zenith of English drama, the author could surely be expected to get short shrift. To quote indeed from the script of A Midsummer Night’s Dream itself:

This is the silliest stuff that ever I heard.

So what on earth is it that makes this extraordinary entertainment the best-known and arguably the best-loved of all Shakespeare’s comedies? Reading the play now, more than four centuries after it was written, the fog soon lifts. The play is a triumph of the imagination, and concerns the most enduring of all dramatic themes, love and marriage. Written in the most delightful poetry, incorporating a lot of sexy innuendo and more than a sprinkling of fairy dust, it has all the ingredients of a hit in any age.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is, as far as scholars have discovered over a very long period of research to date, an original work of art. Written in 1595 or 1596, in the same period that Shakespeare penned Richard II and Romeo and Juliet, both with distinctly derivative storylines, the fantasy appears to be entirely its author’s invention.

There are some traceable references, of course. Theseus is the hero of Greek legend who succeeded his father Aegeus as king of Athens following adventures such as the killing of the Minotaur. Theseus also conquered the Amazons, whose queen Hippolyta he carried off. Note that Shakespeare gives the name Egeus to the father of Hermia, rather than of Theseus. This might betray a gap in the Bard’s acquaintance with mythology (Ben Jonson famously remarked that his friend and rival’s classical knowledge consisted of ‘small Latin and less Greek’), or it might be a clever reference to another Theseus legend, that the hero was the son not of mortal Aegeus but of the sea god Poseidon. Either way, Shakespeare will have taken the references from a popular book published in 1579, The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romanes by Sir Thomas North. It was a vivid translation of an epic work by the Greek-born biographer and philosopher Plutarch, Parallel Lives, written in the first-century AD. Numerous characters and plot strands were borrowed by Shakespeare for his plays from this source.

Chaucer’s The Knight’s Tale, one of the Canterbury Tales of about 1378, is also reckoned a source by scholars, as the tale concerns the rivalry in tournament between two prisoners of Theseus for the hand of Emilia, Hippolyta’s sister. Shakespeare evidently had access to an edition of the tale in The Workes of Geffrey Chaucer published in 1579, drawing on some of the language for A Midsummer Night’s Dream as well as the characters of Theseus and Hippolyta.

A few other characters are believed to have been influenced by earlier sources. Oberon might be inspired by The Boke of Duke Huon of Burdeuxe, a 1534 translation by Lord Berners, and The XI Books of the Golden Asse by Apuleius, translated in 1566 by William Adlington. According to the British Library, this ‘provided Shakespeare with some aspects of Bottom’s transformation with an Ass’s head, and Titania’s infatuation with him.’ The library also mentions The Discovery of Witchcraft by Reginald Scot of 1584 in relation to Bottom’s transformation, and as a source for the character of Robin Goodfellow, or Puck.

Other names in the cast that might be familiar from elsewhere include Helena, the legendary beauty of Greek myth once carried off by Theseus but better known for another abduction that precipitated the Trojan War. Lysander is a more substantial figure, whose place in Athenian history was that of Spartan victor over Athens in the Pelopponesian War that ended in 404 BC.

The principal theme of love and marriage in the play, of course, requires no such scholarly attribution. It is as old as the ancient Babylonian myth of Pyramus and Thisbe (Shakespeare knew it from Ovid’s Metamporhosis) that gets such a mangling from Bottom and his fellow ‘rude mechanicals’ as the play-within-the-play rehearsed in the wood and performed at the Duke’s nuptials.

It is likely that A Midsummer Night’s Dream was itself originally written as a wedding entertainment. The probable occasion was the marriage of Elizabeth Carey at the Blackfriars, London, home of her father Sir George Carey in 1596. The groom was Thomas, the son of Lord Berkeley. Sir George’s father Henry, the first Lord Hunsdon, had been Lord Chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth and patron of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the theatre company for which Shakespeare wrote most of his plays as well as working as an actor. In that same year of 1596, Henry died and Sir George succeeded him in both roles.

By 1600 when the first quarto edition (a book formed of four-page sections each made from twice-folded single sheets) was published, A Midsummer Night’s Dream was already known to wider audiences. As the title page of the quarto mentions, the play ‘hath been sundry times publickley acted’ by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. On New Year’s Day 1604, probably in front of the new monarch, King James I, the play was performed at court.

Is the play more than a mere entertainment? The drama has been exhaustively deconstructed by students of literature, with every kind of metaphor attributed to the story and its setting, the sexual ambiguity of the fairies, the real-life-versus-dream-life duality symbolised by Athens and the moonlit wood, and so on. Of all Shakespeare’s plays, this is the one most open to interpretation by directors and performers – and most vulnerable, inevitably, to every kind of wild distortion, extension and abuse. This makes a convincing argument for reading the play. On the page, it is an easy, lyrical extended poem with a lot of cheerful jokes, a good deal of thought-provoking dialogue, and a narrative direction that is by no means tortuous or bizarre. It is short, too, at only about 17,000 words; Romeo and Juliet, for example, has a script half as long again.

Naturally enough, the play has been much adapted to dance and musical productions. One of the earliest surviving reviews came from the pen of Samuel Pepys, who went to a performance in 1662: ‘To the King’s Theatre, where we saw A Midsummer Night’s Dream which I had never seen before nor shall ever again, for it is the most insipid ridiculous play that I ever saw in my life. I saw, I confess, some good dancing and some handsome women, which was all my pleasure.’

Fast forward to 2009, when a reviewer for The Guardian, Lyn Gardner, had little better to say of a rather extended production at London’s Novello Theatre: ‘It is not Shakespeare’s script that ensures this evening lasts for over three hours, but all the spurious comic business that has been imposed upon it. If they would cut the jokes and just tell the story, it would be half as long and twice as funny.’

In the time between, adaptations of the play have had some notable successes. Composer Henry Purcell used the story for his musical masque The Fairy Queen in 1692; it received only one performance before Purcell’s untimely death in 1695, but was triumphantly revived early in the twentiethth century when a lost manuscript was discovered. It remains one of great highlights of English Baroque music, and the frequent performances have been widely recorded.

But the music most closely associated with A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the overture written by German composer Felix Mendelssohn in 1826 (when he was aged just 16) and the further incidental music composed in 1842. The play, unperformed in its original form since the seventeenth century, was much revived on the London stage in the Victorian era, and

Reviews for A Midsummer Night's Dream

[jfoster_sf · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great romantic comedy.

[writercity · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite Shakespeare tales that give me a new laugh every time. I've re-read it and love the characters of Helena and Hermia more every time.

[hvymetalmg · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Having taken a Shakespeare class in college, I've read, studied and analyzed a number of the bard's plays. This was a sleeper as it turned out to be my favorite. If a book this old can make me laugh, that says something, especially when most television shows today can't make me smirk.

[ckarmstr1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a more narrative version of Shakepeare's play. The story is told like any other story not in play form. Shakespeare's stories are meant to be seen not read, so the illustrations in this book help the story come alive. This is one of Shakespeare's most lighthearted tales, and I think the illustrations do it justice.

[fredacochran · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Read it in high school. Loved it, it was funny

[librarylou · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of my favourite Shakespeare plays, very witty and funny.

[kerrilea-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great story of romance with enough trickery to make it fantastical. He loves her but she loves him, and nothing is ever clear when you're in the middle of it all!

This is an easy-to-read for anyone who is new to Shakespeare, play formats, or both. I highly recommend this for a fun look into romance and the drama that naturally ensues. It seems that we all have our own Fae dictating the rules of our hearts, sometimes.

[osunale · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I consider this my first Shakespeare: this is the play that made me fall in love with the master. It's a supremely delightful work that never wears thin with time. It's that immortal "O lord, what fools these mortals be" that does me in every time. Humorous and splendidly human despite the fairies dancing across the words.

[bryndahlquis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This will always be my favorite Shakespeare play. I love all the fairies, Puck especially, and I'll never get over the four lovers' quarrels when half of them are under spells. Plus, how can anyone not enjoy Pyramus and Thisby?

[grytajme · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was a stagehand for this. Incredibly fun.

[cathywoolbright · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Every read of this classic reveals another tongue in cheek pun. This humorous comedy of errors deals with love, romance, fairies in an enchanted forest, a traveling actors' troupe that passes itself as professional, but offers comic relief, mistaken identity, and of course parents at the crux who will not let true love have its way. Just a simple, straightforward Shakespearean tale. Enjoy!

[caralpeacock · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like teaching A Midsummer Night's Dream to the 8th graders because a lot of it is written in prose (plain language instead of poetry) so it's easy to read. It also keeps the students' attention because it is full of love spells and people falling in love with the wrong people. It's kind of like a soap opera... and it's FUNNY!!

[jennaelf · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Nothing is funnier than the reversal of social degrees, is it?

C'mon, the mighty Titania falls in love with a working class sod who has the head of an ass! AND his name is Bottom!

Shakespeare, you cheeky bastard.

[norabelle414 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's no Twelfth Night (my favorite comedy), but it's still one of Shakespeare's better plays. I especially laughed at the 4 lovers' tendencies to follow each other around like puppydogs. I was interested to notice a difference in the speech between the mechanicals and everyone else (fairies, noblemen/women). In their everyday speech, the mechanicals did not use pentameter, while everyone else did.

[vandev11 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” follows two interwoven stories, one concerning the marriage of Lysander and Hermia, and the other concerning the transformation of Nick Bottom into a donkey by the queen of fairies.This is one of Shakespeare’s more easily accessible plays for younger audiences, although the plot lines can be confusing at times. This play shows the lighter side of Shakespeare’s works and can be very rewarding for students who are unfamiliar with or daunted by Shakespeare’s works.

[haruka3h · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Some decades ago we couldn't marry fleely.Sometimes we forced to marry who didn't want to marry.I think it is very sad.This book has many characters.So it's story is little complicated.But I felt happy to be all the people became happy at the end of the story.

[deckla_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Perfect comedy.

[rbeene-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's Shakespeare. Wonderful story but I prefer his tragedies.

[dmtcer-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was on a Shkespeare kick!

[phoenixcomet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's Shakespeare, so I'm naturally biased as to its excellence. The play is short, sweet, funny, endearing and my daughter is going to perform in it so I wanted to know the story line prior to watching her on stage. The King of the Fairies and Puck causes all sorts of mischief amongst the humans Lysander, Demetrius, Helen, and Hermia, not to mention the trouble he causes for his wife Titania and Botton, the merchant actor.

[amaraduende · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

*gasp* Can I put Shakespeare in my fantasy shelf? :)

This is just such a delicious treat to read. Do yourself a favor and read it outloud - at least parts of it. It's just so fun.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This classic Shakespeare comedic play features two men in love with the same woman who both end up falling for another woman after Puck errs. Shakespeare, who often incorporates elements of fantasy, included faeries in the play. There's even a play within the play in this one. It's not my favorite Shakespeare play, but it's a good one.

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Far too contrived for my reading enjoyment. I'm certain that it is charming when performed on stage, but the premise wore thin upon reading. I really had no feel for the characters and cared little for their fate.

[paradox98_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite comedies. Significant to me because I've actually been in a love rhombus, as it were; therefore, I can relate some of the characters.

[aarondesk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A comedy by Shakespeare on love and marriage. The way he mixes English culture with ancient mythology is brilliant.

[glenline · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A hilarious masterpiece. A great romp in the woods. Having the characters stage a play seems unique to me.

[katieloucks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

great!! I love this show!

[kennethwdavis_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My favorite Shakespearean comedy, a miracle.

[kristina_brooke-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love sharing Shakespeare with my 5 year old. This is a very good children's version of one of my favorites. She loved it and was scolding Puck for being such a bad boy!

[cebellol · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Still one of my favorites, but I am reminded that some plays can be read and some are better watched. This is one that is better on the stage, but that doesn't mean that it shouldn't be experienced in some way or another. I got a little twisted up a couple times because some of the names are similar & I wasn't paying complete attention to who was supposed to be reading.