A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare Project Lecture) (Patreon)

'The course of true love never did run smooth...'

Our journey through the works of William Shakespeare continues with the play we might consider to be his first masterpiece: A Midsummer Night's Dream.

We’re discussing poetry vs performance, comedy vs tragedy, festive celebration, originality, inspiration, holidays, being lunatic, lover, poet, and much more.

Timestamps:

• 0:00 play as poem or performance? 
• 2:00 performance history of the Dream
• 3:00 the three interlocking character groups
• 4:00 on the enduring popularity of this play
• 5:00 how to make the Dream work 
• 6:00 embracing majestic pageantry 
• 7:30 on Shakespearean stagings
• 8:30 inspiration and originality 
• 11:00 celebrating a noble wedding
• 12:00 awaking the spirit of mirth
• 12:30 the play's green patterned plot
• 14:00 comedy as festive celebration
• 15:00 the seasons in disorder
• 18:00 a formula for festive comedy
• 19:00 on Elizabethan holidays
• 20:00 imagination in Merry England
• 21:00 meeting Bottom the Weaver
• 22:30 on comedy vs tragedy
• 24:00 Will's social commentary
• 26:00 the experience of revelry 
• 28:00 appreciating the natural world
• 29:00 'winged Cupid painted blind'
• 31:00 on the wisdom of fools
• 32:00 on choosing one passage
• 33:30 being auditor and actor
• 34:30 'the eye of man hath not heard'
• 37:00 lunatic, lover, and poet
• 39:00 'if we shadows have offended'
• 41:00 creating a world of our dreams
• 42:00 what did you make of this play?

Recommended Resources:

• Shakespeare's Festive Comedy: I highly recommend you complement your reading of Shakespeare's comedies with C. L. Barber's profound study. Barber teaches us a comedy is a festive celebration that ultimately increases our appreciation for the natural world. 
• Reacting to Adaptations: If you would like to enjoy some paintings, films, and music inspired by this beautiful play, we have a reaction video here. We are appreciating works from William Blake and Felix Mendelssohn to Peter Brook and Max Reinhardt. And if you fall madly in love with this play, we have more discussions here and here. 
• Arden Edition: The Arden edition of this play remains my favourite, as it has a fascinating introduction and an extensive and illuminating set of annotations and notes. 
• Mad About Shakespeare: As we mentioned Jonathan Bate, you might fancy dipping into this great Shakespearean critic's most recent book. He gives a very personal and intimate exploration of his love for the works of Shakespeare.
• Ovid's Metamorphoses: The Dream implores us to return again to the bard's favourite writer. I recommend relishing the fourth book of Ovid's Metamorphoses in the Arthur Golding translation.
• Celebrating the Natural World: There are few plays that inspire me to spend time in nature half as much as A Midsummer Night's Dream. Engaging with this masterpiece in the spirit of festive celebration means appreciating the green world. The best resource for understanding this play is the world outside.
• Music Appreciation: Why not treat yourself to one of the greatest responses to A Midsummer Night's Dream with some Mendelssohn? The 'Wedding March' is particularly iconic. 
• Film Appreciation: My favourite film adaptation for A Midsummer Night's Dream is the 1968 Peter Hall version, starring Helen Mirren and Judi Dench, which you can enjoy here. 

Questions for You:

1) Does this play work better as poetry or performance?

2) Who are your personal favourite characters? Why?

3) What line, passage, or idea most resonated with you? And what is your personal grading for A Midsummer Night's Dream?

Happy reading, Bardolators!