A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Love and Authority, Reason and Imagination

Taaa, taa, ta-ta-ta-ta, taa . . . . Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn, written as Overture for German production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (1827) clip from Max Reinhardt production (1935), re-orchestrated by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. 0:00 – 8:30 mins. (Overture)

Some Production History written c. 1595/96; presumed for a wedding not staged from 1650 until 1840 except as opera. early 19th c. considered it a "closet drama." later 19th c. and early 20th c. produced extravaganzas in a sentimental vein. 20th c. productions of 60s and 70s tend to have a darker vision of the fairies and the play. Theseus, Great Hero and Lover Hippolyta On Amazons

Coming of Comic Age In A Midsummer Night's Dream (1995-96), Shakespeare comes of age: full realization of the combined possibilities of Old and New Comedy and Native Festival Tradition. most skillful plot structure.

How many plot structures are there in The Taming of the Shrew? 1 2 3 4 5

How many plot structures are there in A Midsummer Night’s Dream? 1 2 3 4 5

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Plot as Fugue-like Music Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn, written as Overture for German production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (1827) The fugue-like conflict between love and authority is set forth in this first scene: 1.1.1-19 clip from Max Reinhardt production (1935), re-orchestrated by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. 8:30 – 13:30 mins.

Love and Authority A uniting fugue-like thematic link  the tension between love and authority: Faeries and Theseus: contestation between husband and wife. Lovers (Hermia): children versus father. Pyramus and Thisbe play: children versus parents.  Combination of Old and New Comedy.

clip from Max Reinhardt production (1935), Theseus and Egeus clip from Max Reinhardt production (1935), 1.1.20 – 223 (abbreviated) 13:30 - 19:30 mins. How would you describe Theseus and Egeus? Tyrannical Loving Irrational A and B A and C

The Element of Irrationality There is an irrationality to both the lovers and authority: it is as irrational for Egeus and Theseus to prefer Demetrius as it is for Hermia to prefer Lysander. Demetrius and Lysander are identical in qualities. Theseus's reason needs to acknowledge the irrationality as well as the supra-rationality of love.

The Mechanicals Bottom can only conceive of two kinds of parts - the lover or the tyrant (1.2.22; p. 13) voices the absolute oppositions of Theseus and Egeus. the play, Pyramus and Thisbe, reenacts the problem of authority and passion on a comic level.

What role(s) does Bottom get to play in the woods? Lover Tyrant Ass A and C All of the above

The Woods and Native Misrule The wood is a world of magic clip from Reinhardt film 25:21 – 34:50  gives access to a supra-sensible reality.  also a world of moonlight and imagination. Also a world of festive misrule.

The dialectic of love and authority continues into the world of the wood. It is ruled over by quarreling lovers, Titania and Oberon Reinhardt clip, 34:50 – 36:55. Titania opposes Oberon's authority. BUT both of these lovers act like tyrannical parents (see 2.1.81-117; pp. 20-21). They are tyrannical not because they suppress but because they give over to the irrational: JEALOUSY

The Changeling Boy: 2.1.118-145 (pp. 21-22) What is the significance of the Changeling Boy? Michael Hoffman film version: 1:15 – 3:42 38:37 – 39:39 44:58 – 47:12 59:10 – 1:00:25 Does this vision of the intersection of Faery and Mortal change your attitude about the significance of the Changeling Boy?