Introduction

The Plot

Themes• Love

• Dreams

• Magic

• Loss of Individuality

Skills of the Text

IntroductionIntroduction

Written in occasion of two weddings;Written in occasion of two weddings; Dated 1595, performed at The Globe, published in The First Dated 1595, performed at The Globe, published in The First

Folio;Folio; Inspired by Chaucer and mythological tales;Inspired by Chaucer and mythological tales; Romantic comedy, in opposition with the tragedy “Romeo and Romantic comedy, in opposition with the tragedy “Romeo and

Juliet”.Juliet”.

The plotThe plot

PlotPlot DescriptionDescription TypeType

AA Marriage between Theseus and Marriage between Theseus and HyppolitaHyppolitaFramework Framework

ClassicClassic

BB Four Athenian LoversFour Athenian Lovers RomanticRomantic

CC Artisans playArtisans play RealisticRealistic

DD Fairy world: Oberon, Titania and Fairy world: Oberon, Titania and PuckPuck

MagicMagic

Hermia refuses to marry Hermia refuses to marry DemetriusDemetrius

She escapes in the wood She escapes in the wood with her lover Lysanderwith her lover Lysander

Demetrius follows them, Demetrius follows them, and Helena follows and Helena follows Demetrius.Demetrius.

Oberon and Titania argue. Oberon and Titania argue. Oberon wants to punish her.Oberon wants to punish her. He asks for help to Puck to He asks for help to Puck to

make her fall in love with a make her fall in love with a vile creature, thanks to his vile creature, thanks to his magical juice.magical juice.

Oberon orders Puck to spread the juice Oberon orders Puck to spread the juice into Demetrius’s eyes.into Demetrius’s eyes.

Puck accidentally puts the elisir on Puck accidentally puts the elisir on Lysander’s eyes.Lysander’s eyes.

Lysander falls in love with Helena.Lysander falls in love with Helena. The four lovers argue.The four lovers argue.

The artisans go into the The artisans go into the wood to rehearse the play for wood to rehearse the play for Theseus’s wedding.Theseus’s wedding.

Puck transforms Bottom’ Puck transforms Bottom’ head in the one of an ass. head in the one of an ass.

Titania falls in love with him Titania falls in love with him and forgives Oberon.and forgives Oberon.

Puck removes the magic Puck removes the magic from everyone except for from everyone except for Demetrius. Demetrius.

The fairies disappeared and The fairies disappeared and Theseus and Hyppolita Theseus and Hyppolita come into the wood.come into the wood.

They meet the lovers and They meet the lovers and wake them. wake them.

The lovers decide that the The lovers decide that the night’s event should be a night’s event should be a dream.dream.

They all get married and the They all get married and the artisans perform their play.artisans perform their play.

Oberon and Titania bless the Oberon and Titania bless the newlyweds and Puck does a newlyweds and Puck does a soliloquy.soliloquy.

..Themes.Themes.

LoveLove

IdentityIdentity

Magic

Magic

DreamsDreams

LoveLove

Two types of love: Two types of love:

Rational love: represented by the marriageRational love: represented by the marriage

Irrational love: the most important in the Irrational love: the most important in the playplay

Irrational loveIrrational love The night and the wood are The night and the wood are

symbol of unreason, symbol of unreason, mistakes and of the dreams; mistakes and of the dreams; this is the background for the this is the background for the lovers.lovers.

Inspired by the midsummer Inspired by the midsummer days (spent in the wood), the days (spent in the wood), the moment of changes and moment of changes and sexual love.sexual love.

In each couple the magical changes reveal a dark side ok love.In each couple the magical changes reveal a dark side ok love.

MagicMagic

It’used to create It’used to create hilarious situations in the playhilarious situations in the play It represents It represents

The misuse of magic causes chaosThe misuse of magic causes chaos but it also but it also resolves the play’s tensions resolves the play’s tensions

the the supernaturalsupernatural power of lovepower of love

the surreal world of the surreal world of fairiesfairies

DreamsDreams The play alternates dreams and The play alternates dreams and

realityreality The characters explain the The characters explain the

strange event of the night by strange event of the night by believing it was a dream.believing it was a dream.

The author uses the dreams to The author uses the dreams to avoid to explain the innatural.avoid to explain the innatural.

At the end of the play, Puck At the end of the play, Puck suggests to the public to suggests to the public to consider the play just a dream.consider the play just a dream.

There’s a mess between reality and fairy There’s a mess between reality and fairy world: the public can’t understand what is real world: the public can’t understand what is real and what is not.and what is not.

The plot develops around the lack of The plot develops around the lack of recognition that brings to the essential action: recognition that brings to the essential action: the transformation of Bottom or the failure of the transformation of Bottom or the failure of Puck are the principal events. Puck are the principal events.

Loss of individual Loss of individual indentityindentity

Skills of the Skills of the TextText

The play within the play

Text: An ass head

The play within the playThe play within the play

The plot includes the staging of a play acted The plot includes the staging of a play acted and watched by the actors themselves.and watched by the actors themselves.

The p.w.p. is acted by the craftsmen for the The p.w.p. is acted by the craftsmen for the newlyweds. newlyweds.

It is a parody of the lovers’ story: It is a parody of the lovers’ story: -they’re obstruct by parentsthey’re obstruct by parents-they escape into the wood in the nightthey escape into the wood in the night-they’re victim of an illusionthey’re victim of an illusion

Text: An ass headText: An ass head[Enter PUCK, and BOTTOM with an ass's head.]

BOTTOM

'If I were fair, Thisby, I were only thine'

QUINCE

O monstrous! O strange! we are haunted. Pray, masters!

fly, masters! Help!

[Exeunt ARTISANS.]

PUCK

I'll follow you; I'll lead you about a round,

Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier;

Sometime a horse I'll be, sometime a hound,

A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire;

And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn,

Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn.

[Exit.]

BOTTOM

Why do they run away? This is a knavery of them to make

me afeard.

[Enter SNOUT.]

SNOUT

O Bottom, thou art changed! What do I see on thee?

BOTTOM

What do you see? you see an ass-head of your own, do you?

[Exit SNOUT - enter QUINCE.]

QUINCE

Bless thee, Bottom! bless thee! thou art translated.

[Exit.]

BOTTOM

I see their knavery: this is to make an ass of me; to

fright me, if they could. But I will not stir from this

place, do what they can: I will walk up and down here,

and I will sing, that they shall hear I am not afraid.

[Sings.]

The ousel cock, so black of hue,

With orange-tawny bill,

The throstle with his note so true,

The wren with little quill.

TITANIA

[Waking.]

What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

BOTTOM

[Sings.]

The finch, the sparrow, and the lark,

The plain-song cuckoo gray,

Whose note full many a man doth mark,

And dares not answer nay;

for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird?

Who would give a bird the lie, though he cry 'cuckoo' never so?

TITANIA

I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again;

Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note.

So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape;

And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me,

On the first view, to say, to swear, I love thee.

BOTTOM

Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for

that: and yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little

company together now-a-days: the more the pity that some honest

neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon

occasion.

TITANIA

Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.

• Characters: the artisansthe artisans, , BottomBottom and TitaniaTitania

• Setting: the wood

• Techniques: Dialogue and a little monolgue

• Does Bottom realise his condition?

• How do the artisans react to him?

• What does he do, and how does Titania feel?

• Do their behaviour contrast?

• Themes:

(Irrational Love)

LoveMagicLoss of Identity

SourcesSources

Lit & Lab, volume 1- Spiazzi, Tavella – Lit & Lab, volume 1- Spiazzi, Tavella – ZanichelliZanichelli

http://www.wikipedia.it/http://www.wikipedia.it/ http://images.google.ithttp://images.google.it Fairies images: Fairies images:

http://magiadellefate.splinder.com/http://magiadellefate.splinder.com/ Pictures by Pictures by J.H. Füssli, J.N. Paton, Landseer…J.H. Füssli, J.N. Paton, Landseer…

The endThe end