Oberon listens into the conversation between the pair, and he decides to side with Helena. He decides to help Helena out, as he feels she deserves someone to treat her fairly, and someone that will make her very happy. He tells Puck to drop some of the potion from the magical flower into Demetrius’ eyes.
Whilst Titania is sleeping Oberon put the magical drops into her eyes. Mean while Lysander and Hermia enter the woods and fall asleep. Puck saw Lysander in the woods, confused, he put the drops into his eyes.
Helena then goes deeper into the woods after losing track of Demetrius. She sees Lysander on the floor. He is still and very pale, and Helena thinks he is dead. She begins to shake him and he awakes. Lysander looks into Helena’s eyes and he falls instantly in love with her; he does not love Hermia any more, thanks to the magical flower. Lysander follows Helena leaving Hermia alone; he tries to convince her of his undying love.
As Hermia is left alone asleep she has a terrible nightmare. She has a nightmare of a serpent eating her heart. The images create a vision of hell. Hermia wakes to find Lysander is not there, she is scared and very worried.
The actors try to find a ‘convenient place’ for their rehearsal. They discover the wood is the perfect position to practice. The actors continuously seek to find fault with the play. They suggest that the killing of Pyramus could not be shown because it would scare the women watching. They also recommended that they could not have the part of a lion roaring as the audience would be afraid. After the trouble getting the play started, they began. Puck enters on scene; he is unseen and unheard. He thinks to himself what do we have here? Puck’s character is portrayed as a mischievous character; this shows when he plants an ass’s head on Bottom’s head.
The mechanicals create humour with word play, and also there are many misunderstandings. The actors do not know what impact they are having on the audience, as they are not supposed to be comedic. However they are and don’t know which adds humour to the language and imagery.
Bottom is puzzled as the actors surrounding him run away from him calling him names whilst being afraid. This is very ironic. He wonders around singing and whistling to himself. Titania awakes and when she notices Bottom she instantly falls in love with him. She instructs her fairies to tend to his every need. Imagery and themes of slavery are presented here.
Puck explains to Oberon about his incident with Bottom and he agrees it was better than he could have devised. The duo watch Hermia and Demetrius in an argumentative conversation. Hermia believes Demetrius has hidden Lysander from her, so he can have her for himself; this is far from the truth. Demetrius tried to justify himself, but Hermia would have none of it. He eventually gave in, lied on the floor and fell asleep. Oberon realises Puck has made a mistake with the magical flower.
We are then with Lysander and Helena, and Lysander is still trying to convince Helena of his love for her. Demetrius wakes to find Helena, and once again the magic begins, he loves Helena. Helena thinks the two men are lying to her, trying to mock her. She thinks everyone is in on the supposed plot, including Hermia whom now enters dazed and confused. This suggests the theme and idea of love is confusing.
The two women argue. Hermia accuses Helena of steeling Lysander’s love from her and Helena argues that she is in on the act. Demetrius and Lysander begin to row about who loves Helena the most. The arguments are full of extreme dislike emotion and generate images of hell once again. There is a theme of jealousy here.
Puck is told to fix his problems. He pretends to be each human to separate them and get the right couples together, Hermia and Lysander, and Helena and Demetrius.
Titania is fussing over Bottom and the fairies are taking very good care of him too. Oberon begins to feel sorry for Titania falling in love with a so-called monster. He makes her fall back in love with him. She thinks she was having a bad dream when she wakes up back in love with her real partner.
Theseus, Hippolyta and Egeus find the lovers and Bottom. Egeus is reminded that it is time for Hermia to make her decision about whether to live or die, but Demetrius interrupts and says he does not want to be with Hermia, as he does not lover her, he loves Helena. He believes you should be with the person you love, and not be forced into it. The Duke and Queen resolve the matter by allowing the two couples to be together for eternity. Bottom is left sleeping.
Once again we have images of the sun and moon, they are symbolic of the natural forces having control over other things. They suggest magic fate and forces have an impact and influence on happenings. This also suggests and links into astrological horoscopes which many people read today. People try and change fate, to prevent bad things from occurring.
The actors cannot find Bottom until when he decides to wake and shows up late. Everyone turns up to watch the play at the wedding. The play is performed with some comedic wit. The clock strikes twelve and it is the end of the Summer Solstace. Everything turns magical and is enhanced by the fairy world.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is still a very important play today. It shows and teaches us of issues in and around love and furthermore magic. In the play Oberon serves as a magical counterpart to the human males and, thus, in his relationship to Titania, provides a different view of love and the relationship with the beloved. The magic that Oberon chooses to teach Titania a lesson is responsible for all the comic misadventures of the plot.
The play additionally shows us how men and women treat each other. Hermia and Lysander demonstrate the relationship of undying love towards each other. On the other hand you have the relationship between father and daughter, Egeus and Hermia. Egeus wants Hermia to be with someone whom she does not love, and tries to threaten her. This illustrates that not only is Egeus being selfish, he is also being protective and wanting the best for his daughter. This establishes tension as the audience is left to decide whom they side with.
Another example of how men and women treat each other is the association of Helena and Demetrius. Helena does all she can for Demetrius and is very affectionate towards him, however Demetrius dismisses her out of hand because he doesn’t care for her. Still today we find families and partners arguing about love, you can even find arguing between men and women in the work place fighting for equal pay. This is one of the many reasons that A Midsummer Night’s Dream is still important in today’s society. This part of the play also symbolises arranged marriages in cultures and today’s civilization. This is also shown through the battle of power between Oberon and Titania, and again today via religion.
The play what's more presents to the audience the theme of magic, and the issue that magic, or even money cannot buy love. It displays that relationships are not an ‘easy ride’ and do need working at. ‘The course of true love never did run smooth’. In the play the magic seems to do more harm than good, creating a moral to the story; magic can do no good, it is evil and can hurt people in many ways not realised.
The idea of the play is revolved around the inspiration of the Summer Solstace. The Summer Solstace is the longest day of the year, and it is believed this is the day when amazing magical happenings occur. The background of the play and the framework is built around the Summer Solstace. All the things happening in the play, the lovers, the goings on in the fairy world and the mechanicals all have an effect on the outcome of the circumstance they are leading up to. A modern audience would have problems in understanding the context of the magic because in a play it is a lot harder to parade magic as you cannot use camera tricks as it is live, you need to demonstrate it visually. Shakespeare’s language creates word play with humour and misunderstandings.
The main problem we had to overcome when producing our own version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is whether to modernise the play by rewriting the words in the spoken English we use today, or just cut down the play into the most important speeches. There were three speeches I found difficult to understand, here is one:
- Puck’s speech Act III Scene 2.
My mistress with a monster is in love. Titania loves a beast.
Near to her close and consecrated bower, Near her secluded and ordain home,
While she was in her dull and sleeping hour, Whilst she was doing the boring job of sleeping,
A crew of patches, rude mechanicals, A group of clowns, rough working men,
That work for bread upon Athenian stalls, work for food on stalls,
Were met together to rehearse a play met together for rehearsals
Intended for great Theseus’ nuptial-day. Intended for the day Theseus is to be wed.
The shallowest thick-skin of that barren sort, The silliest, most sensitive empty-headed lot,
Who Pyramus presented, in their sport presented Pyramus via entertainment
Forsook his scene and entered in a brake; Pyramus left the stage for a brake;
When I did him at this advantage take, I took advantage of this,
An ass’s nole I fixed on his head I fixed upon him an ass’s head on his own head
Anon his Thisbe must be answered, Thisbe was not there and didn’t answer,
And forth my mimic comes. When they Comic actors come forth. They spy on him,
him spy,
As wild geese that the creeping fowler eye, Watching like hunters,
Or russet-pated coughs, many in sort, Great number of colours ranging from reds-
browns-greys,
Rising and cawing at the gun’s report, dodging the end of the gun,
Sever themselves and madly sweep the sky, scatter madly across the sky,
So at his sight, away his fellows fly; When he looks friends go away;
And at our stamp, here o’er and o’er one falls; Stamps, falls;
He ‘murder’ cries, and help from Athens calls. Upset, help comes.
Their sense thus weak, lost with their fears Can sense weakness, lost fears become strong,
thus strong,
Made senseless things begin to do them wrong; ‘pathetic fallacy’
For briars and thorns at their apparel snatch; Things snatch, stick in and ruin clothes
Things can be snatched from those who give up.
Some sleeves, some hats; from yielders all Other people earn from giving up.
things catch.
I led them on this distracted fear, I side tracked the people with fear,
And left sweet Pyramus translated there; Left Pyramus transformed;
When in that moment, so it came to pass, At that passing moment,
Titania waked, and straightway loved an ass. Titania woke and straight away fell in love with
Bottom.
This speech tells and shows us that Puck is ecstatic with the magical influence on Titania, as she loves a monster. It all happened when the mechanicals were performing their practice run for the wedding near where Titania is sleeping. During a brake the comedic Puck plants an ass’s head on Pyramus’ own.
The actors where scared when they saw Pyramus and looked upon him as prey. They were dressed in great number of colours ranging from reds-browns-greys. When Pyramus looked at his so-called friends roles changed, Pyramus became the hunter and the mechanicals dodged and scattered madly as if they had had a gun pointing directly at them.
Bottom is extremely upset to find his friends have deserted him, and then help comes. Titania awakes and falls in love with Bottom. This speech suggests that those who give up loose what other people gain. Bottom gained Titania’s love, but lost his friendship with his friends because they deserted him. Oberon lost Titania, but she gained Bottom through Oberon’s own selfishness.
As Puck is a mischievous, loving jokes person I think he should be dressed as a jester. I feel it would suit his character. Bottom should be a rather large character by the usage of padding. This shows him to be greedy, as he is to a certain extent eager to play all parts in the play.
I also believe we should dress the mechanicals as clowns, as they are idiotic and dim. Portraying these characters also can reflect that the play is accidentally rather funny. The colour scheme should be reds, browns and greys seeing that this is suggested in Puck’s speech.
Water guns or plastic toy guns can be used to display the feelings of the mechanicals and Bottom’s character Pyramus, as both are presented as the pray during Puck’s speech. The tone of Bottom speeches should be in a sad tone as he has lost all his friends.
During the play many of the characters come across in many different viewed ways. Helena comes athwart in many themes. She seems to be sweet and innocent, as she cannot have love returned to her from Demetrius; however, she caused strife between her friendships with Hermia as she told Demetrius of Helena’s plans to elope.
On the other hand she is grounded, passionate and witty despite her unrequited love although many obstacles and problems she always carries herself with grace and maturity that contrasts with Hermia’s more petulant behaviour. For these reasons she could be displayed with a mature presentation, being very prim and proper as she moves about the stage; walking with her back straight and dainty gloves.
As Helena comes across sweet and innocent for these areas and sections of the play she could be dressed in soft pastel colours, to give ‘sweet candy-like’ looks. Although she could be dressed in bold, bright solid reds and also black skimpy clothes and make-up to symbolise that she is scheming in the case of the planned elope and as a tart or prostitute as she acclaims the love of Lysander and Demetrius. Helena could also be portrayed as the devil, being possessive and containing enormous amounts of jealousy towards her friend Hermia, as she is depicted as a beautiful woman. For this she could be dressed in a black cape, horns and a mask.
At the start of the play we are exposed to the conflicts between Egeus, his daughter Hermia and his arranged marriage between his daughter and Demetrius. We are encouraged at the start of the play that Demetrius is a clever witted, charming, good-looking and smart guy. He is revealed to be a very consistent man and lover and he is direct, but firm about his desires.
The dashing man is willing to confront each situation he finds himself in, regardless of its absurdity, and to attempt resolution and harmony. For these reasons I feel that there are three ways in which he can be displayed as. The first is in a suit, tie, hair slick back and shiny shoes creating him as a perfect angel. The suit could possibly be white symbolising purity and goodness in the man who wants to acquire the love of Hermia.
The second is as a peacemaker. In the play we find him reconciling friends and family. The most famous of these is when he tells Egeus he no longer wants to marry Hermia as he is happily in love, and so to is Hermia and what would be the point in spoiling the peace and happiness, to cause sadness.
The final presentation of Demetrius could be a doctor in a modern world today as he confronts every situation despite its irrationality.
Puck could also be shown as a womaniser. The fairies were sometimes friendly to humans but could also be cruel or mischievous. Fairies were usually conceived as busy, characteristically beautiful or handsome and having lives corresponding to those of human beings though longer. In support of these explanations maybe the fairies could be dressed half good and half bad. One side of their face and body could be decorated in black as representation of cruelty and mischief. The other half could be dressed in white in contrast, presenting the fairies as friendly and good. Also showing an issue of authority versus rebellion, which is a continual theme, rose throughout the play.
A Midsummer night’s dream has three plots running through at the same time making it extremely confusing for the audience to understand. The variety of different plots ranges from the lovers, to earth and the fairy world. I think Shakespeare wanted his story line to be confusing as the main moral coming from his play is that love is confusing. For this reason I feel he shows and creates love confusing to show the real extent and effect love can have on people. The wood scenes are also very confusing adding to the tension building up with the confusion.
The confusion of the audience reflects that of the characters. It makes the audience think that a resolution is improbable. This causes chaos and mystification, which in turn makes the viewers think. I think this is the whole purpose of the play; to make you think.
I feel that you cannot change the plots to make it simpler as I believe it would take something special away from the play. The confusion makes the play better as you are kept in much suspense making everything that happens a surprise. I would consider cutting down some of the minor speeches to shorten the play as I deem this would not have a direct impact on the feelings and the outcomes of the play.
If a modern re-work was to take place the two issues that should be emphasised which would has the most important relevance to today’s society is Authority Vs. Rebellion and Love Vs. Lust.
Authority is shown today in key members of society. It can be found in the work place, at home or at school. Rebellion is also found in these places mainly between parents and their children. Parents telling their children what to do and them doing the exact opposite. In a modern day version of A Midsummer night’s dream we could have the play set in a school and show the full blown effect of rebellious students and their bad habits.
Love and lust are often confused still in today’s civilization. I think this is a very important issue to be raised and I think it should be targeted at teenage girls, as I feel this would appeal most, and teach them the most. We could have this as a relationship perhaps between teacher and student confusing love with lust and showing the true implications of something like that happening.
I feel the school setting would wok well today as it targets some important areas which could be example through a play and hopefully preventing today’s people making the same mistake in the future; e.g. dugs, affairs. I contemplate over whether magic would still work in the play today as the teenagers at present and older know that magic is not real and this is where the essential target audience would be, as they would appreciate the film more. Perhaps the magic could be replaced with a drug, again trying to get the message across that drugs are bad.
Overall I think that Shakespeare has composed an amazing written play and I think it should be altered as little as possible, but so that it appeals to today’s society. Setting in today’s modern society, in a school, could possibly do this for example.