7 second Intro Music before Speaking
Hi everyone, and welcome back to In Plain Terms the podcast for anyone looking for an easy and fun way into Shakespeare’s plays. I know not everyone loves him as much as I do so I wanted to offer a fun intro to the Bard’s works. If you are new to Shakespeare or just looking for a fun refresher, you have come to the right place. I will be breaking down the plays, briefly touching on some of the themes brought up in the play, and giving a bit of detail on the top insults in the play, because I believe Shakespeare is for EVERYONE not just the Educated Elite. I will be doing this all while making some terrible jokes and just having a good time.
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So, A Midsummer Night’s dream, most peoples gateway drug…their first taste of that sweet nectar that is Our Dear Lord and Savior, Shakespeare. This fun, silly passionate play was first properly introduced to me at age 11, and while I already had a love of Shakespeare, this did nothing to help with my already growing passion. Fairies, Magic, star crossed lovers, what more could you wish for at that age. It’s your standard Romantic Comedy PLUS magic. I also happened to be in between Harry Potter books…so…there was that. Anyways lets get down to business.
Timecode 1:27
Before we get too far Here’s our Quick snapshot of the Events:
Beginning: Dad doesn’t let daughter marry who she loves, then daughter and boyfriend and best friend and the guy she loves run away to forest
(also a bunch of actors start rehearsing, and some fairies get in an argument)
Middle: Fairies mess with humans, and each other, fights ensue
End: Everyone falls in love with the right person, and lives happily ever after.
SO beginning, Theseus, the Duke of Athens, cause he’s about to get married to Hippolyta Queen of the Amazons, who is likely quite a bit less excited about this concept. He’s like listen babe I may have had to defeat you in battle to get you to marry me but let’s forget that now and be happy! #AncientGreekLife. For all you DC fans out there Hippolyta is Wonder Woman’s mother, so imagine forcing that butt kicking Queen to marry some Duke. So now onto the lovers, cause really this is just a really old RomCom. A girl called Hermia wants to marry her love Lysander, but her dad Egeon says she has to marry Demetrius. Demetrius is in love with her despite having made love to Hermia’s best mate Helena, who has been in love with him ever since. SHOCKER Demetrius is a bit of a prick (isn’t it great that men have changed so much since then). So there we have our love triangle Egeon is like OKAY imma take this to Theseus, cause he’s the most powerful person around, he can force my daughter to do what I want. He tells Hermia she has to marry Demetrius, or she will either be put to death or she will have to Abjure [give up] men forever by entering a nunnery (classic rom com trope here guys, overprotective father…how original) . Hermia isn’t too keen on either, and nor is Lysander. So Lysander suggests they run away to move in with his rich single Aunt who has no kids, and sees him like a son (don’t we all wish we had one of those?). Hermia then spills this to her bestie Helena, who then tells her love, Demetrius. So those two then follow Hermia and Lysander into the woods. (Hmmm I wonder where Sondheim got his ideas for a certain musical…..)
While this is happening a bunch of workmen meet together to begin rehearsals for a play they will put on for Duke Theseus at his wedding. Quince the leader and also writer and director, has written a terrible play that he calls The Most Lamentable Comedy and Most Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisbe (this is based on an actual story in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, where ole Shakey gets a LOT of his inspiration) the plot is basically the same as Romeo and Juliet. Here we are introduced to ‘Bottom the Weaver’ He is a bit of a diva, and…well his name rather says it all. Quince then introduces the rest by doing a roll call, and tells them each what part they will be playing. Bottom of course, offers to play every role. Eventually the play is cast, and they plan their next meeting in the woods.
Next we meet Puck, a ‘shrewd and knavish sprite’, who is in the service of Oberon, the King of the Fairies. He meets one of Queen Titania’s, fairies on his way, and talk about their masters who are fighting. Of course just in time the two come gliding on from opposite in a very dramatic entrance! And the arguing commences. Oberon is mad, Cause, among other things, Titania has been paying more attention to a young changeling boy (a child stolen by the fairies). Their arguments have scared all the fairies in the woods, or as Titania calls it ‘Fairyland’. Oberon wants the boy to be his ‘henchman’ IE run with his crew. But Titania won’t budge. His mother was a votaress, a devotee, or follower of hers, and a friend but she died giving birth to the child, and Titania promised to bring up the child. Their falling out it seems has affected the weather, (think the Greek Gods, their mood controls the weather)…hmm maybe that’s what’s causing global warming, the fairies must be fighting again. They argue and then Titania leaves in a huff. Oberon then hatches a plan to get his revenge. He decides to put love juice on her eyes, so she falls in love with someone else, distracting her long enough for him to steal the boy without her noticing and/or caring. He sends Puck away to fetch the flower, and while he waits, in marches Demetrius with Helena in tow, he is being his usual prick-ish self, and Oberon decides he wants to intervene to make sure Demetrius falls in love with Helena before they leave the woods.
Next we see Titania getting ready for a nice nap. All her fairies sing her off to sleep, as one stands sentinel (guard) nearby. Then Oberon sneaks over to her ‘bower’ (her sleeping area) and puts the love juice on her eyes…this of course is the jealous boyfriend part of the romcom trope, but with a little more creepiness added to it. After this we return our other pair of Lovers Lysander and Hermia who are a liiiitle lost at this point. What is it with men and asking for directions… although, to be fair, who is he gonna ask….a fairy, a SHRUB, A TREE??? So they decide to sleep there for the night and wait for daylight, so he can see where he is going, cause that’s definitely going to help in a DENSE forest, but he’s a man, he must know what he’s talking about. Then he tries to smoooth his way into some naughty time with Hermia, to which Hermia like the clever woman she is, even more smoothly turns him down, and makes him sleep a few feet away.
So along comes Puck who has been told by Oberon to use the same juice he used on Titania, on the ‘Athenian in the forest’ so he falls in love with Helena. Little do either of them know there are TWO Athenian men in the forest and those Athenians all look the same, SOOO Puck, mistakenly (or not, you can decide that) doses Lysander (the non prick). And just in time Demetrius and Helena come crashing through their camp. Helena sees Lysander asleep on the ground, and wakes him up, worried something is wrong, and of course she is the first thing Lysander sees when he wakes up, so he falls INSTANTLY in love with her, MUCH to her confusion, shock and dismay. She thinks the Lysander is just playing some BIIIGG prank on her, and is like ‘wherefore was I to this keen mockery born’ (why the Puck are you teasing me?). #moregreeklife. Lysander continues to be all gooey and shower her with praises, and she runs off, with Lysander not far behind. Hermia then wakes up from a nightmare and is all stressed out she calls to Lysander, only to find…HE GAWN!
Next we return to the group fondly known as “The Mechanicals” the craftsmen are rehearsing for their play. Bottom is being his usual Diva self as Quince airs a bunch of problems with the play. Bottom finds solutions (usually involving him) to each one as they come. The rehearsal begins, and no one seems to get anything right. Along comes Puck, who loooves a good prank (he is the OG Peeves but with a bit more of a concience, being alive and all that), and sees Bottom step away from the playing area while he waits for his entrance and decides it would be a great idea to give him a Donkey, or Ass head as they call it in the play. Bottom re-enters the scene, and scares the pants off of all his mates, who flee in fear of this straange sight. Next, who should wake up, but the Fairy Queen herself, who is under the influence of the love juice, and the first thing she sees is Bottom with his Ass head, and she is of course immediately MADLY in love with him. (he has fallen victim to the jealous lover rom com trope…poor guy doesn’t know what he’s in for. The very confused, but flattered Bottom accepts her showering of love and allows her fairies to wait on him hand and foot, and eventually allows Titania to lead him back to her ‘bower’.
Next Puck returns to his master Oberon, who is wondering who/what it was that Titania fell in love with. Puck of course has the answer and tells his tale of transforming Bottom, and the terror of the rest of the ‘mechanicals’ as they fled from him in fear. Puck is feeling pretty pleased with himself, as Oberon tells him ‘This falls out better than I could devise’ and then goes on to ask if he got the Athenian man as well, just as Demetrius and Hermia (Lysander’s girlfriend) enter. Demetrius is moaning about the fact that she doesn’t love him, and Hermia is trying to figure out what he has done with Lysander (not realising he has gone off in chase of Helena). Oberon sees that he is still in love with Hermia and not Helena and rounds on Puck, who says it’s not his fault cause according to Fate, for every one man that’s true to his girl, there are a million others that aren’t (typical teenager response, you can’t see me but I’m rolling my eyes). Hermia then runs off in a huff after realising that Demetrius knows nothing about Lysander, and Demetrius falls asleep where he is, exhausted from his adventures.
Oberon tells Puck to QUICKLY scour the woods for Helena and bring her back so he can fix everything. Puck then charmes Demetrius to make sure he falls in love with Helena when she returns. He then returns a few moments later with Helena, and Lysander hot on her heels. This wakes Demetrius up, who is of course immediately in love her her. Helena, used to everyone disliking her, thinks this is all one big mean prank, and is INFURIATED. The men argue over Helena, and onto the scene comes Hermia, who is THRILLED to have finally found her love, only to find he is in love with Helena. Helena blames Hermia for pulling a prank, and Hermia blames Helena for stealing her man. WHAT A MESS!!! No one has reaaally fixed anything, just made it messier. The Love triangle was just turned on its head. Oberon blames Puck again for this disaster, and Puck (rightfully) says it’s not his fault he didn’t know there were two Athenian men in the woods, but also he’s glad ‘as this their jangling [arguing] I esteem a sport’, sport back then meant any form of entertainment. If sport meant the same thing today, I would be wayyyy more into sports. Oberon then tells Puck to draw all the lovers to the same place without knowing it, so he can fix his mistake. Puck does what he’s told (but has a great time doing it). He mimics each of their voices and leads the lovers so astray they collapse in a heap near each other, Hermia next to Lysander and Helena with Demetrius, and finally charms the correct people.
Next we return to our favourite Queen of the fairies, and her new lover, the Ass headed Bottom oh Shakespeare you punny punny man. He is properly milking his position, I mean who wouldn’t. He has fairies waiting on him hand and foot, two to scratch his ears, one to get him food, another honey, and a literal Goddess is in love with him. Titania is now ready for another nap (or perhaps last time we left them they didn’t actually sleep) she winds him in her arms and the last thing she says to him before she sleeps is ‘oh how I love thee, how I dote on thee’. Right on cues in comes Oberon to reverse the spell. After all, he got what he wanted, and then some. She was distracted enough to give him her changeling boy, and he got a good laugh while she was doting on Bottom with a donkey head, though I reckon he was probably a bit jealous. When he went to obtain the boy he ‘did upbraid [scold] her and fall out with her’ he said he thought the dew the flower crown she made him looked like they were crying in disgrace (harsh). Titania then wakes up fully un-dosed and sees the ridiculous Bottom, Ass head and all lying next to her. After she has fully registered the situation, Oberon commands Puck to remove his Donkey head, (so now he’s just a normal ass). Then Oberon immediately commands Titania to play music to make the four lovers who are asleep to sleep even more soundly, and then off they walk together again to prepare to bless Hippolyta and Theseus’ wedding. Speak of the devil’s…
Onto the scene comes Theseus, Hippolyta and Egeus, off for a morning hunt, and Hippolyta is still taking none of Theseus’ crap, no matter how hard he tries to big himself up. They run into the four lovers asleep on the ground and quickly realise who they are. Theseus wakes them up and and demands an explanation as to what on earth they are doing asleep in each others arms on the edge of a forest.
Demetrius and Lysander mansplain the whole debacle of running away, and Theseus decides to go back on his decision to make Hermia marry Demetrius (pretty pointless seeing as he doesn’t want to marry her anymore) and decides they will all get married at the same time and place as he and Hippolyta. As they depart, Bottom wakes up, and tries to grasp what has just happened to him, thinking it was all a dream. You could perhaps call it a Midsummer Night’s Dream….heehee.You gotta feel for the guy, I mean he went from being the centre of Titania’s affections, to being the Bottom of everyone’s jokes, but he doesn’t let that slow him down. He decides the best course of action is to have Quince write a ballad of it to be performed at the end of their play.
Next we return to the forlorn Players mourning the loss of their main player, as without him they cannot perform for the Duke, and therefore become successful actors (as they were sure to be if they performed their play). When they are at their wits end, ON WALKS BOTTOM, all is merriment again, and they go off to prepare for their performance.
Wrapping up time, the final Act and Scene. All the couples return just after being wed, and Theseus calls for something to entertain them all til they can go to their marriage bed. On walks Philostrate, who is to Theseus as Puck is to Oberon. After a few quite absurd options he reads about Pyramus and Thisbe to which he responds ‘Merry and tragical! tedious and brief! That is, hot ice and wondrous strange snow. How shall we find the concord of this discord?’ Basically saying the descriptions are so opposite he wants to know how on earth they can make sense of it.
On come the players, and the play, unsurprisingly is quite a mess, Quince rushes through his opening speech, Bottom and his scene partner Flute keep messing up the word Ninus calling it Ninny’s as they did in rehearsal, and the impatient lovers continually comment on the disaster that is Pyramus and Thisbe as they make all the typical ‘bad actor’ mistakes. Remember guys Shakespeare wasn’t just a playwright, he was an actor, he was allll too familiar with this. All this heckling was quite common at the time, today however if you try and yell out commentary to the actors during the play they will get really pissed off and you are likely to get banned from the theatre (you have been warned). Their play ends with a dance called a Bergomask, a dance from Northern Italy, and then Theseus calls for everyone to go to bed.
Puck brings on the fairies, who come on to close the show with a final dance to bless the beds of the lovers to bring it good fortune. He says one of my favourite lines “I am come with broom before to sweep the dust behind the door”. He is there to tie everything up in a neat bow. SO: Pro tip, every Shakespeare comedy ends with a dance, so if you ever go to a play or read one, and you aren’t sure if it’s a comedy or tragedy (sometimes Shakespeare is confusing), if it has a dance at the end, you can usually bet your Bottom it’s a comedy. Puck comes in to convince the audience that everything they watched was just a dream, so don’t be mad and don’t think that this promoting witchcraft. Think of it like one of those disclaimers at the beginning of a film or a TV programme that says the events in this play are fiction any relation to real people is by accident please King James don’t come after any of us for promoting witchcraft.
Insults:
“Away, you Ethiope!” Here we have a super racist insult, Ethiope means dark person, but it’s important to bring it up to bring awareness to the history of racism in Elizabethan times, but also to bring up Shakespeare’s dark Lady who comes up in quite a few of Shakespeare’s plays and Sonnets, whose name was Emilia Bassano.
Lysander ‘Hang off, thou cat, thou burr’
‘You minimus of hindering knot-grass made, you bead, you acorn’
Most of these are quite self explanatory. Lysander in his charmed love for Helena just throws out a slew of insults at Hermia. Calling her clingy (cats and burr’s) and just a number of ways to call her small and short. Which I personally find deeply offensive…as a short person myself.
Hermia ‘O me, you juggler, you canker-blossom,’ This is Hermia calling Helena a deceitful double crosser, and a canker bloosom is a weed that destroys love. Pretty low for your best mate, but Hermia is short…so…..
Helena: ‘you counterfeit, you puppet, you!’ Another short joke, seriously this section is just 90% short jokes directed at Helena.
Hermia ‘thou painted maypole’ well….if Helena’s going to call Hermia short, she will call her Tall, but more than that, a tall painted piece of wood with no brains.
Puck and Philostrate often insult the Players because they are of lower status, but beyond ‘hempen homespuns’ meaning men with cheap clothes, there isn’t a specific insult that is really fun to bring up.
Credits:
ShakespearesWords.com has been an invaluable source to me, Thank you Ben and David Crysal
Amber Elby author of Cauldren’s Bubble, and just one of the kindest most supportive people for putting up with constant questions, as well as Robert Myles creator of The Shakespeare Deck for again answering my inane questions about rephrasing things. Good friends are worth their weight in Gold.
