After the opening title in the Noble version, a vision of a small boy’s room fades in. This is an added scene by the producer to add to the suspense and creation of a dreamy theme. The camera guides the audience around the room. The dark and shady room creates a sinister feeling, as we are shown the boy’s toys. One thing that sticks out is the boy’s play theatre. We see these objects reoccurring in the boy’s dream and some of the characters in his dream may be mixed up with the people in his real world. The boy also has the book of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ next to his bed. This is why all the characters from the book appear in his dream, as things from the mortal world are being transported and mixed up in the boy’s dream.
The boy’s dream then takes us to a bright, colourful corridor. Everything is larger than life. Because of the way that Noble has created the film, this is possible. Anything can happen in a dream. It is surreal. The bright colours at this point in the Noble version are mainly reddish colours. When dreaming, colours symbolise different feelings and emotions. Red represents many of these feelings, one of them being anger. The boy maybe experiencing lots of anger in his household. Anger is one of the next emotions shown in the Noble version of the film.
The opening of the Hoffman version of the play is far more realistic. The audience are shown an open courtyard. The setting is calm. There is a fountain in the middle of the yard. Running water is supposed to symbolise relaxation and calmness, which is continued throughout the first scene. The clothing in the Hoffman version is metaphorical to the character. For example, Theseus wears clothes like a Greek God as he is the Duke of Athens and has lots of power. He wears long, baggy, white clothes that to me symbolises a Greek God or power.
The Noble version, still in the boy’s dream, reveals the boy looking through a rather large keyhole. The boy sees the first view of love in the play as Theseus and Hippolyta share a passionate moment.
Theseus won Hippolyta’s hand at battle. He beat her at war, which meant she had to marry him. The two would rather call it true love. They both seem to be madly in love, as they cannot wait for their wedding day. Four days from their wedding day, Theseus expresses how he can’t wait for the big day. He says, ‘Another moon – but o, methinks, how slow this old moon wanes! She lingers my desires, like to a step-dame or a dowager long withering out a young man’s revenue’. This means that days feel longer, as he can’t wait for their wedding day.
At this point in the Noble version, there are many candles and bright colours. The actors also wear brightly coloured clothes. This is to reinforce the fact that we are watching a boy’s dream and anything can happen. This is why everything is larger than life and bright colours are uncharacteristically used.
The next love relationship to enter the play involves envy and hate. Egeus enters the room with his daughter, Hermia. In the Noble version, Egeus wears green clothing. In a dream green is supposed to represent envy. This is what is shown as the next characters enter, Lysander and Demetrius. The room erupts into a bad tempered argument.
Hermia and Lysander are in love but Demetrius loves Hermia and has her father’s consent to marry her. Hermia refuses to marry Demetrius, as she loves Lysander. The argument gets out of control. Demetrius and Lysander almost come to blows. Theseus comes to the conclusion that Hermia must either agree to her father’s wishes, never marry anyone or die.
Hermia and Lysander prove how love can drive people to madness, as they decide to run away into the woods. They are willing to give up everything they have for love. Love is a powerful thing. This proves that some people will do anything for love.
Helena enters the room. She is envious of Hermia, as Helena loves Demetrius but he loves Hermia. Hermia is Helena’s best friend and tries to make her feel better by telling Helena of her plan to run away with Lysander. Hermia explains that this would leave Demetrius for Helena.
The fact that some people will do anything for love is again demonstrated, as Helena stabs her best friend in the back. Helena decides to tell Demetrius of Hermia and Lysander’s plan to try and win him over. Helena also feels that in the woods, alone with Demetrius, anything could happen.
The next characters to enter the play are the Mechanicals. The play is a romantic comedy. A lot of the play’s comedy comes from the Mechanicals. They are a group of actors that want to fulfil a dream. This dream is to write a play good enough to perform for the Duke, which would get them their pensions. The Mechanicals are a subplot to the play and take the action away from the chaos and gives the play a wider variety.
The Mechanicals are all portrayed to be ambitious but most of all Bottom. His enthusiasm lightens up the mood of the play. For example, as the parts are being read out, Bottom is asked to play the part of Pyramus. He enthusiastically quizzes Peter Quince about the part. When the rest of the parts are being read out, Bottom continuously interrupts and requests that he plays other parts as well as Pyramus. On one occasion, Bottom pleads, ‘And I may hide my face, let me play Thisbe too’. He then starts acting out Thisbe’s part in a squeaky voice, which is quite humorous.
Peter Quince appears to be a leader, as he takes the leading role of the Mechanicals. He also seems quite intelligent, as he has written a whole play. He is also directing it, showing his leadership qualities. The other Mechanical that stands to me, even though he says little, is Snug the joiner. This is because of his studying inequalities and his inability to realise that a lion does not speak. This is also quite humorous.
The Hoffman version of the film shows slapstick humour at the very first sighting of Bottom. As Bottom is acting out one of the parts that he would like to play, a crowd gather around him. Whilst he acts, he has a huge grin on his face. As the crowd grows bigger he starts acting to his audience. Two drunken men on a balcony above Bottom tip red wine over Bottom. This provokes a laugh from the audience and wipes the grin off Bottom’s face. After reading the play, this does not appeal to me as Bottom, as he is not one to get upset over a practical joke.
I think that the Noble version shows more slapstick comedy than the Hoffman version. The most noticeable event being the moment that Titania and Bottom share on Titania’s huge umbrella. Bottom makes noises of an ass and I found this very funny.
I prefer the Bottom on the Noble version of the film, as he is louder and more active. He is what I would call a slapstick comedian. He has more character about him. On the Hoffman version, Bottom gets upset about a practical joke. I could not see this happening with the Bottom on the Noble version.
Athens is a society that believes in law and order, which an Elizabethan audience would feel comfortable viewing. Law and order are mainly demonstrated in the first scene of the play, where Hermia is being told to respect her father’s wishes or face the consequences. Hermia’s father was willing to see his daughter die if she did not respect his wishes. This also demonstrates power, as Hermia’s father has the power to control her. In the Hoffman version, powerful clothing is also used to show who is the more powerful.
The need for power in the fairy world causes trouble in the mortal world. What ever happens in the fairy world has a direct effect on the mortal world. For example, when Titania and Oberon are arguing over a small Indian boy, there are storms in the mortal world.
Oberon demonstrates his need for power by requesting that he has the small Indian boy. He does not need the boy for anything but wants to take the boy from Titania to prove that he can and show that he is more powerful than her.
The fairy world seems to be disordered in the way that Puck fails to carry out Oberon’s instructions correctly, as he put the love juice on Lysander’s eyes rather than Demetrius’. Also, disorder is shown by Oberon doing anything he can to get the Indian boy, not caring what harm he is causing. For example, Oberon is willing to make Titania fall in love with Bottom, with an ass’s head, in order to get the Indian boy.
In the Noble version of the film, when Titania and Oberon are arguing, bubbles are transporting fairies around. The boy is blowing these bubbles into the toy theatre, which has reappeared in his dream. One of the bubbles shows a reflection of this boy dressed as an Indian. To me, this implies that in the boy’s life, his parents represented by Titania and Oberon, could be arguing over him. In this case Titania and Oberon are arguing over an Indian boy, which appears to be the boy whose dream it is.
Shakespeare uses language to create the fairy world by describing nature’s beauty. Describing nature creates the feel of a world we do not know much about. Shakespeare uses phrases such as, ‘Swifter than the moon’s sphere’ and ‘To dew her orbs upon the green’. Orbs create the feeling of jewels, like jewels of a king or queen. Orbs also create the feeling of power, which is shown so much in the fairy world. Moonlight re-affirms the night and dreamy theme of the play. We only see the fairy world during times of darkness in the two film versions of the play. The orbs and green to me create little fairies sparkling like orbs in a green forest.
Such description is important because in Elizabethan times, special effects and settings were unavailable. Shakespeare must concentrate on the power of the mind. He uses such descriptive words so that the audience can imagine the set, scenery and feeling of the play.
Adrian Noble meets the challenge of creating another realm by implementing surreal situations. He starts off by using bubbles to carry fairies. He also uses light bulbs to create stars. Because this isn’t what we are used to seeing, it makes us feel like we have entered something different to our world.
Hoffman meets this challenge by showing Titania being carried around by slaves. This is not common in the mortal world so we instantly think we are somewhere different. Also, the lightening creates a feeling of fear. This makes us feel like this is somewhere we don’t know much about and we shouldn’t be here.
During the play, Shakespeare implies that such is the power of dreams, anything can happen. This is shown as six characters sleep throughout the whole play. This is where a lot of the confusion is caused.
First of all, the confusion is caused when Puck applies love potion to the lovers’ eyes. He first does this to Lysander. This is a mistake by Puck as he is supposed to put it on to Demetrius’ eyes. This first of all causes confusion for Helena, as she cannot understand why Lysander has suddenly fallen in love with her, as he had run away with Hermia because he loved her so much. Hermia is then confused about Lysander’s whereabouts when she wakes up. She looks for Lysander and bumps into Demetrius. She is then confused because she thinks that Demetrius has killed Lysander. Demetrius does not have a clue what she is talking about and decides to try it on with Hermia.
Oberon informs Puck of his mistake and his task is now to correct his mistake. He must first of all put the love potion on Demetrius’ eyes. Whilst Puck does this, Oberon applies the potion to Titania’s eyes and tells her to wake when some vile creature is near. This is in order to be able to get the small Indian boy. Mischievous Puck, on his way to correct his mistake decides to put an ass’s head on Bottom. Titania then wakes when Bottom is singing and falls in love with him. Bottom is then confused, as he cannot understand how someone so beautiful has fallen in love with him.
Puck adds the love potion to Demetrius’ eyes. He then wakes up when Helena is near and falls in love with her. Lysander is also at this point in love with Helena. A battle commences between Lysander and Demetrius for Helena’s love. Hermia finds Lysander, who is seeking Helena’s love. Hermia cannot understand why Helena has done this to her and begins an argument full of jealousy and envy.
At this point in the Hoffman version of the film, I noticed that as the argument got worse, Helena and Hermia’s state of mind became worse. As this happened, so did their clothes. The clothing in the Hoffman version also seems to be metaphorical of the person’s state of mind. For example, at this stage in the play, Hermia is very worked up and confused. Her clothing becomes torn and ripped before she finally ends up falling in a big pool of mud whilst fighting with Helena.
Helena can’t understand why one person who hated her and someone who loved someone else, has suddenly fallen in love with her. She believes it to be mockery. She then turns around the situation and boasts to Hermia about how it is her turn to sit and watch while Helena attracts the opposite sex.
The RSC (Adrian Noble) version of the film can be seen to take the film to another level in a way by adding the extra character, which is the small boy. It adds another story. For example, nowhere in the book does it say that after Lysander and Hermia tell Helena of their plan to run away, a small boy runs after them and falls trough a door into space. This is added by the director for effect. Adrian Noble had obviously researched dreaming and what things in dreams signify. To fall in a dream means that trouble is to follow. This means in the boy’s real life but trouble does follow in the rest of the play.
The last speech of the play, by Puck suggests that we all may have dreamed what we have just seen. The Adrian Noble focuses on this as he makes the play into a dream. By making the film a boy’s dream with dreamy props used, the audience also feel like they are in a dream.
I like both of the two versions in different ways. Some parts of the Noble version of the film are better than the Hoffman version and visa-versa. I do prefer the Adrian Noble version to the Hoffman version, as it appeals to me as a younger audience.
I think the Noble version is more magical, as it uses substitutions for realistic things taking the audience to a different place. I did not find it hard to willingly suspend my disbelief and this is probably because the magical element to the play whisks the audience away. It allows you to get wrapped up in a false play. This must be done or the film wouldn’t work. The play is all about surreal goings on and I believe that the Hoffman version is too formal for this theme. Some of the scenes are too real and calm. I do prefer the calmness of the first scene in the Hoffman version, to the chaos in the opening scene of the Noble version, as it is a romantic love scene.
I believe that the Noble version of the film is aimed at teenagers and young adults because of its humour. It is surreal and is easy for younger people to imagine. The Noble version is also more energetic and upbeat. Because of it being a stage version, a lot of movement is used to help the play flow. The Hoffman version, however, is much more laid back and professional. Because of the huge budget of the film, real props and costumes are being used, which in some cases make the film boring. For example, Puck’s costume in the Hoffman version is quite boring compared to the costume in the Noble version. Also, in the Hoffman version, Puck is not active enough and appears slightly lazy in some instances.
I find the Noble version more humorous than the Hoffman version in a lot of places. Because of it appealing to a younger audience, the Noble version has to be funny or the audience will lose interest in the film and the willingness to suspend disbelief will be lost. The funniest part of the Noble version has to be where Titania and Bottom share a moment Titania’s umbrella, with Bottom making ass sounds. Bottom is the most humorous character in the Noble version and I prefer the Bottom in the Noble version rather than the Hoffman version. The Hoffman version is also humorous in some instances. For example, when Lysander, Demetrius, Helena and Hermia are found naked in the woods by Egeus.
The Noble version is definitely more of a fantasy. It emphasises the fact that the play called ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and concentrates on the dreaming theme. All real objects are substituted. For example, stars are substituted with light bulbs. The Noble version implants real life objects into dreamy objects. This creates a fantasy rather than something literal. The only fantasy in the Hoffman version is the fairy world, which is well created by the producer.
I think that the Hoffman version is more romantic and sensual than the Noble version because of its calmness. The Noble version is too active and humorous to be as romantic as the Noble version. For example, the first scene of the Hoffman version is calm and sadistic. There is a fountain flowing in the courtyard whilst Theseus and Hippolyta express their feelings to each other. The Noble version, however, has thins in a room full of bright colours and everything larger than life, which I do not like.
For me, the Noble version overpowers the Hoffman version. It beats the Hoffman version in almost every area and as a younger audience I prefer the Adrian Noble film version rather than the Michael Hoffman film version of the play ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
