A Midsummer Night's Dream

By William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play of William Shakespeare's authorship, a comedy written in the mid-1590s.

The story begins with the Duke Theseus, who is preparing to marry Hippolyta. Before marriage, Theseus is called to resolve a dispute involving love Hermia romantic and its Aegean father. Hermia loves Lysander, but Aegean has the idea of forcing Hermia to marry Demetrius; Theseus then decides that Hermia has up his marriage to Hippolyta to choose your destination: marries Demetrius dies or becomes the altar of Diana and leaves the company of men to live in solitude. Lisandro proposes to his beloved that both flee from Athens, and she agrees. Hermia account his plan to his friend Helena, who dies in love with Demetrius. Helena just informing the trail in order to be alone with him in the forest.

Shakespeare writer refers to as the dark side of love. He writes that the fairies make light of love confuse lovers and by applying a love potion into the eyes of Titania, forcing her to fall down like a donkey. In the forest, the two couples are faced with problems. Lysander and Hermia are filled by Puck, who provides some comic relief in part by confusing the four lovers in the forest.

Despite the obstruction of darkness and trouble, A Midsummer Night's Dream is still a comedy of love as Benedetto Croce indicates. He writes, "love is sincere, not yet deceives and is deceived, but it is thought to be firm and steady, and becomes fragile and fleeting."

• Language: English
• Publisher: William Shakespeare
• Release date: May 17, 2016
• ISBN: 9786050440195

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) is arguably the most famous playwright to ever live. Born in England, he attended grammar school but did not study at a university. In the 1590s, Shakespeare worked as partner and performer at the London-based acting company, the King’s Men. His earliest plays were Henry VI and Richard III, both based on the historical figures. During his career, Shakespeare produced nearly 40 plays that reached multiple countries and cultures. Some of his most notable titles include Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar. His acclaimed catalog earned him the title of the world’s greatest dramatist.

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A Midsummer Night's Dream

by William Shakespeare

Joseph Noel Paton

Introduction

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play of William Shakespeare's authorship, a comedy written in the mid-1590s.

It is not known exactly when the piece was written and presented to the public for the first time, but is believed to have been between 1594 and 1596. Some authors argue that the piece may have been written for the wedding of Sir Thomas Berkeley and Elizabeth Carey in February 1596.

There is no direct source that has served as inspiration for the play, even if they can find elements related to the Greco-Roman mythology and its classic literature. For example, the story of Pyramus and Thisbe is told by Ovid in his Metamorphoses, and the transformation seat in donkey can relate to Apuleius The gold donkey. It is thought that Shakespeare has written the Dream of a Summer Night at about the same time as the Romeo and Juliet and, in fact, there are many points of contact between the stories: Aegean marry Hermia to strength with Demetrius, and Pyramus and Thisbe end up dead for love issues, albeit in a comic perspective. Some schools that teach theater use an excerpt of this piece to slidesets.

The story begins with the Duke Theseus, who is preparing to marry Hippolyta. Before marriage, Theseus is called to resolve a dispute involving love Hermia romantic and its Aegean father. Hermia loves Lysander, but Aegean has the idea of forcing Hermia to marry Demetrius; Theseus then decides that Hermia has up his marriage to Hippolyta to choose your destination: marries Demetrius dies or becomes the altar of Diana and leaves the company of men to live in solitude. Lisandro proposes to his beloved that both flee from Athens, and she agrees. Hermia account his plan to his friend Helena, who dies in love with Demetrius. Helena just informing the trail in order to be alone with him in the forest.

The four then go into a forest populated by elves, fairies and other enchanted beings. The Goblin King, Oberon, gun with Puck, elf, our extraordinary plan involving a magical flower that will make anyone fall in love with the first being to see ahead is rat, snake or lion, with the intention of preaching a piece Titania, Queen of the fairies. This makes her fall in love madly by a donkey.

Meanwhile, a group of craftsmen who are also amateur actors rehearsing a play for Theseus' wedding, The most lamentable comedy and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisbe. Seat, the more egocentric group ends up being transformed by Puck in a talking donkey, by which Titania falls in love with guilt magic flower. Puck also weapon other confusions that lead Lisandro and Demetrio to fall in love with Helena, Hermia leaving aside.

Shakespeare writer refers to as the dark side of love. He writes that the fairies make light of love confuse lovers and by applying a love potion into the eyes of Titania, forcing her to fall down like a donkey. In the forest, the two couples are faced with problems. Lysander and Hermia are filled by Puck, who provides some comic relief in part by confusing the four lovers in the forest.

Despite the obstruction of darkness and trouble, A Midsummer Night's Dream is still a comedy of love as Benedetto Croce indicates. He writes, love is sincere, not yet deceives and is deceived, but it is thought to be firm and steady, and becomes fragile and fleeting. This passage, as part overlaps an idea next to each other. The play is a comedy, although it contains serious ideas. At the end of the piece, Lysander and Hermia, happily married, watch the play about the unfortunate lovers, Pyramus and Thisbe, and are able to enjoy and laugh about the play, and did not realize the similarities between them. Although its history is very similar to that of Pyramus and Thisbe, it does not end with the tragic death. Lysander and Hermia are oblivious to the dark side of love. They are not aware of the possible outcomes that could have taken place in the forest.

PERSONS REPRESENTED

THESEUS, Duke of Athens

EGEUS, Father to Hermia

LYSANDER, in love with Hermia

DEMETRIUS, in love with Hermia

PHILOSTRATE, Master of the Revels to Theseus

QUINCE, the Carpenter

SNUG, the Joiner

BOTTOM, the Weaver

FLUTE, the Bellows-mender

SNOUT, the Tinker

STARVELING, the Tailor

HIPPOLYTA, Queen of the Amazons, bethrothed to Theseus

HERMIA, daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander

HELENA, in love with Demetrius

OBERON, King of the Fairies

TITANIA, Queen of the Fairies

PUCK, or ROBIN GOODFELLOW, a Fairy

PEASBLOSSOM, Fairy

COBWEB, Fairy

MOTH, Fairy

MUSTARDSEED, Fairy

PYRAMUS, THISBE, WALL, MOONSHINE, LION; Characters in the Interlude performed by the Clowns

Other Fairies attending their King and Queen

Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta

SCENE:  Athens, and a wood not far from it

ACT I

SCENE I.   Athens.  A room in the Palace of THESEUS

[Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, and Attendants.]

THESEUS

Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour

Draws on apace; four happy days bring in

Another moon; but, oh, methinks, how slow

This old moon wanes! She lingers my desires,

Like to a step-dame or a dowager,

Long withering out a