Shakespeare, William - A midsummer night's dream (2)

It is a comedy because it has an happy ending and it was written in 1595.

Personaggi principali e ambientazione

The main character are Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius and Helena, who are the four Athenian lovers.

The style is dreamlike because there isn't a separation between reality and imagination.

The story is set on 23rd of June (near the summer solstice and the best period for nuptials and fertlity), the place where the story is set is a wood near Athens.

Other characters are: Theseus (duke of Athens), Hyppolita (queen of the Amazons), a group of workmen (including Bottom), Oberon (the king of the fairies), Titania (the quuen of the fairies), Puck (an elf and the king's servant), the fairies (who produce white magic).

Temi e inizio della storia

There are many themes in this literary work: love as unpredictable one, appearence vs being, loss of identity, white magic (which has good purposes), misunderstanding and transformation.
The story starts with the announcement of Theseus and Hyppolita's marriage. A group of workmen decide to performe "Pyramus and Thisby", because for marriages it was usual to prepare a performance. This group decide to meet in the night in the wood to reharse.

Meanwhile, there are Hermia and Lysander who are running away to marry, because she had to marry Demetrius. He follows them in the wood and with him there is Helena, Hermia's best friend who is in love with Demetrius.

Oberon and Titania have an argument and he asks Puck to prepare a potion using a flower and to squeeze it on Titania's eyes. She will fall in love with the first person she meets, Bottom whose head was transformed by Puck into an ass head.

Puck decides to make several jokes and he uses this potion also on Lysander and Demetrius, who both fall in love with Helena. There are several misunderstandings but, fortunately, with the day-light, everything returns like before and the couples marry.