By William SHAKESPEARE

G1.85 Globe MIDSUMMER AW_Layout 1 21/05/2013 13:14 Page 1 A MiDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM by William SHAKESPEARE 1 G1.85 Globe MIDSUMMER AW_Layout 1 21/05/2013 13:14 Page 2 Wedding of Earl of Derby and Some events in the History Elizabeth de Vere at of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Greenwich Official play- Palace, where Chaucer’s ‘The Bad text manuscript the Dream may Knight’s Tale’ harvests (or playbook) have been written in England made performed C1385 1534 1566 1567 1579 1584 1594-96 Lord Berners’ Arthur Golding’s Reginald Scot’s Shakespeare Actors’ parts are Wedding of translation of translation of Discovery of probably writes copied from Thomas Berkeley Huon of Bordeaux Ovid’s Witchcraft A Midsummer playbook and and Elizabeth published Metamorphoses published Night’s Dream distributed to Carey at published members of Blackfriars, company where the Dream Adlington’s Thomas North’s may have been translation of translation of performed The Golden Ass Plutarch’s life of published by Theseus in Lives First Apuleius of the Noble performances Grecians and at the Theatre Romans published in Shoreditch? Early Performance & Publication ost scholars agree that A Midsummer First Folio seems to have been based on a copy Night’s Dream was written somewhere of this later reprint, enriched by supplementary Mbetween 1594 and 1596, the period in contributions from the promptbook. which Shakespeare also produced Love’s Labour’s Lost and Romeo and Juliet. It had certainly been performed by 1598 because it is cited in an early Title page of the first edition of anthology by the Elizabethan critic and anthologist, A Midsummer Francis Meres. Titania’s description of bad weather Night’s Dream, in Act 2 reinforces this date, for these were terrible published in years for English agriculture. It was probably quarto, 1600. written with the Theatre in Shoreditch in mind, Topfoto a predecessor to the Globe and London’s first large purpose-built playhouse. The play was published in quarto in 1600 and appears to have been set straight from the playwright’s ‘foul papers’ – that is, Shakespeare’s own manuscript, rather than the promptbook from which the company worked in the playhouse. This quarto was reprinted in 1619 (after Shakespeare’s death), and the text of the play as it appears in the 2 G1.85 Globe MIDSUMMER AW_Layout 1 21/05/2013 13:14 Page 3 The Dream All references Shakespeare Publication of the is registered to God in the dies in April; Dream in the First for play are the playbook Folio, based on publication probably cut, stays in second quarto, with the following the possession with revisions Theatres Stationers’ Act to Restrain of King’s from the Globe is reopen under Company, 8 the Abuses Men annotated pulled down royal patronage October of Players playbook 1598 1600 1606 1609 1616 1619 1623 1642 1644 1640S 1660 1662 The Dream is First The Dream Second quarto Theatres close Robert Cox’s Samuel Pepys referred to by publication of may be published, during playlet, The Merry derides a the critic the Dream in revived for printed by Commonwealth Conceited revival of the Francis quarto, printed the William Jaggard Humours of ‘insipid Meres in his by Thomas Blackfriars with misleading Bottom the ridiculous’ Palladis Fisher, based Theatre publication Weaver performed Dream at Tamia on details at fairs and in King’s Theatre, Shakespeare’s taverns 29 September manuscript Sources The word ‘source’ is clumsy in relation to a play like THESEUS & HIPPOLYTA A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Shakespeare used or adapted names, ideas, images or hints for incidents The wedding celebrations from various works he certainly knew, and echoed Whilom, as olde stories tellen us, a number more, so that a long list of works can There was a duc that highte Theseus; be compiled that probably contributed in some way Of Atthenes he was lord and governour, to the play. The detection of these has its own And in his tyme swich a conquerour, fascination and is useful in so far as they illustrate That gretter was ther noon under the sonne. the workings of Shakespeare’s imagination, but the Ful many a riche cóntree hadde he wonne; most notable feature of the play is the dramatist’s That with his wysdom and his chivalrie inventiveness, brilliantly fusing scattered elements He conquered al the regne of Femenye, from legend, folklore and earlier books and plays That whilom was y-cleped Scithia; into a whole that remains as fresh and original now And weddede the queene Ypolita, as when it was composed. And broghte hire hoom with hym in his contrée With muchel glorie and greet solempnytee… R.A.Foakes, from his introduction to the New Cambridge Shakespeare edition of Chaucer, ‘The Knight’s Tale’, from A Midsummer Night’s Dream The Canterbury Tales 3 G1.85 Globe MIDSUMMER AW_Layout 1 21/05/2013 13:14 Page 4 A Midsummer George Colman Mendelssohn Night’s Dream and Garrick writes incidental included in Lewis attempt revival music to the play Theobald’s of the Dream Charles Kean’s scholarly edition at Drury Lane, production at Harley Granville- of Shakespeare which flops Princess’s Theatre, Barker’s Max Reinhardt’s with 8-year-old production at stage production Ellen Terry as Puck Savoy Theatre brought to screen 1692 1733 1755 1763 1790 1826 1843 1856 1900 1914 1932 1935 The Fairy Queen, The Fairies, A Midsummer Production of the Beerbohm First of many an operatic a musical Night’s Dream Dream in Berlin Tree’s Dreams at adaptation by adaptation by included in by Ludwig Tieck production, Open Air Purcell and John Smith and Edmond Malone’s featuring live Theatre, Thomas David Garrick, scholarly edition rabbits Regent’s Park Betterton, opens opens at Drury of Shakespeare at Dorset Garden Lane Theatre OBERON BOTTOM’S TRANSFORMATION If you take the shorter way, you must pass through And behold neither feathers nor appearance of a wood about sixteen leagues of length, but the way feathers did burgeon out, but verily my hair did turn is so full of the fairies and strange things, that such in ruggedness, and my tender skin waxed tough and as pass that way are lost, for in that wood abideth hard, my fingers and toes losing the number of five, a King of the Fairies named Oberon; he is of height changed into hoofs, and out of mine arse grew but three foot. a great tail, now my face become monstrous, my nostrils wide, my lips hanging down,and mine ears Huon of Bordeaux, a 13th-century French rugged with hair: neither could I see any comfort romance translated by Lord Berners, 1534 of my transformation, for my members increased PUCK likewise, and so without all help (viewing every part of my poor body) I perceived that I was no bird, but Indeed your grandam’s maids were wont to set a plain Ass. a bowl of milk before him and his cousin Robin Goodfellow, for grinding of malt or mustard, and Apuleius, The Golden Ass, translated sweeping the house at midnight... And you know by William Adlington, 1566 this by the way, that heretofore Robin Goodfellow, A woman falls in and Hob Goblin were as terrible, and also as love with Lucius, credible to the people, as hags and witches be now: a man transformed and in time to come, a witch will be as much into an ass, and derided and condemned and as plainly perceived, takes him to her bed. as the illusion and knavery of Robin Goodfellow. From a 16th-century Italian edition of The Reginald Scot, The Discovery of Witchcraft, 1584 Golden Ass, by Apuleius. Charles Walker / Topfoto 4 G1.85 Globe MIDSUMMER AW_Layout 1 21/05/2013 13:14 Page 5 Release on film Elijah Release on film Globe touring of Peter Hall’s Moshinsky’s of Adrian Noble’s production directed Elizabethan stage BBC TV RSC production by Raz Shaw production production Updated New Cambridge Shakespeare edition published, edited by This production R.A.Foakes opens! 1937 1969 1970 1981 1994 1996 2002 2003 2008 2009 2013 Tyrone Guthrie’s The Oxford Globe production Globe production production, with Peter Brook’s Shakespeare directed by Mike directed by Vivien Leigh and ‘circus’ edition published, Alfreds Jonathan Munby Ralph production edited by Peter Richardson for the RSC Holland PYRAMUS & THISBE Within the town (of whose huge walls so monstrous high and thick The fame is given Semyramis for making them of brick) Dwelt hard together two young folk in houses joined so near That under all one roof well nigh both twain conveyed were. The name of him was Pyramus, and Thisbe called was she... WALL The wall that parted house from house had riven therein a cranny Which shrunk at making of the wall... Now as at one side Pyramus and Thisbe on t’other Stood often drawing one of them the pleasant breath from other, O envious wall (they said), why let’st thou lovers thus? LION But see the chance, there comes besmeared with blood About the chaps a lioness all foaming from the wood, From slaughter lately made of kine, to staunch her bloody thirst With water the foresaid spring. Whom Thisbe spying first Afar by moonlight, thereupon with fearful steps gan fly, And in a dark and irksome cave did hide herself thereby. And as she fled away for haste she let her mantle fall… Ovid, Metamorphosis, translated by Arthur Golding, 1567 5 G1.85 Globe MIDSUMMER AW_Layout 1 21/05/2013 13:14 Page 6 SYnopsis THE DUKE SUPPORTS EGEUS PUCK’S ERROR COMPOUNDED Duke Theseus and Hippolyta are preparing for their Hermia, having lost Lysander, thinks Demetrius has wedding, when Egeus arrives with his daughter killed him, and when he denies it she goes to look Hermia, along with Lysander and Demetrius.

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