A midsummer night\'s dream PDF

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream Historical Context The classical antiquity • Homer • Aristotle • “Poetics” • Reformation • Humanism • plague, exploitation/suppression of lower classes • literature was translated so that non-latin people could understand them

The English Renaissance • Italy • Tudors • Humanism • Individuality

The theatrical context The popular drama tradition • The whom do you seek • miracle plays 11th cent • mystery plays 14th cent • moralities 15th cent • castle of perseverance -> earliest known full lenght vernacular (umgangssprachlich) play

• plays about mankind and vices (Laster/Sünden) • interludes • short plays • also moral elements involved !

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Public Playhouses • touring companies in country inns • over 20 public theaters in London • theatres became stable • city of London too christian -> only few theaters

Public theatres in London • people sat around the stage • people with money could even sit on the stage • social event, not as classy as today, people would get their hair done at the theatre

The title • solstices - Sommersonnenwende • equinoxes - Tagnachtgleiche • sleep / darkness • vision - hope • nightmare - fear • phantasy • all brought together via a dream

The social fabric • class structure develops soon • English Nobility • baron, viscount, earl-count, marquess/Marquis, Duke, Prince of Whales"

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Dramatis personae • list of characters in the beginning • differs from print to print, characters listed prior to gender, majority, …

Social Layers Royalty: Oberon and Titania (Fairy World) Nobility: Theseus and Hippolyta Gentry: Hermia, Lysander, Helena, Demetrius Working class: craftsmen/artisans

Sets of characters • concepts of love: courtly & passionate love • courtly -> Minnen, höfisch • sexual love was kept separately • passion, love without status etc. • trying to unite them • females played by men • major/minor characters • male / female • more male, yet females have greater impact • humans / fairies • upper / lower classes • Greek / English"

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Gender • „gender refers to the attitudes, feelings and behaviors that a culture associates with a persons’s biological sex. In other words, gender is a social construct and a social identity“

• gender & sex • different things • not automatically given • from renaissance on females were less associated with sex in gender concepts than men -> culturally made, not men-made

• women played by men • patriarchal society represented

Titania • born of Titans: Themis • Titania -> another name for Diana/Artemis -> known for living in the woods and being a great hunter

• Reference to Queen Man (the midwife) • Reference to Elizabeth I • court masques • representation of Elizabeth I -> very strong • Titania’s speech to Oberon -> quasi soliloquy about ill effects of ruler’s struggles"

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Formal analysis Plots • three plots (at least) • main plots: flights, struggles and marriages • subplot: craftsmen and rehearsals / play within the play • titania & Oberon struggle over indian boy

comical vs. tragical elements • tragical • opening reference to war • hermia threatened with death • oberon and titania fight • comical • puck fairies artisans: funny • bottom - titania comical • performance of the craftsmen

Setting • palace • court of Athens • city • forest - various places

Time I • ancient athens • classical tradition • english artisans • popular tradition • greek mythology • english folklore"

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time II • 4 days/1 night • midsummer • night • May (mentioned by Theseus)

setting and plot development • Palace -> hut -> woods -> hut -> palace • disharmony -> struggle -> harmony • in forest and palace all characters are together

atmosphere • constantly changing • festive palace • simpel in the hut • changing in the forest

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Language • types of speech • soliloquy -> Bühnenmonolog • internal thoughts spoken • monologue • solo speach yet someone else is present • aside • solo speach spoken without someones notice • dialogue • exchange of ideas • blank verse vs. prose • blank • iambic pentameter without rhyming ending • higher character • prose • no particular lines • lower character"

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Dream Metaphor • title -> MSND refers to whatever happens is like a dream/vision/imagined, part of yet not considered real

• in the opening of the play (Hippolyte Act1, Scene 1 „quickly dream away…“ • image that runs through the whole play • not real or graspable • boys awakening • hlaf-awake, half-asleep • girls awakening • ambiguity -> dream-like situation • yet we sleep, we dream • Bottom awakening • he’s really confused • remembers, yet can’t express • resolves that he’s going to do something with it • Puck’s or Robin’s epilogue • comparison to Hamlet To be or not to be soliloquy

The forrest • Hermia/Lysander/Helena • motivation and information • plane of rescue, to go through • mechanics • mechanic’s resolution • plane of quietness • known to them • Fairies - Oberon and Titania • Oberon and Titania struggle • Titania offers peace • Forest/nature are their home • Oberon • magical place !

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• love-in-idleness’ origin • Hermia/Lysander /Act2/Scene2 • tiredness • fear • sexual interest (?), she’s not that into him • Demetrius and Lysander /Act3/scene 2 • hunting each other • struggle/Unrest • magic • changing wood • Theseus and Hippolyta (Act 4 scene 1) • ancient greek references • hunting as pleasure and for food • owners of the wood • function in the wider sense • magical place • most of the play takes place there • constantly changing • different for all characters • opposite to civilization • unknown/potentially dangerous for humans • time condenser -> dramaturgical function -> everything put into one night / couldn’t actually happen in real life

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Play within the play - cf. Hamlet - cf. The tempest - parallel Plot - tragical perspective - mirrors tragical possibilites, yet comically presented -> double meaning

- mis en abyme -> something inserted in something (man watching a man watching something)

• mis en abyme occurs in a text when there is a reduplication of images or concepts referring to the textual whole. Mis en abyme is a play of signifiers within a text, of sub-text mirroring each other double meanings intended

- commentary function, double perspective • we (as an audience) are watching an audience watching a play • audience informed about perspectives/interaction of players and audience • story comments on main plot - metatheatrical function of the forest

Role of Puck - loves to play jokes on others - helping and mischievous side - merry wanderer of the night • english/scandinavian folk tradition • good humored • fairy of the night/darkness • jester/servant to the fairy king • magical powers • not always positive for the recipient • couplet rhymes - makes his Lord and audience lough - detailed description of mishap - commentary function: - ‚real‘ audience laughs too - relationship to oberon in postmodernism kind of homoerotically interpreted !

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- speaks as Puck and as actor - references to sleep and dream - visions: imagination - fear of punishment/censorship - gender/power aspects - second part • more actor-audience dialogue • promise for new and better play • theatre = enterprise • Puck/Robin - double entendre • good by • asking for applause • advertisment („amends“)

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