Many people thought that fairies lived in their own kingdom and couldn’t be seen by humans. The fairies only let the humans see them occasionally in dreams. This is symbolic, because it refers to the title of Shakespeare’s play ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. The magic that was used in the play helped the play come to life, because it creates humour. In the video adaptation, the magic would be done in special effects to make it look mysterious and supernatural, because of the new technology we have now. In a theatrical production in the globe, which was a popular venue back then, would have been done with assistance of props and direction. They used the trap doors at each end for dramatic entrances and the balcony for special scenes and musicians to fill the mood.
The unique form of language that Shakespeare made his own was dramatic/theatrical poetry, which he used in the play regularly. The Elizabethan age was a time of improvement and development to the modern English vocabulary. Shakespeare helped with this with his vocabulary and use of metaphors and imagery in his plays, which were correspondingly affluent and fundamental. In Shakespeare’s play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” he uses the language to converse towards the audience imaginatively, all prospective the stage couldn’t provide. Shakespeare’s play is not just the matter of descriptive writing, but somewhat a sketching in a scene or setting. Not only in visual appearances, but it is also creating an emotional ambience too. In ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ the language used by Shakespeare developed different patterns.
There are patterns of power between men and women, mortals and fairies, royals and normal citizens and so on. This is proved in act 1 with Egeus demanding his daughter to marry Demetrius, “with cunning hast thou filched my daughter’s heart…consent to marry with Demetrius, I beg the ancient privilege of Athens.” This is showing as well as a pattern of power from the father and the duke over the father’s daughter, that the Elizabethan age was still in a time of patriarchal society. Writing is in part creating images with words; well also acting creates images too (but on stage).
The play has reference to other stories from other literature such as Pyramus and Thisbe, or a man being transformed into an ass. This is suggesting the play is a mythical play or a dream made up from other myths at that time. This is symbolical to the title “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. The Pyramus and Thisbe plot made the play more dramatic in a sense because Shakespeare wrote another play within another play. I think it helped the play’s emotional atmosphere more humorous in the fact that the preparation of the play didn’t go to plan. This was due to the fairies changing bottom to an ass to trick Titania. And he doesn’t realise that he has changed even though his speech has changed as well as his looks. This is quoted on act 4 scene 1, “come sit thee down…and kiss thy fair large ears my gentle joy”.
The way the mechanicals play is presented by Shakespeare’s language, makes it look impractical. In the video adaptation, the play is what I thought helped made the performance entertaining and theatrical. In the passage in act 5 scene 1 where Pyramus and Thisbe talk to each other, compare themselves to many different lovers, with the minor problem of getting the names wrong. This co-exists with the plot of the Athenian lovers. I think the passage shows that young love can be treated seriously, but can also have a funny side to it from the outsiders, as shown in the play. When the play was chosen by the duke, they all wanted to be centre of attention and because of this messed up the play, which I think resulted in making the audience feel heartbreaking for Pyramus and Thisbe after all they die for their love for each other, and give thanks for their dramatic play.
Even though I have seen the video adaptation and read the play, I could still imagine by how the play is set out how amazing it would have been presented in the walls of the globe theatre. Overall I think Shakespeare’s play is a dramatic play to watch with all the plots filled with humour, deception and love. I would recommend everyone to watch the dramatic performance.
