A character study of Nick Bottom

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A character study of Nick Bottom

The play “ Midsummer night’s Dream” was written by William Shakespeare in 1595 and is set in Athens, Greece. The play features four main groups of people, the court, the lovers, the rude mechanicals and the fairies, all of which are linked by love, marriage, the night and the natural world.

The title is paradoxical as, when the compound word “midsummer” is used it conjures a picture of the play taking place during a joyful and enjoyable time, whereas the word “night” implies that the play occurs during a dark and frightening time. The oxymoronic title gives the impression that the play is unreal and magical.

Nick Bottom is a lower class weaver who considers himself to be a very important and professional person, as he dresses very smartly in the modern film version of the play. This gives us the impression that he is very conceited about himself as well as his appearance. In Act I Scene (ii) Bottom is introduced to the play as the mechanicals gather to determine the roles of each character.

Immediately Bottom tries to take control of the situation, as he says “ First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats on; then read the name of the actors; and so grow to a point”. This shows that Bottom is very bossy, and that he thinks that he is the leader, as he gives Quince precise orders to follow. This also shows that he is a very committed actor as he is very eager to know his role in the play.

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Bottom becomes full of himself and very pompous as he begins to beseech for various parts of the play, as he says, “ let me play Thisbe too. I’ll speak in a monstrous little voice”. In my opinion this shows how ardent and desperate he is for glory, as he searches for more parts to play.

Bottom then asks to act the part of the lion, but is refused by Quince, as he feels that Nick’s acting is of such a high quality that he may frighten the ladies. Bottom says “I will roar that I will ...

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