A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night's Dream is an unusual story chiefly about four young lovers involved in, what I suppose you would call, a love line (definitely not a triangle). After the four wonder into the woods, the men become enchanted by a fairy (Puck), who threw them into more confusion because of a misunderstanding. Meanwhile, two fairies are in an uproar over another matter, leading one to enchant another while mischievous Puck curses a craftsman (who also happened to be in the woods) for sport. In all, the tale is pretty entertaining (laden with comedy and possessing an interesting plot), though I did not care for the Ethiope comment. ( )

I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did. This is possibly the most ridiculous, most genius thing on the planet. ( )

Well, what do you know? Third time wasn't the charm with this one – between reading it during my own education and with my kids for theirs, this is more like my fifth go with this play – but it's finally growing on me! I've always thought of this as “that stupid play with the lovers, the donkey, and all the irritating fairies,” but this time it seemed less stupid! I give the credit, as usual this year, to the amazing Marjorie Garber. Her essay, in Shakepeare After All, on this play was particularly good. Having just read “Romeo and Juliet” last week, I could fully appreciate the parallels she drew between the two plays, and she persuasively illustrated the ways the themes of love and envy, dreams and rationality, transformation and imagination give depth, meaning, and coherence to the play that I just hadn't seen before. The lovers are still silly and Theseus is still obnoxious, sure, but the play isn't quite the silly fluff I'd previously thought. A solid four stars.

As well as Garber's book, my reading was enhanced by an audio performance from L.A. Theatre Works (2013) and the BBC's creative retelling of the play from their “Shakespeare Retold” series. The notes in the Folger Shakespeare Library (Updated) edition are quite adequate without being excessive, though in the mass market paperback edition I have the inside margin is so skimpy that the text threatens to disappear into the gutter. ( )

The Physics of the Impossible: "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare, Burton Raffel, Harold Bloom Published 2005.
 
I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream, past the
wit of man to say what dream it was. Man is but an ass, if
he go about to expound this dream. Methought I was—
there is no man can tell what. Methought I was—and
methought I had—but man is but a patch’d fool, if he
will offer to say what methought I had. The eye of man
hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen, man’s hand
is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart
to report, what my dream was.
(4.1.203–212)
 
(Paraphrase: I had the strangest dream. It is outside of the abilities of mankind to explain it: a man is as foolish as a donkey if he tries to about to expound this dream. Methought I was—there explain the dream of mine. I thought I was – well no one can really say what exactly. I thought I was – and I methought I had, -- but man is but a patched fool, if thought I had – but someone would be an idiot to say what I thought I had).
 
I remember watching the play for the first time in Quinta da Regaleira, Sintra in 2002 (staged by Rui Mário). Shakespeare has always been an over-riding need for me. I don't have the ability to act, though I do write betimes, but there's nothing like the thrill of a life performance, like the one I watched in 2002.
 
The rest of this review can be found elsewhere. ( )

The last time I read this was in 9th grade Pre-AP English back in Fall 2005. I had to do an oral report about it where I dressed up in an Elizabethan outfit. I enjoyed my re-read and listening to it while reading helped a lot. I also used No Fear Shakespeare too because I'm not in school anymore and 1500s English is hard sometimes. Nice way to pass an evening! ( )