A Midsummer Night's Dreamwas written around 1595-6 and within it there is much opportunity for reference to Shakespeare's contemporary world and life.

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Contextualisation.

     

A little background information.

     A Midsummer Night’s Dream was written around 1595-6 and within it there is much opportunity for reference to Shakespeare’s contemporary world and life.

     The play's title, for example, refers to an old English holiday custom on the night of “Midsummer’s Eve” or summer solstice on June 23rd. On this night English men and women would tell stories of fairies and witchcraft. It was believed that spirits were particularly active on this night. The play also refers to the rite of May or “Maying”. This is a familiar English tradition that took place on the first night of May, where young men and women could engage in singing and dancing (and possibly more) in the woods outside their towns. It is likely this is where Shakespeare got the ideas for setting and themes.

     At the time the play was written these traditions were under attack from the English puritans, who called them “pagan practices,” saying there was too much scope for to much mischief. Shakespeare may have been seen to be defending such traditions by giving the play a happy ending after all that midsummer madness, showing the traditions as harmless or even desirable.

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Why was the play written?

     It is thought that the play was originally written to be performed first at the house of a nobleman as part of his wedding celebrations. If this was the case when the company performed Act V the noblemen and women in the first audience would be watching other noble men and women do just as they were, watching a play on a wedding day.

     It is said that one of the wedding guests was Queen Elizabeth I. If this is true it would it would be expected that ...

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