A Midsummer Night's Dream (1594). A dream in a summer night

Are you here: Fairy-tale heroes

Theseus , Duke of Athens.

Aegeus father of Hermia.

Lysander, Demetrius in love with Hermia.

Philostratus , manager of entertainment at the court of Theseus.

Pigwa , a carpenter.

Milyaga , carpenter.

The foundation , weaver.

Dudka , repairer of inflatable bellows.

Snout , coppersmith.

zamorysh , tailor.

Hippolyta , queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus.

Hermia in love with Lysander.

Elena in love with Demetrius.

Oberon , king of fairies and elves.

Titania , queen of fairies and elves.

Pack, or Good Little Robin , little elf.

Sweet Pea, Spider Web, Moth, Mustard Seed , elves.

Fairies and elves, obedient to Oberon and Titania, retinue.

Location - Athens and the forest nearby.

ACT I

SCENE 1

Athens, Theseus Palace.

Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Philostratus and retinue.

Theseus

Beautiful, our wedding hour is getting closer:

Four happy days - a new month

They will bring us. But oh, how slow the old one is!

He stands in the way of my desires,

Like a stepmother or an old widow,

What youths income seizes.

Hippolyta

Four days in the nights will sink quickly;

Four nights in dreams will sink so quickly ...

And the crescent is a bow of silver,

Stretched in the sky - will illuminate

Our wedding night!

Theseus

Philostratus, go!

Stir up all the youth in Athens

And awaken the frisky spirit of fun.

Sadness for the funeral let it remain:

We do not need a pale guest at the feast.

Philostratus leaves.

Theseus

I got you with a sword, Hippolyta;

I won your love with threats,

Solemn, and fun, and magnificent!

Enter Aegeus, Hermia, Lysander and Demetrius.

Aegeus

Be happy, our glorious Duke Theseus!

Theseus

Thank you, Egey! What do you say?

Aegeus

I'm upset, complaining to you

To Hermia - yes, to her own daughter! -

Demetri, come! - My sovereign,

Here is the one to whom I wanted to give my daughter. -

Lysander, come near! - My lord!

And this one bewitched her heart. -

You, you, Lysander! You wrote poetry to her

Pledges of love changed with her,

Under her windows in the moonlight

Pretending to sing a love pretense song!

You used it to captivate her heart,

Bracelets, hair rings, sweets,

Flowers, knickknacks, trinkets - everything

That inexperienced youth is cute!

By deceit you stole her love,

You are an obedience due to the father,

Turned evil into stubbornness! - So if

She will not let you, my sovereign,

Consent to Demetrius, I appeal

To the ancient Athenian law:

Since my daughter, I can completely with her

locate; and I decided: Demetrius

Or - as provided by law

In such cases - immediately death!

Theseus

Well, Hermia, beautiful maiden,

What do you say? Think well.

He created your beauty, and you

They cast a wax mold;

Leave it or break it - he has the right.

Demetrius is a decent person.

Hermia

My Lysander too.

Theseus

Yes, by itself;

But if your father is not for him,

That means he deserves it.

Hermia

I wanted my father to look at my

Theseus

Not! Hurry your eyes

We must obey his judgment.

Hermia

Excuse me, Your Grace, I beg you.

I don't know where I found the courage

And is it possible, without offending modesty,

With all of me so freely to speak.

But I conjure, let me know:

What's the worst for me

When will I not marry Demetrius?

Theseus

What? Death! Or renunciation forever

From the society of men. That's why,

Oh Hermia, check yourself. Think:

You are young ... You ask your soul,

When you go against your father's will:

Are you able to put on a nun's outfit,

Forever be imprisoned in a monastery,

Live your whole life as a barren nun

And it's sad to sing hymns to the cold moon?

A hundred times blessed is he who humbles his blood,

To complete the virgin path on earth;

But the rose, dissolving in incense,

Happier than the one on the innocent bush

Blossoms, lives, dies - all alone!

Hermia

So I bloom and live and die

I want it sooner than girlish rights

Give him power! His yoke

My soul does not want to submit.

Theseus

Think Hermia! On the day of the new moon

(On the day that will connect me with my love

To eternal fellowship) should

You be ready or die

For violation of the father's will,

Or marry the one he chose,

Or give forever at the altar of Diana

A vow of celibacy and a harsh life.

Demetrius

Relax, Hermia! “And you, Lysander,

Give in to my undeniable rights.

Lysander

Demetrius, since your father loves you so much,

Give me your daughter, and marry him yourself!

Aegeus

Bold mocker! Yes, father's love

Behind him and with her everything that I own.

But the daughter is mine, and all rights over her

I give Demetrius in full!

Lysander

But, sir, I am equal with him by birth

Yes, and wealth; I love more;

I'm not inferior in position

Rather even higher than Demetrius;

And most importantly - which exceeds everything -

I love the beautiful Hermia!

Why should I renounce my rights?

Demetrius - yes, I'll tell him to his face -

He was in love with Elena, the daughter of Nedar.

He carried her away. Gentle Elena

The inconstant loves madly,

Worships the empty man!

Theseus

To be honest, I heard something about it.

And even thought to talk to him;

But, busy with the most important things,

Forgot about that. - Come with me, Demetrius,

And you, Hey! Come with me both

And we'll find something to talk about! -

Well, Hermia, try to subdue

Your dreams to the desire of the father,

Otherwise the Athenian law will betray you

(which we can't change)

To death or eternal celibacy. -

Well, Hippolyta... What, my love?

Let's go ... - Demetrius and Aegeus - behind me.

I will instruct you to arrange something

To the solemn day and the ceiling

Something that concerns both of you.

Aegeus

We are always glad to fulfill our duty.

Theseus, Hippolyta, Aegeus, Demetrius and retinue leave.

Lysander

Well, my love? How pale cheeks!

How quickly the roses withered on them!

Hermia

Is it because there is no rain, which

From the storm of my eyes is easy to get.

Lysander

Alas! I have never heard

And I didn’t read it - in history, in a fairy tale, -

May the path of true love be smooth.

But - or the difference in origin ...

Hermia

Oh grief! Higher - to be captivated by the lower! ...

Lysander

Or difference in years...

Hermia

O mockery!

To be too old for a young bride!

Lysander

Or the choice of relatives and friends ...

Hermia

But how to love someone else's choice?

Lysander

And if the choice is good for everyone, - war,

Sickness or death always threaten love

And make it, like sound, instantaneous,

Like a shadow, flying and like a dream, short.

So lightning, flashing in the darkness of the night,

Anger will open heaven and earth,

And before we exclaim: "Look!" -

She will be swallowed by the abyss of darkness -

Everything bright fades so quickly.

Hermia

But if it's inevitable for lovers

Suffering is the law of fate

So let us be patient in trials:

After all, this is an ordinary cross for love,

Decent for her - dreams, languor, tears,

Wishes, dreams - unfortunate retinue of love!

Lysander

Yes, you are right... But, Hermia, listen:

I have an aunt. She is a widow

Wealthy, childless.

Lives about seven miles from here.

So: she loves me like a son!

There, Hermia, we can get married.

Cruel Athenian Laws

They won't find us there. If you really love

You sneak out of the house tomorrow night.

In the forest, three miles from Athens, in the place

Where did I meet you with Elena (you came

Perform rituals on a May morning, remember?),

I will wait for you.

Hermia

Oh my Lysander!

I swear by Cupid's strongest bow,

His best arrow, golden,

Venus doves purity,

By the fire into which Dido threw herself,

When the Trojan set sail,

All that love binds heaven

The darkness of men's oaths, broken godlessly

(In what it is impossible for women to catch up with them),

I swear: in the forest indicated by you,

I'll be there tomorrow night, my dear!

Included Elena.

Lysander

You will keep your oath... But look - Elena!

Hermia

Hello! Where are you going, my beautiful friend?

Elena

Beautiful - am I? Oh, don't joke around.

Your beauty Demetrius captivates,

Lucky! Your eyes shine on him

Than a lark song among the fields ...

Whether beauty is a sticky disease -

I'd be infected with you, my friend!

I would steal from you

And the sparkle of the eyes, and the tenderness of sweet speech ...

Be my whole world - Demetrius soon

I would take it; everything else - own it!

But teach me: what art

While I lived here, not knowing love,

Athens seemed to me better than paradise ...

And here is love! How good is she

When is it free to make hell out of heaven?

Lysander

Elena, friend, I will reveal everything to you:

Tomorrow night, barely sees Phoebe

Your face is silvery in the mirror of the river,

Reeds strewn with liquid pearls, -

At the hour that keeps secrets for lovers,

We will go out with her from the city gates.

Hermia

In the forest, where often, lying between flowers,

We shared girlish dreams

My Lysander must meet me,

And we will leave our native city,

Looking for other friends, a different circle.

Farewell, my friend's childhood games!

Please pray for our fate

And God send Demetrius to you. -

So remember the agreement, Lysander: until night

Our eyes must fast.

Lysander

Yes, my Hermia...

Hermia leaves.

Farewell, Elena!

Demetrius I wish you love.

(Exits.)

Elena

How happy one is to the detriment of the other!

In Athens, I am equal in beauty with her ...

What of that? He is blind to my beauty:

He doesn't want to know what everyone knows.

He is in error, captivated by Hermia;

I, too, admiring them blindly.

Love is able to forgive low

And turn vices into valor

And not with the eyes - with the heart chooses:

That is why she is portrayed as blind.

It is difficult for her to come to terms with common sense.

Without eyes - and wings: a symbol of the reckless

Haste! ... Her name is - a child;

After all, it is easy to deceive her by joking.

And how the boys swear in the game,

So she is easy and uneasy deceit.

Until he was captured by Hermia,

Then he swore to me with a hail of oaths of love;

But only from Hermia breathed heat -

The hail melted, and with it all oaths in vain.

I will go, I will reveal their plans to him:

He, surely, will go into the forest at night;

And if I get gratitude,

I will pay dearly for this.

But I'm in my anguish and that's a lot -

With him, together in the forest and out of the forest, the road!

(Exits.)

SCENE 2

Athens. A room in a hut.

Aha! So it takes tears to play it right. Well, if I take on this role - prepare, the public, handkerchiefs! I will raise a storm... I will lament to some extent... But, to tell the truth, my main vocation is the role of villains. I would have played an unusual role in Hercules, or even such a role as to gnaw the earth and smash everything around to pieces!

A roar will be heard

Fighters blows -

And the bolt will collapse

Cruel dungeon.

And Phoebe, the bright god,

Far and high

Will change evil fate

From your chariot!

Meeting - at the ducal oak.

The foundation

OK. Even hang yourself, but stay where you are.

They leave.

ACT II

SCENE 1

Forest near Athens.

Appear from different angles fairy and Pack.

Pack

Ah, fairy! Hello! Where is your path?

Fairy

Over the hills, over the valleys,

Through the thorn bushes, through the bushes,

Over the waters, through the flames

I wander here and there!

I fly the moon faster

I serve the queen of the fairies

Initial letters are her convoy.

See the golden dress?

Spots on it burn:

That rubies, the color of the queen, -

All the flavor is in them.

For drop caps, I need a supply of dewdrops -

Put pearl earrings into each ear.

Farewell, spirit goof! I fly forward.

Here the queen will come with the elves.

Pack

My king will have fun here at night, -

See that the queen does not meet with him!

He is furious with her, angry - fear!

Because of the child that she has in her pages

(Kidnapped from the Indian Sultan).

She indulges, dressing the little boy,

And the jealous Oberon wants to take

Him to himself, so that with him in the forests to wander.

The queen sees all the joy in him,

Doesn't give! Since then, only over the stream,

On a clearing lit by the light of stars

They will come together - in a moment for a squabble,

So much so that the elves are all out of fear - away,

Climb into the acorn and tremble all night!

Fairy

Yes, you ... I'm not mistaken, perhaps:

Habits, appearance ... are you Good Little Robin?

The one who scares the rural needlewomen,

Breaks them and spoils the handles of mills,

Prevents the oil from knocking down on the sly,

That skims the cream from the milk,

That prevents yeast from fermenting in Braga,

That at night leads travelers in a ravine;

But if someone calls him friend -

It helps, brings happiness into the house.

Are you Peck?

Pack

Well, yes, I am Good Little Robin,

Cheerful spirit, naughty night tramp.

In Oberon's jesters I serve ...

Then before a well-fed stallion I will neigh,

Like a mare; I'm still fooling around:

Suddenly I’ll hide in a mug with a baked apple,

And only the gossip will gather to sip,

From there I'm on her lips - lope! And chest

I'll sag all over her with beer.

Or to the aunt who tells the story whiningly,

I’ll show myself with a three-legged chair in the corner:

Suddenly I slip out - trrah! - aunt on the floor.

Well, cough, well, yell! Let's have fun!

Everyone is dying bursting with laughter

And, holding on to the sides, the whole choir repeats,

That they have not laughed so much until now ...

But, fairy, away! Here is the king. Get out of here.

Fairy

And here she is! Ah, it wouldn't be bad!

Enter from one side Oberon with his retinue, with another Titania with his.

Oberon

Not at a good hour, I'm in the moonlight

On the golden sand washed by the sea

Drive circles to the whistle and song of the wind,

So that you do not interfere with our games with a cry!

And the winds sang songs to us in vain.

In revenge they raised from the sea

Evil fogs. Those by the rain

They fell to the ground. The rivers got angry

And they came out, proud, from the shores.

Since then, the ox has been pulling the yoke in vain,

In vain the plowman pours his sweat: bread

They rot without growing antennae.

Empty paddocks in flooded fields,

Crows got fat from falling...

The dirt has brought traces of merry games;

There are no paths in the green labyrinths:

Overgrown their trail, and not to find it!

Already mortal winters rather ask;

You don’t hear songs at night with them ...

And here is the moon, the ruler of the waters,

Pale with anger, washed the whole air

And she spread rheumatism everywhere.

All times interfere in confusion:

And the gray-headed frost falls

To the crimson rose in a fresh embrace;

But to the crown of the icy winter

Fragrant wreath of summer buds

Attached in a mockery. Spring and summer

Birthing autumn and winter

They change attire, and cannot

The world is amazed to distinguish times!

But such disasters appeared

All because of our quarrels and disagreements:

We are their cause, we create them.

Oberon

It is in your hands to change everything: why

Titania defies Oberon?

After all, I ask for little: give

You are a page boy for me!

Titania

Stay calm:

I won’t give you a magical land for your entire land!

After all, his mother was my priestess!

With her in the spicy air of Indian nights

On the golden sands of Neptune

We often sat, counting the ships.

Laughed with her, looking like sails,

Pregnant with the wind, inflated ...

She jokingly imitated them

(At that time she was heavy

My favorite) and swam, as if

Returning with some trifle

To me, as if from a voyage with goods ...

But my friend was mortal

My dear Peck, come here! Do you remember"

As I listened to the song of the siren by the sea,

Climbed to the dolphin on the ridge?

So sweet and harmonious were

Those sounds that the rough ocean itself

Politely subsided, listening to this song,

And the stars fell like crazy

From their heights to listen to the song ...

Pack

Oberon

At that moment I saw (though you did not see):

Between the cold moon and the earth

Armed Cupid flew.

In the Vestal Virgin reigning in the West

He took aim and so shot an arrow,

What could pierce thousands of hearts!

But the fiery arrow suddenly went out

In the moisture of the rays of the innocent moon,

And the royal priestess left

In virginal meditation, alien to love.

But I saw where the arrow fell:

In the West there is a small flower;

From white, he turned scarlet from a wound!

Pack

I'm ready to fly around the whole globe

In half an hour.

(Disappears.)

Oberon

Get this juice

I will catch Titania sleeping,

In her eyes I will sprinkle with magic liquid,

And the first person she looks at

Waking up - be it a lion, a bear, or a wolf,

Or a bull, or a troublesome monkey, -

She follows him with her soul,

And before I remove the spell from her

(What can I do with another grass),

She will give me the boy herself!

But who's coming here? I am invisible

I can eavesdrop on mortal conversation.

Included Demetrius; Elena follows him.

Demetrius

I do not love you! Leave me!

Well, where is Hermia and where is Lysander?

I want to kill him - I'm killed by her!

You said: they ran into the forest ...

You put your modesty at risk

Leaving the city and giving yourself

For those who don't love you:

You trust the temptations of the night

And the evil suggestions of these deserted places

Treasure of your innocence.

Elena

Your honor will be my protection!

Your face lights up the night for me.

I do not consider this forest deserted;

You are here with me, you are the whole world for me.

How can I say that I'm alone

When the whole world is here looking at me?

Demetrius

I will run away and hide in the thicket of the forest,

I'll throw you to the beasts to be eaten.

Elena

Oh! The most fierce beast is kinder! Well,

Run. Let all fairy tales change:

Let Daphne chase Apollo

Yes, do it, see that by all means

He fell in love with her more than instantly.

Come back before the rooster crows.

Pack

Do not be afraid, the faithful spirit will fulfill everything.

In this article we will talk about the famous comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream". William Shakespeare is a recognized master of dramaturgy, whose equal has not yet been found in literature. His creations, written in the distant 16th century, have not lost their relevance even today.

About the work

The play consists of 5 acts, the date of writing is 1596. It is believed that the author composed it specifically for the wedding day of some aristocrat close to Elizabeth I.

The main idea of comedy is that the whole world is a game. And how it will end will depend only on the decision and mood of the players themselves. But one should not look for a particularly deep philosophical subtext in this work, since it was created mainly for the entertainment of the audience.

Shakespeare, "A Midsummer Night's Dream": a summary. Location and characters

The events of the play unfold in ancient Greek Athens. The city is ruled by a king named Theseus, with whom many ancient legends are associated, the main one tells about the conquest of the Amazon tribe by him, after which he married their queen Hippolyta, who also participates in the play.

In addition to human characters, there are magical creatures in comedy - in particular, the king and queen of these peoples - Oberon and Titania.

tie

The comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream begins with wedding preparations (we will present a summary in this article). Duke Theseus and Queen Hippolyta are going down the aisle. The celebration is scheduled for the night of the full moon.

Enraged Aegeus, the father of young Hermia, bursts into the palace. He attacks Lysander with accusations - the young man bewitched his daughter and forced him to love himself, and meanwhile the girl had already been promised to Demetrius. Hermia appears, she says that she loves Lysander. The duke intervenes in the conflict and announces that, according to the laws of Athens, the daughter is obliged to fulfill the will of the parent. Theseus gives the headstrong girl time to think, but on the first day of the new moon, she will have to decide "to die ... or marry the one whom her father chose ... or take ... a vow of celibacy."

Hermia and Lysander decide to flee Athens and agree to meet the next night at the nearest forest. The lovers reveal their plan to Elena. The girl has long and hopelessly been in love with Demetrius, hoping to win the favor of her beloved, she tells him about the plans of Hermia and Lysander.

Sideshow

Shakespeare, as always, anticipates the development of literary devices. For example, we see the staging of the play in the comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream" itself (the summary is proof of this). Thus, the author raises the game, in this case theatrical, to the absolute. And this is already a favorite technique of postmodernism, which will appear only at the end of the 20th century.

So, the company of artisans decides to put on an interlude in honor of Theseus' wedding. The carpenter Peter Pigwa is chosen to direct, choosing the "poignant comedy" The Very Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisbe. Weaver Nick Osnova is called to play the role of Pyramus, he is generally ready to take on several characters at once. The role of Thisbe goes to Dudka, the bellows repairman. Don't be surprised, in Shakespeare's day, women could not perform, and all roles were played by men. Thisbe's mother was the tailor Robin Zmorysh; Piram's father is Tom Snout, coppersmith; Lion - carpenter Milyaga. Pigwa tells everyone to learn their roles by tomorrow.

Fairy Kingdom

Shakespeare uses images of mythical characters in his play. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" from this comes close to an English fairy tale.

The action is transferred to the forest. The ruler of the elves and fairies, Oberon, quarrels with his wife Titania over a baby whom the queen has adopted. The king wants to take the child from his wife in order to make him his page. Titania refuses her husband and leaves with the elves.

Then Oberon orders the elf Pak to bring a flower, which was accidentally hit by Cupid's arrow. If the eyelids of a sleeping person are smeared with the juice of this plant, then he will fall in love with the first person he sees. The king hopes that his wife will fall in love with some animal, and forget about the child.

The invisible Oberon remains to wait for Pack. At this time, Helena and Demetrius appear, who is looking for Hermia and rejects the one who loves him. When the servant brings the flower, Oberon tells Demetrius to lubricate the eyelids so that he falls in love with Elena. The king of the elves himself applies the remaining juice to Titania's eyelids.

Hermia and Lysander, wandering through the forest, were tired and lay down to rest. Peck mistakes the young man for Demetrius and smears the juice on his eyelids. Waking up, Lysander sees Helen, falls in love with her and confesses his feelings. The girl decides that he is mocking her and runs away. The young man, leaving the sleeping Hermia, pursues a new lover.

Awakening Titania

Increasingly implausible events take place in A Midsummer Night's Dream. The summary tells us about the pranks, and not always harmless, of elves and fairies.

Artisans gather in the forest for a rehearsal. The basis suggests, in order not to frighten the spectators, to compose two prologues to the play. The first will say that Pyramus does not kill himself at all, and in general it is not Pyramus at all, but the Foundation. In the second, warn the audience that the Lion is also not really a terrible beast, but a carpenter.

Baek is watching the rehearsal. The prankster decides to enchant the Foundation, turning his head into a donkey's. The artisans take a friend for a werewolf and run away from him in fear. At this moment, Titania wakes up, sleeping not far from this place. The first she sees the Foundation, falls in love and calls him with her. The queen immediately summons four elves and orders them to serve the new "my lord".

Duel

The events of the work "A Midsummer Night's Dream" continue to unfold. Peck reports to Oberon about how the queen fell in love with the monster. The king is delighted with the news. However, having learned that instead of Demetrius, the magic juice fell on Lysander, he begins to scold.

Oberon is looking for Demetrius, wanting to correct the oversight of the servant. At this time, Peck lures Elena to the sleeping Demetrius. The young man wakes up and immediately begins to swear eternal love to the one he just rejected. Elena comes to the conclusion that Lysander and Demetrius conspired to mock her. She also decided that Hermia was involved in all this. Hearing accusations against her, Hermia lashes out at her friend with accusations that she seduced Lysander.

The young people, who have now become rivals, decide through a duel to decide who will get Elena. Peck is delighted with what is happening. However, Oberon orders the servant to lead the duelists deep into the forest, and then separate and drive in circles so that they cannot meet. As the exhausted heroes fall asleep, Peck smears Lysander's eyelids with love juice antidote.

Awakening

Has a clear entertainment focus "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Theater in the years of Shakespeare served only for the amusement of the public. Nevertheless, the great playwright, even in comedy, the lowest genre, was considered to be able to put a modicum of meaning.

Oberon, who has already got the baby, accidentally sees Titania sleeping next to the Foundation. The king feels sorry for her, and he lubricates her eyelids with an antidote. The queen wakes up and exclaims: “I dreamed ... I fell in love with a donkey!”. Oberon orders Peck to return the original head to the Foundation. The fairies are flying away.

Aegeus, Hippolyta and Theseus come to the forest to hunt. They accidentally find sleeping young people. Waking up, Lysander announces that he and Hermia have fled here from the harsh laws of Athens. Demetrius, under the influence of the potion, confesses that he loves Elena and wants her to become his wife. Theseus announces that two more couples will be married this evening, besides himself and Hippolyta.

The Foundation wakes up, he goes to Pigve. Here the director gives instructions to the actors before the performance.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream": a summary. denouement

Preparations for the celebration begin. The lovers tell Theseus about everything that happened to them in the forest. The Duke marvels at their adventures.

Philostratus arrives, manager of entertainment. He provides Theseus with a list of recreational activities, from which the ruler must choose those he likes. The Duke opts for an interlude of artisans.

The performance begins. Pigwa reads the prologue, and the audience makes snide remarks. Snout comes out, he explains that he is smeared with lime, because he depicts a wall through which Thisbe and Pyramus must talk. The main action begins. Leo rises to the stage, who in verse explains to everyone that he is not real. At this time, Theseus admires: "What a reasonable and meek animal!" Actors say stupid things, shamelessly distort the text and amend the plot. This is all very amusing to the audience.

The play ends at midnight. The guests disperse. The elves appear, led by Peck. They sing, dance and have fun. Then Oberon and his wife order them to disperse around the castle and bless the beds of the newlyweds.

This concludes the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (we presented a summary above).

The comedy in five acts was written in the mid-1590s. It is believed that Shakespeare wrote his work in honor of the Day of St. John the Baptist or for the wedding celebration of a famous aristocrat.

The play consists of several storylines, one way or another intertwined with each other. Theseus, Duke of Athens, is preparing to marry Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Celebrations must take place on a full moon night. A young girl named Hermia is in love with a young man, Lysander, who also loves her. However, Demetrius is also courting Hermia. Aegeus, the girl's father, prefers the second admirer.

Since Hermia refuses to marry Demetrius, the father turns to the Duke of Athens, claiming that Lysander has bewitched her daughter. The Duke demands obedience to his father's will. Lysander and Hermia decided to flee the city. The girl shared her secret with her friend Elena. Since Elena was once Demetri's lover and still continues to love him, the insidious woman is driven by the desire to regain the favor of her former fiancé. Elena gives Demetrius the secret of her friend.

Meanwhile, preparations for the Duke's wedding continue. Several city masters decided to stage a comedy about Pyramus and Thisbe in honor of the newlyweds. The production is directed by carpenter Peter Pigwa. The role of Thisbe will be played by Francis Dudka, a bellows repairer. The mother of the main character will be the tailor Robin Zamorysh. Carpenter Milyaga will be a Lion. Weaver Nick Osnova will become Pyramus, and his father will be played by coppersmith Tom Snout. The masters agree to meet in the forest the next day to rehearse the play. In Shakespeare's time, women weren't allowed on the stage. That is why it might not seem strange to the audience that all the roles in the play are played by only men.

Not far from Athens in the forest live spouses - Oberon, the elven leader, and his wife Queen Titania. The wife took care of the boy. Oberon wants to take him away to make him a servant. Titania disagrees. As a result, husband and wife quarreled. The husband wants to cast a love spell on the queen so that love will make her forget about her adopted son.

For this, the king needs a special flower. Oberon becomes an accidental witness to a conversation between Demetrius and Helen. Hermia and Lysander agreed to meet in the forest, which was known to the girl's friend. Helen brought Demetrius to the same forest. Oberon sends the elf Puck to cast a spell on Demetrius. By mistake, Puck bewitched Lysander. A peacefully sleeping young man, waking up, falls in love with the first person he managed to see - Elena. He leaves Hermia and runs after a new lover.

The city masters gathered in the forest to rehearse the play. Pak, who appeared nearby, bewitched the weaver. The Foundation grew a donkey's head. At the sight of such a metamorphosis, the rest of the masters fled. Not far from the rehearsal place, Titania was sleeping, which Pak had already bewitched. Waking up, the queen sees a weaver monster in front of her and falls in love with him.

Oberon is pleased with Puck's actions, but the elf's mistake had to be corrected. The king bewitched the sleeping Demetrius, who, after waking up, fell in love with Helen, who was near him. When they meet, the friends begin to quarrel. Hermia accuses Elena of betrayal. Demetrius and Lysander now both love the same woman and challenge each other to a duel. Puck enjoys the confusion that he himself caused, but Oberon dispels Lysander. In addition, he freed his wife from the spell and returned the weaver Osnova to his former appearance. Oberon has already managed to get his wife's adopted son as a page and no longer wants to torment her.

Hippolyta, Theseus and Aegeus hunt in the forest and find 2 sleeping couples: Lysander and Hermia, Demetrius and Helen. The awakened Lysander explains that he was forced to flee the city with his beloved so that she would not become the wife of a rival. Demetrius declares that he is no longer interested in Hermia. He only loves Elena. The weaver also comes to his senses and goes to the city. The play ends with a merry wedding, at which Theseus married Hippolyta, Lysander married Hermia, and Demetrius married Elena.

Mere mortals

There are no completely positive or completely negative characters in the play. Mere mortals behave the way people have behaved at all times: they love, they hate, they fight for their right to happiness, selfishly not thinking about this right for another person. In the course of the play, almost every character manifests himself both from the positive and from the negative side.

It is likely that the author did not want to divide his characters into 2 camps because he wanted to show their helplessness. All heroes, including Duke Theseus, were supposed to appear as puppets. Shakespeare relieves his characters of responsibility for their actions. The fate of a man does not belong to him. It's all the fault of evil fate, a predetermined path. Perhaps the author did not believe in the existence of the Greek gods, but he fully admitted that there is a force that determines our lives.

forest gods

According to Greek tradition, the forest gods in Shakespeare's play have anthropomorphic qualities. They are distinguished from people only by power and supernatural abilities. Otherwise, the king, queen and elves are like ordinary Athenians. Oberon quarreled with his wife, like the most ordinary mortal. Elf Pack loves pranks, like any boy on the streets of Athens. The gods are also able to love, envy and plot each other.

Gods with a human face
The author has no reverence for supernatural forest creatures. He strives to portray them as comically as possible, to show their grumpiness, vanity and some stupidity. Gods, like people, are not divided into good and bad. Oberon, who started a real intrigue to take his adopted son from his wife, nevertheless, does not show cruelty and helps to unite the lovers.

Fatum is often present in the works of Shakespeare. Evil fate did not allow Romeo and Juliet to connect. Despite all the tricks, cruel fate doomed the young Veronians to inevitable death.

main idea

The idea of the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream", the summary of which will interest the future viewer or reader, can cause controversy, since the main purpose of this work is to entertain the public. One can only assume that Shakespeare chose as his idea the idea that human life is just a game. How exactly the game ends depends solely on the mood of the players.

Analysis of the work

When creating his play, the author set himself one single goal - to please the public. The work does not contain any moralizing or thoughtful philosophy. The audience, carried away by the plot, does not always notice the lack of credibility. The ruler of Athens could hardly be called a duke. Urban Greek artisans cannot bear typical English names.

However, Shakespeare's plans did not include authenticity, an excessive desire for which can make the work too boring. At the end of the play, Park, addressing the audience, asks them to imagine that everything they saw was just a dream. Presenting the play as a not entirely logical dream justifies unreliability and inaccuracies, because in dreams everything becomes possible that was impossible in reality.

5 (100%) 3 votes

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedy by William Shakespeare written between 1594 and 1596. Presumably, the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was written by Shakespeare for the wedding of the English aristocrat and patron of the arts Elizabeth Carey, who married on February 19, 1595, on this day "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was first performed in the theater. According to another version, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is dedicated to the celebration of St. John's Day (a holiday similar to the day of Ivan Kupala in the Russian tradition ).
In 1826, the 17-year-old German composer Felix Mendelssohn wrote the music for the theatrical production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Mendelssohn's score for A Midsummer Night's Dream was very popular in 19th-century productions, and it also left its mark on cinema, being the main theme music in the 1935 film A Midsummer Night's Dream. Especially popular was Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" from "A Midsummer Night's Dream", from a hymn to the variability of love, turning for many into a hymn of marital fidelity.

Theseus is going to marry Hippolyta, and the wedding of Demetrius and Hermia is also being prepared, on which Hermia's father insists. Hermia loves Lysander, together they decide to run away and tell Elena, who is in love with Demetrius, about this, in the hope that Elena will be pleased with the escape of her rival for Demetrius's heart. Elena, counting on the gratitude of Demetrius, tells him about the escape of his bride. As a result, all four - Hermia, Lysander, Helen and Demetrius - find themselves in the forest at a time when Oberon, the king of the fairies and elves, decides to punish his wife Titania, who does not give him her Indian page. Oberon orders his servant Pak to smear the eyes of the sleeping Titania with magical juice, after she wakes up, she will fall in love with the first living creature that she sees and forget her Indian pet. There is magic juice in a flower that has grown in the place where Cupid's arrow hit, bouncing off a chaste virgin.

Fairy

Or just in appearance you are like him,
Or are you really Rogue Robin,
Evil spirit. Not you in the villages
Do you scare girls? Do you grind grains yourself?
You skim the cream and spend hours entirely
You don't let the worker knock down the butter?
Are you ruining the yeast in your beer? You fool
Night traveler and laugh after?
And who calls you "friend Pak"
So you are happy to help this way and that.
Tell me is that you?

Fairy and Pak

Arthur Rackham - Fairy and Puck

Oberon

Is this meeting under the moon good,
Arrogant Titania?

Titania

What's this?

Jealous Oberon? Let's go, fairies!
I hate his appearance and bed.

Oberon and Titania

Joseph Noel Paton. Debate between Oberon and Titania

Alfred Fredricks. Titania and Oberon

Arthur Rackham - Titania and Oberon

Arthur Rackham. Titania

Arthur Rackham - Titania

Amateur actors also come to the forest, who decide to play the play "Pyramus and Thisbe" at the wedding of Theseus. One of them - the weaver Hank (in another translation - the Basis) turns out to be turned by Pak into a creature with a donkey's head. The donkey-headed weaver is the first to see Titania after waking up and falls in love with him.

Titania

Do not seek to leave this thicket.
You wouldn't have found the way anyway.
I am a being of the rarest of breeds.
In my domain - summer all year round.
I love you too. Come my friend.
Elves will run to you for services,
To look for pearls for you in the seas
And sing when you doze on the flowers.
I will thus cleanse your mortal frame,
That you, like a spirit, will rise above the earth.

Titania and Foundation

Alfred Fredericks - Foundation

Alfred Fredericks - Titania and Hank (Basic)

Alfred Fredericks - Titania and Foundation

Edwin Landseer. Titania and Foundation

John Anster Fitzgerald. Titania and Foundation

Joseph Noel Paton. Titania and Hank (Basic)

Arthur Rackham - Titania and Foundation

Oberon witnessed the conversation between Elena and Demetrius, who rejects the girl in love. Oberon orders Puck to pour magical juice over the eyes of the sleeping Demetrius so that Demetrius will fall in love with Helen. But Puck mistakenly pours juice on Lysander's eyes and he falls in love with Elena, forgetting his love for Hermia. While reforming, Puck waters Demetri's eyes as well, and he also falls in love with Elena. Helen, who did not have a single admirer, now gains two and decides that Demetrius, Lysander and Hermia want to play a trick on her. Hermia is at a loss as to why Lysander has cooled off towards her. Demetrius and Lysander leave to fight for Helen's heart.

Arthur Rackham. Elena

Jones Simmons. Hermia and Lysander

Alfred Fredericks - Lysander and Hermia

Alfred Fredericks - Hermia

Alfred Fredricks. Demetrius and Elena

Oberon orders Pak to remove the effect of the magic juice from Lysander, and he heals Titania, who has already given him an Indian boy. The weaver returns to his normal appearance and he, along with his comrades, plays at a triple wedding: Theseus marries Hippolyta, Lysander marries Hermia, and Demetrius marries his new love, Elena.

Oberon
(speaking)

Oh Robin, hello! See? Admire.
I begin to feel sorry for the poor.
Now she was gathering at the edge
Flowers for this vile image;

Oberon, Titania and Hank (Basic)

Titania

My Oberon! Oh, what a fable!
I had a dream that I love a donkey.

Oberon

Here he is, your gentle friend.

Oberon, Titania and Foundation

Alfred Fredericks - Titania, Oberon and Foundation

John Anster Fitzgerald - Oberon and Titania

William Blake. Oberon, Titania and Puck with dancing fairies

Alfred Fredericks - Theseus and Hippolyta

Now I'll tell you about two adaptations of Shakespeare's comedy that I watched - 1935 release and 1999 release.

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a 1935 film directed by Max Reinhardt and William Dieterly. This film has a wonderful fairy-tale atmosphere, especially Titania, played by Anita Louise.

Stills from the movie "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1935):

Oberon and Titania

Titania and Foundation

Hermia (portrayed by Olivia de Havilland)

Elena (played by Jean Muir)

Of the modern film adaptations of A Midsummer Night's Dream, I would like to note the 1999 film directed by Michael Hoffman, I like it even more than the 1935 film, despite some deviations from Shakespeare's original text - the action is transferred to the Italian town of Athens at the end of the 19th century, and Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius and Helena ride bicycles through the forest. If in the film of 1935 the emphasis is shifted towards fairy tales, then in the film of 1999 the main thing is not fabulousness, but the comicality of what is happening, due to this the film looks in one breath. Titania is playing. The best actress for this role cannot be chosen, Michelle Pfeiffer as the queen of fairies and elves is simply magnificent.

Stills from the film "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1999):

Oberon and Titania

Titania and Foundation

Of the theatrical performances of the role of Titania, one cannot fail to mention Vivien Leigh, she first appeared on the stage as Titania in the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" on December 27, 1937.

Vivien Leigh as Titania

CHARACTERS

Theseus, Duke of Athens.
Aegeus, father of Hermia.
Lysander |
) in love with Hermia.
Demetri |
Philostratus, manager of the festivities at the court of Theseus.
Wedge, carpenter.
Saw, carpenter.
Hank, weaver.
Duda, the bellows repairer.
Snout, coppersmith.
Frozen, tailor.
Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, fiancee of Theseus.
Hermia, daughter of Aegeus, in love with Lysander.
Helena in love with Demetrius.
Oberon, king of the elves.
Titania, queen of the elves.
Puck, or Rogue Robin.
Bob |
Gossamer) elves.
Moth |
Mustard |
Elves and fairies from the retinue of Oberon and Titania.
Suite of Theseus and Hippolyta.

Location: Athens and the nearby forest.

STEP ONE

EVENT 1

Athens. Theseus Palace.
Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Philostratus, and Retinue.

Theseus
The hour of our wedding is at hand, Hippolyta:
Only four days until the new moon.
But the old moon melts for so long
And won't let my wishes come true
Like a stepmother with a lifetime income
Healed stepson to the detriment.

Hippolyta
Four days will easily drown in the night,
Four nights sleep will rush away easily,
And the new month, bending in the sky
His silvery bow, cast a glance
The night of our wedding.

Theseus
Philostratus, go
Call the youth of Athens to fun,
Ignite the lively and ardent spirit of fun.
Disheartened place at a funeral;
We don't need this pale-faced guest.
Exit Philostratus.
I wooed you with a sword, Hippolyta,
I won your love with cruelty;
But I will play the wedding in a different way,
Among celebrations, and spectacles, and feasts.
Enter Aegeus, Hermia, Lysander, and Demetrius.
Aegeus
May our Duke Theseus be happy!
Theseus
Thanks Egey. What did you come with?
Aegeus
Full of indignation, I came with a complaint
To Hermia, to my own daughter.
Here, Demetrius! This person
I, sovereign, promised her as a husband.
Over here, Lysander! And this man
Bewitched her soul, my duke.
You, you, Lysander! You wore poetry to her
Changed love pledges;
You are under her window, in the moonlight,
She languidly sang about languid love;
You captured her imagination
Giving either a lock of your hair, or a ring,
Flowers, gifts, memos, knick-knacks, -
Such ambassadors are willingly trusted by youth;
You stole my daughter's heart
You turned child obedience
In obstinacy. Sovereign,
When she is here in front of you,
Demetrius will reject, I will resort
To the ancient custom of Athens:
She is mine and I have power over her.
Therefore, I will give my daughter
I will doom Demetrius to death,
As provided by law.
Theseus
What do you say, Hermia? Child, think
Your father is like God to you;
He is the one who created your beauty;
You are just a wax form for him,
Which he fashioned and dominated
Either leave it as it is, or destroy it.
Demetrius is a very worthy man.
Hermia
So is Lysander.
Theseus
On my own;
But here, since your father does not want him,
We recognize the other as the most worthy.
Hermia
Oh, if my father looked like me!
Theseus
No, you have to look through his eyes.
Hermia
May Your Grace excuse me.
I don't know what gives me courage
And how my modesty allows me
Raise your voice in such a presence;
But I ask: let me know
The worst that can threaten me
When I refuse my hand to Demetrius.
Theseus
Will you accept death or forever be
Excommunicated from the society of men.

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