How would you direct the scenes depicting love between Titania and bottom to show the differences between the Mortal and Immortal worlds and to bring out Shakespeares humour?
How would you direct the scenes depicting love between Titania and bottom to show the differences between the Mortal and Immortal worlds and to bring out Shakespeare's humour?
I am going to study and then direct the scenes that depict the similarities and differences between the Mortal and Immortal worlds. To do this, I had to study, Act 3 Scene 1, lines
09 - 196, in which Bottom's head, has been changed into an asses; and Titania (the queen of the fairies) has fallen in love with him due to a love potion thought up by the powerful Oberon. And Act 4 Scene 1, lines 1 - 102, this scene is showing that Oberon has found out about Titania falling in love with Bottom, so he tries to undo the spell. Through directing this, I shall show lighting, the purpose of characters, etc in relation to the movements and use of voice by characters in William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Nights Dream'.
This play is thought to have been written for a Wedding at Wilton House in Wiltshire, and was first performed in front of a guest of honour. This guest was, Queen Elizabeth 1, so it must have been an important wedding.
William Shakespeare wrote this play with a great amount of thought. He might have based Theseus, on The Lord of the Manor at Wilton House, to whom he is performing the play at the wedding. In which case this play was written for a certain person. The mechanicals represent the actors that perform for The Lord of the Manor.
As we enter Act 3 Scene 1 line 109, Titania has had a love potion put on her eyes, as a result of Oberons trick which was because Titania had adopted an Indian boy because his biological mother had died at birth, and now Oberon wants him to become one of his fairies, but Titania does not agree. Bottom has just had his head transformed into an asses at the relish of Puck. All the other actors have hurried off back to Athens, because of this monstrous trick. Bottom then awakes Titania from her "flowery bed" (Act 3 Scene 1 line 126) to discover that she has fallen madly in love with him.
The social status of Bottom is as it sounds, 'Bottom', he is a weaver who works for a living, like now, back in the 1590's, there were three classes. The lower working class like Bottom, middle class and upper class, Theseus, Titania etc. Hermia and Lysander are at this moment asleep in the forest after an argument and so are now confused. " I pray thee gentle mortal sing again" (Act 3 Scene 1 line 134) This quote has 10 syllables like many other lines spoken by Titania during the play. You can see that the upper classes, ...
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The social status of Bottom is as it sounds, 'Bottom', he is a weaver who works for a living, like now, back in the 1590's, there were three classes. The lower working class like Bottom, middle class and upper class, Theseus, Titania etc. Hermia and Lysander are at this moment asleep in the forest after an argument and so are now confused. " I pray thee gentle mortal sing again" (Act 3 Scene 1 line 134) This quote has 10 syllables like many other lines spoken by Titania during the play. You can see that the upper classes, i.e. Theseus, Titania, tended to speak in verse, which was to show aristocracy. Whilst the lower working classes, had a tendency to speak in prose, mainly because they didn't need to prove anything ie. " Methinks Mistress you should have little reason" (Act 3 Scene 1 line 139).
Self-orientation is a major factor in the characters attitude towards other characters, especially the upper classes. Unlike the lower orders, who normally follow each other around, due to lack of self-confidence. Speaking in verse also shows that he/she has been educated. The English language was much more summarised 300 years ago. They had phrases to show a group of words e.g. "to serve mine own turn" (Act 3 Scene 1 line 146) means: "for my purpose". Unlike now where we speak many more long winded sentences.
In Act 4, Scene 1 the language is much the same as Act 3 Scene 1. The difference is that both Bottom and Titania are more relaxed now. Bottoms language is harsh and coarse, but still has slight respect for Titania. He remains humorous even though he is bedazzled by what has happened to him. I admire the way he stands up for himself ie. "I had rather have a handful or two of dried peas" instead of settling for nuts suggested by Titania. Ie: "Truly, a peck of provender..."
Which translates as "Truly, a bundle of food" roughly.
Meaning he is grateful for the comfortable conditions in which Titania has cared for him. From lines 147 through to 157, Titania speaks in rhyming verse. Then later on she rhymes ever line through a speech ie
"eyes"
"dewberries"
"mulberries"
"bees"
"thigh"
"eyes"
"arise"
"butterflies"
"eyes"
This is a style of rhyme that enables the lines to be linked. The rhyme is not a perfect rhyme, but the words do sound alike. Bottom is told by Titania that "Thou art wise as thou art beautiful" (Act 3 Scene 1 line 144) which has a double meaning. It can mean in Titanias eyes that he is clever because of his beauty, but as the audience and Shakespeare know that Bottom's head is an asses, then theoretically he was as clever as an ass. So Shakespeare is saying to the audience that the characters are "not as wise as thou art beautiful".
Which brings me to Act 3 Scene 1. This scene is one that I shall be directing and staging. I shall start with the costumes, which I think will be lavish and wild. The costume of Titania will be very daunting to the characters of Puck and other minor fairies.
Titania and her minor fairies will have frizzy hair that spans a metre in diameter and is glinting with glitter. Bottom shall be in a shirt, waistcoat, and jacket but no tie. The jacket will be tweed and brown trousers. This will be common dress for all the mechanicals to state that no one of them is any better than the rest.
The costumes are designed to look silly and will show the humour of Shakespeare in a childish format. The characters wont realise this, as they think that the dress they are wearing is modern and fashionable for that period and style. But hopefully the audience will notice this and enjoy the witty act.
I shall use the lighting in this scene from the ground, glaring up into the canopy of the forest. This can show night-time. The scenery: Trees will be made by draping brown cloth from the ceilings and leaves just scattered around the edge of the stage, so they can be brushed away when not needed. Actors and actresses will enter via the wings from a highrised platform, to indicate that they; are entering a small dwelling in the forest.
Fig 4. The movement of the fairies in this scene will be controlled ie.running around in small corners while the main characters, battle it out centre stage to explain the story. To show movement through the forest between Titania and Bottom to Titania's dwelling I will have a tree in the middle, so that they can walk around it. Repeating the circuit again and again so to pass time and to set the scene. Ideally, someone would play Bottom, like Danny Devito, and Titania by an obscure looking actress like Julia Roberts. So Titania would preferably be taller than Bottom. The minors shall speak in quiet quick whispers, while the main characters slow and loud. Silence will show pause and music will show emotion.
Because this play is set at night I shall have mirrors up above, so the light can be reflected down again to imitate stars.
Oberon and his fairies will have uncut freeflowing hair with lights on the end to show other fairies. To show more fairies in the background, I will have lots of small lights being projected onto a black cloth at the back of the stage.
When Titania finally comes around from this mind trick, she will be horrified and will have to be carried off the stage by her attendants and Puck. Bottom will then be thrown out of the dwelling and will wake up in the morning at the side of the forest, thinking it was a dream
These scenes are relevant to the rest of the play. Basically this all happens when the four Athenians begin their night. Bottom comes into the forest and Oberon casts a spell over Titania. Shakespeare couldn't have written A Midsummer's Nights Dream without intending to combine factors from each theme incorporating these different factors into his work to produce an almighty theme. Which is all set in a night!
"A Midsummer Nights' Dream"
Midsummer refers to the longest day of the year which is the 24th June. 'Dream' suggests that the fairies live in a dream like world due to the Mortals entering the fairies environment, and realising difference between the Mortal and Immortal worlds.
A Midsummer Nights' Dream is a play in which the two worlds live together but only the immortal world know that the mortals exist, but the mortals do not know that the immortals exist This is like the new story "Harry Potter" in which J K Rowling could have taken the idea of separate worlds.
The message that I want to give to the audience is that the play, or from Act 3 through to Act 4 is set all in one night; and all that has happened is a dreamy, unrealistic account of a weaver that was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
My staging of the play will be interesting, visually and linguistically. With the scenery as I placed, and the props as I have mentioned, will make it easier to perform and understand the play from the viewpoint of the audience. The bright lights may effect people medically, but they will add atmosphere to the slow moving scenes in the fairies environment. The music in the fairies environment will be fast but quiet due to the speaking of important actors and actresses.
The language I hope will be fluent and will add character to the play along with the casting and lighting.
The music will be mainly classical, with an orchestra, so that the characters actions can be magnified with extra depth. The male characters in the play can have a deeper pitched instrument. Then female characters can have higher pitched instruments. Running and partying can be expressed with quick jerky sounds. The scenes of love between Titania and Bottom can be played by a gentle stringed instrument ie. The Harp. Overall, I hope that the play will be enjoyed by both younger and older members of the public, and can confidently demonstrate my version of William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
Ben Martin