Publisher's Synopsis
Yet another edition of A Midsummer Night's Dream?To be honest, it's my favourite Shakespeare play. It's his funniest comedy and one of his masterpieces. It deals with a perennial concern of humans everywhere: how can you tell what is real and what is an illusion (think The Matrix)? But it's also a hilarious comedy, with two of the most farcical scenes in the history of the theatre. Unfortunately, too many stage productions fail to rise to the level of Shakespeare's humour, because the producers and actors are overawed by Shakespeare: he is such a formidable icon of 'high culture'. Another reason I like this play is that it contains, contrary to what many critics claim, strong and determined women, who greatly influence the course of events.There's another reason. Because of his eminent literary status Shakespeare is the most misunderstood writer. So I wanted to show that Shakespeare was first and foremost a superb entertainer and a master of stagecraft: writer, actor, manager and part theatre owner. The theatre in Shakespeare's time was a highly popular form of entertainment that was considered a disreputable activity, somewhat like calypso 'tents' in the Caribbean originally were. Indeed the London theatres were usually in the 'red light' district. Shakespeare became filthy rich from the theatre, something for which some academic critics have never forgiven him. That, and not having been to Oxford or Cambridge.Plays were not then considered 'literature': they were 'low culture', like calypso. Shakespeare's plays were filled with obscene sexual double entendres. For example, in the title of his play Much Ado about Nothing, the Elizabethan audience understood perfectly that 'nothing' was slang for the female genitalia. Most students' introduction to Shakespeare has, unfortunately, been one of summarising the 'characters' and memorising speeches. This makes no sense. So my commentary on Dream tries to understand it in dramatic terms as a set of conflicts between characters that will be resolved by the end of the play. To this end, I examine the stagecraft Shakespeare used to write his play.In addition to an extensive glossary of unfamiliar words along with a running commentary on the action, I have included (at the side of the text) detailed suggested stage directions throughout to show students of Shakespeare and the theatre what might be possible ways of interpreting and staging the play.This edition is dedicated mainly to students, especially Caribbean students. I realised several years ago that Dream lent itself readily to a Caribbean cultural interpretation. The chaotic and wild actions that take place in the wood outside Athens during a midsummer's night (Acts 2 to 4) are akin to what might happen during a Caribbean carnival, where people temporarily abandon the social restraints that normally govern their lives, and surrender themselves to the ecstatic possession of music and dance (and other things).So we develop the theme of carnival as a way of understanding Dream. We suggest that the fairies be seen as creatures of the Caribbean folkloric world of spirits, and that the music and dance which are an integral part of the play be portrayed as Caribbean music and dance appropriate to a carnival-type celebration. And in all of this we try to show why this is one of the most hilarious plays ever written.We hope everyone will enjoy this edition of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
