Product Info
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Young People's Shakespeare Series
An edition of Shakespeare's comedy, including discussion of its production, themes, patterns, language, and author.
An illustrated, abridged verison of the Shakespeare comedy with background information and explanatory stage directions.
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The play takes place at the summer solstice, Midsummer Eve, in Athens, where everyone is pining away for the wrong person--except Theseus, the Duke, and his fiancée, Hippolyta, whose wedding day is fast approaching. Hermia, the Duke's daughter, is intent on marrying Lysander, although her father disapproves and threatens to force her into a nunnery if she refuses to marry his choice, Demetrius. But Demetrius loves Helena, and Lysander and Hermia plan to elope despite the Duke's orders. Meanwhile, in a subplot, the "rude mechanicals" (or artisans) Quince, Snug, Flute, Snout, Starveling, and Bottom, are hilariously rehearsing the play PYRAMUS AND THISBE to be performed at the Duke's wedding. As Hermia and Lysander head into the Forest of Arden to elope, with Helena and Demetrius following, the amateur acting troupe likewise takes cover in the forest to rehearse in privacy. This leads all the players into the realm of magic, presided over by the King and Queen of the Fairies, Oberon and Titania. When Oberon decides to play a trick on Titania with the aid of the juice of a magic flower that causes people to fall in love with the first person (or beast) they set eyes on, the real trouble starts. The magic is used liberally on both the humans and the fairies by the trouble-making sprite Puck, inspiring many incongruous entanglements. Unlike the other plays, there is in this case no known source for Shakespeare's fantastic plot, though the structure is classical, beginning in the court, moving to an "uncivilized" environment, and then returning to the newly ordered world of the court. Aspects of the imagery are drawn from classic works, such as Apuleius's THE GOLDEN ASS and Ovid's METAMORPHOSES. From evidence in the play, like Titania's remark about three unusually unpleasant summers in a row--documented elsewhere in England's records--composition seems to date from 1595 or 1596, and scholarship suggests that it was first performed in honor of a court wedding, though prec
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An edition of Shakespeare's comedy, including discussion of its production, themes, patterns, language, and author.
An illustrated, abridged verison of the Shakespeare comedy with background information and explanatory stage directions.
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SHOP.COM Product Reviews
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Epinions Product Reviews
 | a play for the hall of fame
by hacker78, 5/21/2002 |
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Pros: magical and funny
Cons: wordy and sometimes too obvious.
The Bottom Line: although it seems dry when you first read it silently, try to act it out, because it is not an actor's solemn duty to perform this play. it's fun!
Review: I reviewed A Midsummer Nights? Dream because I recently performed this play to an audience, and foun
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| | Tis a fair story indeed
by sasha99, 6/29/2000 |
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Pros: Funny
Cons: Old English
Review: What a terrific tale! A midsummer night's dream is my favorite shakespeare play ever. It takes place
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| | Oh Glorious Comedy
by h_padgett, 6/9/2000 |
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Pros: A wonderful quick witted tale
Cons: somewhat confusing to the younger mind
Review: Well, what can I say? This play amazes me as well as its author. Not many a person could so ma
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Inc. For personal non-commercial use only. All rights reserved.
