Intertextuality in the Midsummer Night’s Dream

William Shakespeare frequently used his literary works to make statements on social issues. A Midsummer Night’s Dream addresses the contact between men and women by portraying several relationships, father and daughter, husband and wife, in which the man tries to exert his will upon the woman. Shakespeare chose to use an interesting perspective in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, presenting a play within a play to portray different endings to similar contacts between father and daughter, one tragic, one happy. Shakespeare’s use of Pyramus and Thisbe within A Midsummer Night’s Dream also allowed him to make important statements about the drama genre in his time (Smith N. Pag.). A Midsummer Night’s Dream may be among the most whimsical of Shakespeare’s works, but he wound together powerful statements on two diverse subjects in an extraordinarily adroit manner. Shakespeare used the play Pyramus and Thisbe within the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream to comment on the position of the theater during his time, which was often subject to the will and whim of both church and state and frequently threatened with censorship. It is important to recognize the history of theater to understand the status of theater during the Renaissance. Traditionally, the theater had been an entity of the church, which offered miracle and mystery plays on holy days as a way of educating the public about the history and teachings of the church, rather than as entertainment. As theater became more public, and subjects other than church history began to appear, the church and the state both objected sternly and attempted to control the theater, enacting laws to maintain control of performers and playwrights. Queen Elizabeth (1558-1603) was a supporter of drama and attempted to pave the way for its growth, both by being a patron to the art in London and in 1559, by entreating mayors in her realm to license plays (Child N. Pag.). It is, in fact, widely accepted that Shakespeare wrote A Midsummer Night’s Dream expressly to be performed at a wedding attended by Queen Elizabeth (Smith N. Pag.). In 1572 companies of actors that were not attached to noblemen’s houses were declared “rogues and vagabonds” (Wilson N. Pag.). The Protestant Reformation was underway and with the beginnings of Puritanical leanings, the
the drama was deemed unethical and immoral.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, widely held to have been written in the mid-1590s, provided Shakespeare a venue for stating to the public that drama by its very nature was not real, that it was entertainment, which coincidentally addressed issues of ethics and morality. In his play, Shakespeare used both audience and actors of Pyramus and Thisbe to comment on the drama. Shakespeare introduces the actors of Pyramus and Thisbe early in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and uses their dialogue to demonstrate the importance of drama to the common man, as well as their fear of censorship. In the First Act, Scene Two, a group of tradesmen are introduced. These fellows are very excited to have the opportunity to perform an interlude at the wedding of Theseus, a Duke of Athens, to Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons. Shakespeare has taken care in this scene to show the earnestness of these tradesmen that they take this performance seriously, but also uses their conversation concerning the assignment of roles to point out the consequences of censorship. Bottom, the weaver, and by far the most outgoing of the troupe, offers to play the lion. He will, he states, “roar so that it will do any man’s heart good” (Durband Act I, Scene 2), to which the carpenter Quince, as director, replies that if Bottom were to play the lion too realistically, frightening the ladies present, it would “have us all hanged” (Durband Act I, Scene 2). Even though the presentation here is humorous, Shakespeare is commenting on the reality of censorship by the government, and the seriousness of the repercussions of such censorship. The following evening the troupe meets in the woods to rehearse their performance, and again Shakespeare satirizes the censorship prevalent at the time.

The actors decide they must incorporate prologues in their performance that explain to the audience in plain language that this is fiction, that they are playacting, and that there is no actual violence or bloodshed. At the performance of Pyramus and Thisbe, Shakespeare shares comments from the audience, Theseus, and members of his entourage, about these prologues. He uses these conversations to point out the humor of the situation in which the actors find it necessary to explain every step of the play so that the audience understands that the purpose of their performance, and by association with the entire genre of drama, is to entertain, not to frighten or offend. Shakespeare’s sarcasm rings clearly throughout the performance of Pyramus and Thisbe in Act 5, Scene 1 of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with comments such as made by Demetrius to Theseus, “A lion can speak if so many asses can” (Durband Act 5, Scene I.),” expressing Shakespeare’s opinion of the standing of church and government on the theater.

Shakespeare closes A Midsummer Night’s Dream with only Puck on stage, and a soliloquy that reinforces the satirical comments about theater made throughout the play by encouraging the audience, if offended, to think of the performance as “….nothing better than a dream…” (Durband Act 5, Scene I.). This comment is telling in and of itself, in that it seems that Shakespeare feels a need to apologize to his audience for his sarcasm, but is it necessary to comment on the political pressures prevalent at the time to do away with theater as an art? Although the obvious overall theme of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is love and conflict between the sexes, Shakespeare cleverly intertwined a powerful statement about the genre he loved and its fragile standing in English society. Persecution of the theater and actors continued throughout Shakespeare’s lifetime, and while he was blessed to have had the support of both Queen Elizabeth and her successor, King James (Child N. Pag.), he was a member of a very small minority. Shakespeare presented an astute foresight in his comments presented in the performance of Pyramus and Thisbe within A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as shortly after his death the theater in London as he knew it was indeed closed down.

William Shakespeare frequently used his literary works to make statements on social issues. A Midsummer Night’s Dream addresses the conflict between men and women by portraying several relationships, father and daughter, husband and wife, in which the man tries to exert his will upon the woman. Shakespeare chose to use an interesting perspective in A Midsummer Night’s may be among the most whimsical of Shakespeare’s works, but he wound together powerful statements on two diverse subjects in an extraordinarily adroit manner. Shakespeare used the play Pyramus and Thisbe within the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream to comment on the position of the theater during his time, which was often subject to the will and whim of both church and state and frequently threatened with censorship. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, widely held to have been written in the mid-1590s, provided Shakespeare a venue for stating to the public that drama by its very nature was not real, that it was entertainment, which coincidentally addressed issues of ethics and morality. In his play, Shakespeare used both audience and actors of Pyramus and Thisbe to comment on the drama. Shakespeare introduces the actors of Pyramus and Thisbe early in A Midsummer Shakespeare has taken care in this scene to show by the earnestness of these tradesmen that they take this performance seriously, but also uses their conversation concerning the assignment of roles to point out the consequences of censorship. Even though the presentation here is humorous, Shakespeare is commenting on the reality of censorship by the government and the seriousness of the repercussions of such censorship. The following evening the troupe meets in the woods to rehearse their performance, and again Shakespeare satirizes the censorship prevalent at the time. Shakespeare’s sarcasm rings clearly throughout the performance of Pyramus and Thisbe in Act 5, Scene 1 of A.

 

 

·        In a Fine Example of Shakespearean Irony

 

Shakespeare avoids the social conventions of the civilized world by introducing a ‘green world’ where the fairies rule. It is within this metaphysical world, and its associated suspended disbelief, that he calls on the fancy of myth and magic as a means of exploring the idiosyncrasies behind human behavior. More importantly, it is only through accepting the possibility of Puck’s love juice or the power of Cupid’s arrow that we can understand and forgive the intolerable behavior between Demetrius, Lysander, and their scorned lovers. The biting remarks made by Lysander and Demetrius highlight several areas of conflict that drive the comedy. To begin with, the audience must accept that such wicked words are the direct result of the power of the metaphysical world. The hierarchy of creation is upside-down in this ‘green world’, and the caustic words and irrational actions of the mortals are a direct result of fairy mischief. Lysander and Demetrius, gentlemen in the city of Athens, become unjustifiably ruthless in their treatment of their past lovers. When Demetrius threatens to «do mischief in the wood» when the love-sick Helena follows him into the forest, the relationship appears irrevocably damaged. This remark, shared with other thinly veiled threats, forces the audience to explore the gender conflict. Not only limited to the stage but secondary conflict is also created between the players and the audience. When the powerful arrow of Cupid causes Demetrius to fall in love with Hermia and abandon Helena, the tone established by his stinging words ensures audience sympathy is generated. Likewise, the transformation of Lysander when under the influence of Puck’s love juice is dramatic and powerful. His dreadful and prolonged rebuke of Hermia in Act 3.2 equates him with Demetrius in the audience’s mind. Creating a character type, it becomes difficult to tell the two men apart, and the audience is in conflict when searching to dene their identities. Puck’s powerful love juice needs only a moment to send the mortal world into chaos. Lysander does not show psychological verisimilitude. As quickly as Puck’s potions can turn the world upside down, his antidote can right it. Confirmation of this is found in Act 4 when Lysander, explaining himself to Theseus, admits confusion, saying «Half asleep, half-waking. » Likewise, Demetrius explains his change of heart as being «like in sickness», but now restored «in health». The mechanics of a comedy require disorder and a happy resolution. By the play’s end, the audience can forgive the harsh words as harmony is restored and the metaphysical mischief-makers assume responsibility for the unnatural chaos they have created. Although at times uncomfortable and unjust, perhaps the power of this comedy is built by extreme discord. As Puck reminds us in the Epilogue, harmony is essential to the fulfillment of a comedy.