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1 Thecourseoftrueloveneverdidrunsmoo 1 thfie!youcounterfeityoupuppetyoutho upaintedmaypolespeakperchancetilaft A Midsummer Night s Dream: A Guide ertheseus weddingdaysnoutsnugbott for Teachers omtheweaverchangelingchildnotforth The Warehouse Theatre Educational Touring Production yfairykingsomfairiesawayweshallchid For more information, contact Anne Tromsness, Education Director anne@warehousetheatre.com edownrightififwelongerstaygentlepuc kyesitdothshinethatnightcomesitdow neverymother ssonhempenhomespun sospiteohell!iseeyouallarebenttosetag ainstmeforyourmerrimentawidowaun tadowagerofgreatrevenuetitaniaober onfullofvexationcomeiegeuscomesitd ownuponthisflowerybedwhileithyami ablecheeksdocoyiwillroaryouladiesyo umylovetohermiameltedasthesnowan dihavefounddemetriuslikeajewelmine ownandnotmineownpyramusandthis

2 2 Using this study guide Through our education programs at the Warehouse Theatre, we take residencies to dozens of teachers classrooms, and work with thousands of students a year. We support curricular standards in ELA, theatre, and history by bringing the actor s approach to Shakespeare to the students, and empowering them to speak the speeches, and embody the words we love so well as they learn how to apply these tools to their own experience with the text. Through our curricular strategies and arts-integrated approach, we celebrate inclusion, critical thinking, teamwork, process and problem solving. What we hear in many schools is that Shakespeare continues to provide a challenge to students and teachers. We hear from educators about the struggle they experience helping students connect with plays that focus on heightened language and a celebration of rhetorical structure and device, when our culture seems to focus less and less on appreciating both language and reason. We work with wonderful teachers who work hard to keep the Bard relevant to the upcoming generation, and we love to partner with as many schools and classrooms as we can. But even if we re not in your classroom we want to serve as a resource for you! It is in this spirit that we have designed this study guide intended for educators in middle and high schools, to use as a tool to enhance student comprehension and enjoyment of Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream. The exercises contained in this guide are designed to meet several Common Core standards for the middle and high school English Language Arts classroom. This guide may be used as a supplement to classroom study of this text, and is best used in the context of attending the Warehouse Theatre s student matinee performance of A Midsummer Night s Dream. For information about booking The Warehouse Theatre s touring productions in your community, contact me at anne@warehousetheatre.com. Additionally, we hope you will encourage your students to attend live theatre, and if in the Greenville area, audience enrichment programming at The Warehouse Theatre. For each play, we host a series of events which bring the play s themes, genre and production process into new focus for the community. Our forum series takes an issue or theme raised in the play and envisions its current context in our own community. We assemble a panel of community members with an expertise or investment in that issue, and hold a facilitated, thoughtful dialogue and discussion. We also host pre-show talks lead by scholars and theatre practitioners, contextualizing the plays we present by genre, time period or production history. Talkbacks offer audience members the chance to ask questions of the play s director, actors and design team. This programming is free and open to the public. For a full schedule of events, contact me at anne@warehousetheatre.com. We hope you will find this guide useful, and that you will let us know what information, topics for discussion, and exercises you integrate into your curriculum. Let us know what you would like for us to include in future study guides or resources. And thank you for your support of The Warehouse Theatre! Anne Kelly Tromsness, Education Director

3 3 Contents A Brief Synopsis of the Play... 4 Spotlight: A SIMPLE STRUCTURE IN SHAKESPEARE S PLAYS Something you can count on... 5 Spotlight:THEME and MOTIFS... 6 Spotlight: TWO PLAYS in CONVERSATION... 7 Spotlight: Acting Shakespeare some advice from the players...8 Spotlight: Stock Characters... 9 Spotlight: Sources - Borrowing and merging from several sources Spotlight: Audience Etiquette Shakespeare in Historical Context: William Shakespeare s life as a play Shakespeare s Language Shakespeare s World Some thoughts about William Shakespeare and some fun facts about the play Sources for this study guide... 22

4 4 A Brief Synopsis of the Play Theseus is the duke of Athens, the enchanting and enchanted ancient Greek city-state. He s just defeated the Amazon queen Hippolyta in war and will now marry her. He orders a festival of reveling to celebrate his wedding. However, before the festival can get started, Theseus must attend to a serious matter. Egeus, a wealthy Athenian brings his stubborn daughter, Hermia, before Theseus in order that he might pass judgment on her for disobedience to her father s will. Hermia loves Lysander and Lysander loves Hermia but Egeus, Hermia s father, has decided Hermia will marry Demetrius. Hermia dislikes Demetrius and refuses. Egeus asks Theseus to resolve this situation by invoking an ancient law of Athens that says if a daughter disobeys her father she faces many penalties. Theseus offers Hermia some options: obey her father and marry Demetrius or choose to live the rest of her life as a nun, or suffer the penalty of death. He gives her until the next moon to decide. After Theseus and her father leave, Hermia and Lysander devise a plan to run away from Athens through the forest to elope. At that moment Helena, Hermia s best friend. She loves Demetrius and is heart-broken at the thought that her best friend, Hermia, might be getting married to him. Hermia swears she has no intention of marrying Demetrius and shares her plan to marry Lysander. Helena still suspects her friend of being disloyal and vows to find Demetrius and tell him of Hermia and Lysander s plan. Word of the wedding festival spreads and of the dramatic competition that awards money to the best play. A group of tradesmen and laborers decide to enter the competition. They are carpenters, tailors, tinkers, mechanics, but not actors. However, because they have in their group the best amateur actor in Athens, Bottom the weaver. They also have Peter Quince who will write and direct the play and organize all the rehearsals. They fear that other groups in the competition might spy on their rehearsals so they decide to rehearse at night in the forest of Athens. The forest outside the city is especially enchanted by fairies, ruled by the king and queen of fairies, Oberon and Titania, who are not getting along and are living apart from each other. Their quarreling has put the natural world into a state of chaos. They meet by chance one night by moonlight in the forest outside Athens. Oberon orders his most loyal fairy, Puck, to seek out a magical flower in the forest whose nectar, if squeezed onto a sleeper s eyes, has a magical property that makes them fall in love with the first creature they see upon awaking. Oberon plans to use it on Titania so that she will once again adore him. He has also overheard poor Helena, now alone in the forest. He takes pity on her and orders Puck to use the flower s magic on Demetrius so that he will love her. Puck mistakenly uses the flower on Lysander who wakes to see Helena as she looks for Demetrius. He swears his love for her, pursuing her through the forest, leaving Hermia asleep and alone. When Oberon sees what Puck has done, he orders him to try again and get Demetrius to fall in love with Helena. Puck finds Demetrius and does as he is told. Demetrius wakes to see Helena and fall in love with her. Now both Lysander and Helena are pursuing Helena and Hermia is chasing all of them to find out what is going on. Puck, then enchants the sleeping Titania. He has discovered Bottom rehearsing in the forest and turns him into an ass. Bottom is the first creature Titania sees when she wakes, so she falls in love with him. The result is a night of chaos in the forest that soon gets out of hand. Oberon, seeing that he s gone too far, undoes the spells and everyone sleeps until morning. The lovers are all discovered the next morning by Theseus and his hunting party. They tell their tale and Theseus commands they return to Athens to be married; Hermia to Lysander, and Demetrius to Helena. That night, after the weddings, the rude mechanicals, led by Bottom, perform their play and win the competition. Oberon wakes Titania and they reconcile. That night they bless the marriages of the Athenians and all is right again in the world.

5 5 Spotlight: A SIMPLE STRUCTURE IN SHAKESPEARE S PLAYS Something you can count on According to Louis Fantasia, scholar and author of Instant Shakespeare, in all of Shakespeare s plays you can count on the plot including four elements: ONE The world (or worlds) of the play begin in some sort of disorder or chaos as a result of some inciting incident. TWO Some figure of authority (a king or queen, prince, duke, parent) makes a decision that will have a significant impact on the lives of the other characters in the world of the play THREE- The dramatic or rising action of the play unfolds as the effected characters in the world of the play take some action in response to the decision made by the authority figure. Often, this will lead them on a journey to a middle world of the play that is in direct contrast or juxtaposition to the world of disorder or chaos that starts the play. FOUR - The actions taken by the effected characters force some sort of climax or resolution based on the decision made by the figure of authority. In a comedy this resolution comes in the form of multiple marriages and in a tragedy it comes in the form of multiple deaths. Ultimately, this resolution restores order to the first world. TERMS Plot Order Disorder Chaos Climax Inciting incident Dramatic action / Rising action Resolution ACTIVITY Identify these four structural elements in A Midsummer Night s Dream. Support your findings with textual evidence and examples. Create a chart, illustration, or some visual aid to represent your findings. Apply this test to another of Shakespeare s plays to see if it holds up. ACTIVITY Choose several of Shakespeare s tragedies and several of his comedies or romances and count the number of weddings or deaths. Which comedy/romance has the most marriages at the end of the play? Which tragedy or history has the most corpses at the end of the play? ACTIVITY Choose what you perceive to be the worst figure of authority and their bad decision from amongst Shakespeare s plays. Defend your choice against someone else s. What rubrics will you need to establish to determine the worst decision? Will it be how many lives it alters? Will it be how many disasters occur as a result?

6 6 Spotlight: THEME and MOTIFS Theme is defined as a subject or topic of discourse or artistic representation. Motif is defined as a dominant idea or central theme. In drama the central theme is usually an intrinsic or essential idea surrounded by several more literal or representative motifs. Below is a list of words representing either themes or motifs from the play. Forbidden love Fate Consequences Haste Love Jealousy Duality Light Dark Night Day Sun Moon Short Tall Nature Man Male Female Swearing Disobedience Natural Law Supernatural Death Ego Sleep Civil Law Cloak Self-awareness Order Chaos Old Youth TERMS Imagery Theme Motif Intrinsic Essential Literal Duality QUESTIONS Which of the words above, in your opinion, represent themes, which represent motifs, which are images? How do you decide which are which? What themes, images or motifs, in your opinion, are missing from the list? Assume you are asked to select just one from the list to represent the central theme of the play. How would you go about choosing? Which word would you choose and why? ACTIVITY Create a chart with the themes heading individual columns. Assign motifs under their appropriate thematic heading. Do you encounter any motifs that could go under more than one heading? How does this help you better understand the play?

7 7 Spotlight: TWO PLAYS IN CONVERSATION According to Stanley Wells and Gary Taylor and the Complete Oxford Shakespeare, these plays were both most likely written within the time period ( ). Though the genres are different, there are many similar devices, themes, and event plot points shared between them. What can we learn about one play by studying the other? Listed below are parallel devices and themes in the plays. MSND bonds and liberty Pyramus and Thisbe Night and Day Love-in-Idleness Sleep and Dreams Young Love Demetrius Oberon and Titania Costumes Theseus Running Away Swearing Oaths Forced Marriage Elopement R and J bonds and liberty Romeo and Juliet Light and Dark Friar Laurence s potion Sleep and Death First Love Paris Queen Mab Mask/ disguise Prince Banishment Swearing Oaths Forced Marriage Secret marriage Activity: track a similarity throughout both plays. How does the genre of the play comedy versus tragedy, differ in the exploration of these themes or characters? Where are there elements of comedy in Romeo and Juliet, tragedy in A Midsummer Night s Dream? Activity: Look for related themes or different explorations of stories in other Shakespeare plays, or in works by another author. How can presenting similar themes and ideas using a different genre affect the message? How are antithetical genres effective in different ways?

8 8 Spotlight: Acting Shakespeare some advice from the players Actor Roger Allam played Mercutio in the Royal Shakespeare Company s production of Romeo & Juliet. In the book Players of Shakespeare 2, Mr. Allam is interviewed about his process as an actor and in preparing the role. Here he speaks of a discovery he made on holiday in Italy before rehearsals began. I spent a week in Venice, staggered by the confidence and wealth of its past, drinking in its painting and architecture. As I looked at the paintings in the Accademia from Byzantine to Mannerist, I felt I was witnessing the emergence of an ever more complex view of the world, alongside the means to express that complexity in oil paint, and through the use of angle, colour and light. I felt a vivid sense of the correspondence between this visual richness and the developing language of English drama and poetry in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Making visual connections is very important to many actors as we have become used to appreciating complexity of meaning expressed as a stream of pictures in film For me, standing in front of a Botticelli or a Veronese was like seeing a Shakespeare speech brought to life, a kind of visual equivalent which stimulated my feelings for the world of the play. He goes on to discuss another aspect of an actor s process, observation of people and places. The resultant street life is very rich, even in small towns like Arrezo and Giaole, fertile ground for the peeping Tom aspect of an actor s preparation. I observed the groups of young people, the lounging grace with which they wore their clothes, their sense of always being on show. I walked the streets, they paraded them. I made up stories about them, and took surreptitious photographs. TERMS Accademia Byzantine Mannerist Botticelli Veronese QUESTIONS The actor, Roger Allam draws a connection between painting, architecture, language, drama and poetry. How can these things be useful to an actor or other theatre artists in preparing a role or a production? Mr. Allam points out that he noticed the ability of the artists to use new mediums such as oil paint to capture the richness of their visual world. What advancements and new mediums or technology could are used by artists today to express this? How would an actor or theatre artists make use of them? Mr. Allam makes the observation that actors are influenced by streams visual images in films to grasp complex meaning. This interview took place in the 1980s. What has changed since then and how would it alter or enhance this observation today? What importance do you think is placed on observation and interpretation in an actor s preparation and why? ACTIVITIES Using your library and the internet as a resource, create a collage of images drawn from paintings, photographs, illustrations, video clips, etc. that reflect your interpretation of the world of A Midsummer Night s Dream. Include passages of poetry or prose, song lyrics, words or symbols. This could be either a digital project (Powerpoint, etc.) or a three dimensional project (poster board, etc.) Observe the people and places around you in search of ideas or images for the characters and events in the play. Write down or record your impressions of subjects that seem to fit into your idea of the play.

9 9 Spotlight: Stock Characters Shakespeare, as an heir to the Commedia Del-Arte tradition, in which the play s message is communicated largely through easily recognizable or even stereotypical characters, employs many of stock characters throughout his works. Once you look at their basic characteristics, it is easy to identify them across the Shakespearean canon. This identification of characters can make understanding an unfamiliar text a little easier because the characters in a particular category behave in similar ways, and may even speak using similar rhetorical, image or verse structure. Lovers Some Examples of STOCK CHARACTERS In Shakespeare Ingenue (female): Innocent, sweet, youthful, honorable Examples: Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Hero in Much Ado About Nothing, Perdita in The Winter s Tale, Anne Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor. Sobrette (female): Not-so-innocent, not-so-young, usually honorable, witty, likes banter and argument Examples: Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Rosalind in As You Like It, Katarina in The Taming of the Shrew, Rosaline in Love s Labours Lost. Rustic/ Rude (Male and Female): country born and bred, simple, agrarian, earthy. Examples: Jaquenetta in Love s Labours Lost, Audrey and Phebe in As You Like It, Silvius in As You Like It, Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night. Noble (Male): born of nobility, high-born, generally honest Examples: Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing, Troilus in Troilus and Cressida, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Sebastian in Twelfth Night Companions Councilors (Male or Female): faithful, honest, convey messages, have information, confidantes. Examples: Horatio in Hamlet, Paulina and Camillo in The Winter s Tale, Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, Banquo in Macbeth Bawds (Female): worldly, saucy, dispense advice, maternal with an edge Examples: The Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, Mistress Quickly in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Lucetta in Two Gentlemen of Verona, Emilia in Othello Mentors (Male): fatherly, give advice, supply the hero with the means to pursue their desire. Examples: Don Pedro and Antonio in Much Ado About Nothing, Duncan in Macbeth, The Duke in Measure for Measure

10 10 Authority Figures and Soldiers In Control (male): authoritative, most times fair, peripheral to plot, initiate or resolve conflict. Examples: Theseus in A Midsummer Night s Dream, The Prince in Romeo and Juliet, Solinus in The Comedy of Errors, Cymbeline in Cymbeline In Distress (male or female): strong, noble, comprised by circumstance or bad decisions/advice, decisive, often with a flaw of temperament Examples: Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra, Macbeth in Macbeth, Titus in Titus Andronicus, Orsino in Twelfth Night, Lear in King Lear Reluctant Heroes Comic Characters Rakes & Cads (male): Walk the line between good and bad but usually turn out good,witty, bawdy, seductive, hot-tempered, loyal but independent. Examples: Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Benedick in Much Ado about Nothing, The Bastard in King John, Kent in King Lear The Wit: Language based humor, somewhat noble, melancholy Examples: Jaques in As You Like It, The Fool in King Lear, Berowne in Love s Labours Lost, Benedick in Much Ado about Nothing The Clown: Physical comic, jester, paid to be amusing, singer Examples: Feste in Twelfth Night, Touchstone in As You Like It, The Fool in King Lear, Lavatch in All s Well that Ends Well, The Gravedigger in Hamlet The Fool: situational comic, dim-witted, unaware of being a fool Examples: Dorcas and Mopsa in The Winter s Tale, Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing, Speed and Launce in Two Gentlemen of Verona, Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night, Don Armado in Love s Labour s Lost. Bawds (Female): worldly, saucy, dispense advice, maternal with an edge Examples: The Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, Mistress Quickly in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Lucetta in Two Gentlemen of Verona, Emilia in Othello, Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing. Oppositional Characters Villains (Male or Female): Charismatic but ruthless and malicious characters. They are often murderous characters driven by blood-lust, revenge, murderous ambition or simply hatred of the protagonist. Their actions are mostly premeditated. Examples: Iago in Othello, Aaron and Tamora in Titus Andronicus, Richard in Richard III

11 11 Antagonists (Male or Female): As well as having some or many of the villains, the antagonists are also characterized by petty ambition, jealousy, greed, and gullibility. They are often misinformed or mistaken in their opposition. They may also lack the ability or determination of a villain. These characters are often simply at odds with the protagonist because they are culturally or ideologically opposed. Examples: Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Cassius and Brutus in Julius Caesar, Angelo in Measure for Measure, Leontes in The Winter s Tale Parents Dominant Father or Mother: These characters are often used in the role of one of the other stock characters but it is important to include them in their own category as well. These are strong, domineering characters who are sometimes cruel or in opposition to the desires of their children in favor of their own ambitions or sense of order and degree. Examples: Lord and Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet, Egeus in A Midsummer Night s Dream, Polonius in Hamlet. Non-human characters Doting Father or Absent Mother It is difficult to find many doting fathers in Shakespeare s plays and if they are found, they very often turn dominant somewhere during the action of the play. Absent mothers however, are evident, as they are in most fairy tales, in many of his plays. This could be due to his borrowing from fairy and folk tale structure but it could also be due, in part, to the fact that it was more difficult to find older male actors to play the mother and matron roles; Shakespeare could not afford many of them per play. At times Shakespeare will use a matronly character to stand in for an absent mother. These characters are often older, simple people who are natural or foster parents or marginalized characters. They offer counsel, love and support and may find themselves in peril for their love and care. Examples: Leonato in Much Ado About Nothing (he begins as a doting father but turns dominant), Lear in King Lear (Again, he starts out doting, becomes dominant, and returns to doting), Adam in As You Like It, the Old Shepherd in The Winter s Tale, the Countess in All s Well that Ends Well, Constance in King John and Hermione in The Winter s Tale (Both are removed from her child for most of the action of both plays) Fantasticals / Sprits (Male, Female, or Neither) Creatures of imagination, fairies, sprites, goblins, and ghosts and even the occasional god. Often used to provide insight into future events or to council and protect mortal characters or to wreak havoc and mischief. Examples: Titania and Oberon, Puck and the fairies in A Midsummer Night s Dream, Ariel in The Tempest, Hecate and the weird sisters in Macbeth, The ghost of Hamlet s father in Hamlet, Caesar s ghost in Julius Caesar.

12 12 Everyman characters Rustics and Mechanicals: Pastoral or country rather than urban or city based characters. They are often simple, comical, less sophisticated, but always wise in common matters. Usually honest but highly gullible. Examples: Bottom, Quince, Snout, Snug, Flute, and Starveling in A Midsummer Night s Dream, Corin, William, Audrey, Phebe, and Silvius in As You Like It, The Old Shepherd and his son and family in The Winter s Tale, Verges in Much Ado About Nothing. Expositional and supernumeraries Lords, ladies, soldiers, officers, musicians, messengers, servants (Male or Female) Important but often nameless and shallow characters in that we know very little about them and do not see them consistently throughout the play. They serve to deliver expositional material, bring news, or act as a sort of chorus commenting on the action of the play. There are numerous examples of these characters; just about any that don t fit into one of the other categories. Compelling Characters Shakespeare certainly made use of stock characters but he also invented his fair share of more complex characters by integrating the types. Because of this, his characters seem more truthful, more human. These characters, perhaps because of their humanness and complexity have survived through time, unequalled in literature, and beloved for their depth and variety. Shakespeare s characters are deeply admired by theatre artists and especially actors who consider his characters to be some of the most compelling, challenging and difficult roles to play. TERMS Commedia Del-Arte Stock Canon Rhetorical Peripheral Confidante Exposition Malicious Charismatic QUESTIONS To which group do the characters listed below belong? Titania, Oberon, Bottom, Helena, Egeus, Lysander, Demetrius, Puck, Theseus How do we recognize them? How does their behavior give them away? How does the language in the play (prose vs. verse), imagery, punctuation, etc. reveal which classification they belong to? What themes are each of the characters most tied to? ACTIVITY Choose one or more contemporary films or television programs and determine what group each character belongs to.

13 13 Spotlight: Sources - Borrowing and merging from several sources According to the British Library online, the plot of A Midsummer Night s Dream cannot be traced to any one text, but as is typical of many of his works, Shakespeare drew from a variety of sources for aspects of the play. For example, from Plutarch s Lives of The Noble Grecians and Romans, he took information about both Theseus and Hippolyta. From Chaucer s Canterbury Tales he took inspiration from The Knight s Tale for both language and plot, and among other sources, Shakespeare used Seneca s plays Medea and Hippolytus in particular for aspects of the Helena and Demetrius love-plot. QUESTIONS Can you think of any recent films or plays or television programs that have borrowed or adapted existing stories, plots, or characters? What might you learn about Shakespeare as a writer by comparing Romeo and Juliet with the original source material mentioned above? Activity Choose two stories, folk tales, or fairy tales from when you were younger. Select one as your primary story or plot and incorporate characters or moments from the other. Then, add a character or two and action from your own imagination. Now you re working like Shakespeare!

14 14 Spotlight: Audience Etiquette In today s world of digital media, film, and television, it is important to remember that watching a play is a different experience that requires different habits and attitudes. Differences between live entertainment and pre-recorded, electronic, or other media. (Between theatre and film) Audience and performer awareness and connection. They are both present. Performers feed off of the audience. One performance to the next can be very different based on the connection between performers and audience. Performance develops right here and now and is dependent on audience attention and focus. Distractions do not go unnoticed by the performers Films etc. can be re-viewed if something is missed; they can be interrupted yet still viewed from start to finish. Live theatre is different. If the viewer misses something, they can t rewind. Entering the theatre and becoming an audience member From the moment the audience member enters, the performance elements are being presented to her through various theatrical elements. Find seat, remove coat or jacket before you sit, sit properly in seat, be aware and courteous of patrons on either side and in front or behind you. Keep your feet off the seat or seat back in front of you. Take in the set/scenery, listen to the music, read the prepared material in the program. Converse with your friends or neighbors but at a level that allows everyone else to do so as well. Conversation should stop when the lights, sound, curtain or actors change in a way that makes you aware things are about to start.intermission is a great time for talking. Attention and focus Live entertainment/theatre requires a different level and type of attention or focus. From entering the theatre to the final curtain, clues and elements relating to the performance, the story, the themes etc. are being presented and should not be missed due to distraction or inattentiveness. Plays tend to accelerate as the story unfolds. Your attention needs to stay with them and increase as the story unfolds in order to really get the most out of the experience. Avoid outside distractions by turning off cell phones, not conversing with friends or neighbors during the performance, not texting during the performance and not getting up to use the restrooms or wander

15 15 the lobby repeatedly. This may cause you to miss key elements of the story and inhibit your enjoyment of the play and it will be distracting to other audience members and the performers as well. Start to finish Plays may begin with a recorded or live speech before the show. This is the formal beginning of the performance and is often indicated by a lowering in level of the house lights (the lights over the audience) and a change in lights on the show curtain or set. At this point you should be quiet and attentive. The play/story will usually begin when the house lights dim completely and lights come up full on the set or the curtain rises to reveal the set and/or characters. Plays are traditionally divided into acts which are in turn separated by scenes. There may or may not be intermissions (breaks in the story for you to visit the lobby and/or restrooms) between acts. These may last ten to fifteen minutes. The number of intermissions will be indicated in your program and/or during the pre-show speech. It is acceptable and encouraged to applaud at the end of an act. Normally applause between scenes is discouraged. You should always applaud at the end of the play and while the performers take their bows (curtain call) While talking during a performance is discouraged, it is acceptable to laugh or react to moments that are funny or engaging. This also depends on the type of show (for example in a children s show, the performers may want the audience to interact and converse with them more than in a play for older children and adults.) Expect to work harder and experience more The live theatre asks more of an audience in terms of attention, focus, and thought. This is a good thing. It makes you work a little harder and asks more questions than you may be used to but that s because the theatre s origins and traditions are rooted in societal rituals that brought communities together in order to discuss important social issues. Plays were not intended to be purely entertaining though many are in the modern theatre. A performance doesn t end with the curtain coming down or the lights fading to black; discussions and reflection after the performance are part of the live theatre experience. More succinctly put don t you love it when someone tells you a story? And don t you want to make sure you catch it all? All this work what s it really for? Shakespeare, and other live theatre is well, is not performed and produced to make the audience feel alienated. It s about connection; it s about humanity, and about what we recognize in our own lives as well. You may find yourself laughing, crying, nodding your head in agreement, or turning away in disgust. All those on stage and those who have contributed to the play are seeking connection with you. They love the story they are telling, find it compelling and useful in some way, and hope to relay that to you. All work aside let yourself experience it!

16 16 Shakespeare in Historical Context: William Shakespeare s life as a play ACT I /78 Sense and Sound, Family, Foundation Shakespeare s personal history is actually quite a mystery. What we know if him is based mainly on his plays and a few legal and church documents. He is thought to have been born on April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, near Warwickshire. His father, John, was a glover (a tradesman and craftsman who works in fine leather), and later an alderman and bailiff. Shakespeare s mother, Mary Arden, was a landed local heiress; her family was an old and respected one in the area. According to church record, William was the third of eight children. During this time period Shakespeare learned Latin, philosophy, theology, history, and classic mythology at the local grammar school but he also learned the day-to-day customs, manners, and language of rustic and country life. ACT II 1576/ Work? Apprentice? Tutor? Shakespeare did not proceed to university after Grammar school. Other than this, little is known for sure. During this next span of time Shakespeare probably learned his father s trade and may have been engaged as a tutor for children of local noble families. ACT III /92 Marriage, Family Documents concerning Shakespeare s marriage to Anne Hathaway, a woman some seven or eight years his senior, on the 28 th of November in 1582 and the births of their children Susanna in May of 1583, and twins Hamnet and Judith in February of 1585, provide some of the only information we have about William Shakespeare during this time. Shakespeare all but vanishes from record for seven years after the birth of the twins. This period in his life is often called the Lost Years. How or why he ends up in London writing plays and acting is a mystery that has sparked many theories and arguments among scholars and historians. ACT IV London, the age of Elizabeth Even less is known for certain as to how Shakespeare came to join a professional troupe of actors and then become a playwright. What we do know is that by the year 1588, he was gone from Stratford and living in London working as an actor and later as mainly a playwright. In1592, a rival playwright named Robert Greene publically attacked Shakespeare in a critical article in which he refers to Shakespeare as an upstart crow. By 1594 Shakespeare was a managing partner of one of the most popular theatre companies in London, the Lord Chamberlain s men (Later the King s Men) and the company s principle playwright. His star was on the rise.

17 17 ACT V Wealth, Fame, Return to Stratford Shakespeare achieved a significant fame and notoriety by this time. His company was successful and his plays well known and even published during his lifetime (not a usual occurrence during this era). By the end of his career, Shakespeare was a part owner in the company, the Globe theatre itself, and was involved in the establishment of one or more other theatres. He was wealthy enough in 1611 to purchase a new house in Stratford and retire in comfort; a highly respected, and distinguished gentleman. He is reported to have died on his birthday, April 23 in His last lines of verse to us are those of his epitaph: Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbeare To dig the dust enclosed here. Blessed be the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he that moves my bones. In 1623 two of his theatrical partners, John Hemminges and Henry Condell organized and had printed the First Folio edition of the collected plays of their friend William Shakespeare. Half of this collection included plays that had previously been unpublished. To these two gentlemen we owe a great debt. William Shakespeare is arguably the greatest playwright of the English language. His body of work has stood the test of time and distance with his plays still being produced all over the world on a regular basis. He is one of the most produced playwrights in history.

18 18 Shakespeare s language - Shakespeare s most striking feature is his use of and command of language. - Shakespeare had only a sparse formal education. There were no dictionaries and organized grammar texts would not appear until the 1700s. - As a student, Shakespeare would have studied the English language no more than other men of average education. - His education consisted primarily of translating, copying and reciting Classical Texts, such as the Bible, Holinshed s Chronicles, The Iliad, the works of Dante and Herodotus and Ovid s Metamorphoses. Many of his plotlines and references come from these works. - Shakespeare was also very familiar with dramatic and poetic texts both of his day and before. For example, many of his characters and structure of his stories come from Commedia Del Arte, and from the Senecan tenets of plot. He also referenced Thomas Kyd s The Spanish Tragedy, and Christopher Marlowe s plays such The Jew of Malta (in the case of The Merchant of Venice). He borrowed heavily from poet Edmund Spenser, most notably The Faerie Queene. - The Oxford English Dictionary credits Shakespeare with introducing nearly 3,000 words into the English language. (these include eyeball, assassination, bedroom, and other commonly used words.) - He is estimated to have had a vocabulary ranging in numbers upward of 17,000 words (four times the average educated man). - There are 7000 words in his works that are used only once and never again. This is more than the number of words than occur in the entire King James Bible. - Shakespeare's English is not Old English, but rather a raw and young form of the Modern English spoken today. - Word order, as the language shifted from Middle to Early Modern English, was still a bit more flexible, and Shakespeare wrote dramatic poetry, not standard prose, which gave some greater license in expression. - This facility with language, and the art with which he employed its usage, is why Shakespeare is as relevant today as he was in his own time.

19 19 Shakespeare s World Most of Shakespeare s plays were written during what is referred to as the Late or High Renaissance period. In England, this era is also referred to as the Elizabethan Period after Queen Elizabeth I. It is important to note that Shakespeare s world, while dominated by Elizabeth, was shaped by other monarchs before and after her reign. Starting with her father, Henry VIII, and concluding with her nephew, James I we see that Shakespeare was the subject of a turbulent and volatile royal family. Henry VIII EdwardVI Mary I Elizabeth I James I Excommunicated, started English Reformation Devoted Protestant, died young Fanatical Catholic, persecuted protestants Protestant but tolerant of the old faith to a point More a politician than devout, fascinated by the occult The theatres of Shakespeare s time The Theatre: The first public theatre in London. When it was torn down its timbers were used in constructing the first Globe Theatre. It was owned by James Burbage and his son Richard who would originate many of Shakespeare s leading characters including Hamlet. The Blackfriars: Eventually owned by Richard Burbage in 1597 and intended to operate as a second space for the King s Men. The Curtain: One of the longest standing theatres, it lasted from about 1577 until the 1660s. The Rose: Probably the first London theatre in which Shakespeare s plays were seen. Opened by Phillip Henslowe who would go on to work frequently with Shakespeare. Ned Allyn, a popular actor took over in later years but the theatre fell into ruins and could not compete with the newly built Globe Theatre. The Rose was torn down in The Swan: Little is known of this theatre which operated between It is important to history because of a famous sketch of it made by Johannes de Witt and later copied by Aernoudt. This sketch provides us with the most detailed picture of an Elizabethan theatre. The Globe: Home to the Lord Chamberlain s Men (Later the King s Men) the first version of this theatre opened in Both Shakespeare and Burbage were part owners. It burnt down in 1613 and a new Globe was built in 1614 and lasted until Fortune Theatre: Built by Phillip Henslowe in 1600 to compete with the Globe Theatre. The contract for the construction provides detailed information about the characteristics and operation of an Elizabethan theatre. Playwrights and contemporaries Edmund Spenser London Influential poet and playwright. His poem, The Fairie Queen, is one of the greatest epic poems of its age John Lily Kent Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit and Euphues and His England. Credited with developing polite comedy in England Thomas Kyd London Author of the play, The Spanish Tragedy, which set the standard for Elizabethan tragic form.

20 Robert Greene Norwich A member of a group of writers known as the University Wits. He was a critic of Shakespeare and attacked his work in public articles. Christopher ( Kit ) Marlowe Canterbury Said to have been a significant influence on Shakespeare and may even have been regarded as a rival. His life and writings have become almost legendary. His plays, Faustus, Tamburlaine the Great, and The Jew of Malta are most famous. Ben Jonson London Regarded as one of the literary masters of his age, Johnson was a contemporary of Shakespeare s who both praised and criticized him. His plays, Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair are most famous. 20

21 21 Some thoughts about William Shakespeare and some fun facts about the play He who desires to understand Shakespeare truly must understand the relations in which Shakespeare stood to the Renaissance and the Reformation, to the age of Elizabeth and the age of James; he must be familiar with the history of the struggle for supremacy between the old classical forms and the new spirit of romance. Oscar Wilde Shakespeare said everything. Brain to belly; every mood and minute of a man s season. His language is starlight and fireflies and the sun and the moon. He wrote it with tears and blood and beer, and his words march like heartbeats. He speaks to everyone and we all claim him, but it s wise to remember, if we would really appreciate him, that he doesn t properly belong to us but another world that smelled assertively of columbine and gun powder and printer s ink and was vigorously dominated by Elizabeth. At age 436, his future is unlimited. Orson Welles, The Road to Xanadu, 1995, p. 179 New York Times Headline, April 23, 2000 A Midsummer Night s Dream is one of 10 Shakespeare plays to include an epilogue. Romeo and Juliet is another. These two plays, other than their genres (comedy vs. tragedy) have much in common in terms of theme, imagery, and plot. Blank verse was first used by the Earl of Surrey in the early 1500 s. He was translating Virgil s Aeneid and looking for a corresponding Latin meter, and found it in the Italian iambic pentameter model. Blank to the Elizabethan meant simple, or unadorned. Within 50 years it was the preferred form used by English dramatists.

22 22 Sources for WHT s A Midsummer Night s Dream Study Guide Text editions: The Riverside Shakespeare 2 nd ed. The Complete Works. 1997, - Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston and New York The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, The Cambridge Text Established by John Dover Wilson. 1921, Cambridge University Press Octopus Books Ltd Source/reference texts: Shakespeare After All. Marjorie Garber. Anchor Books, 2004 Players of Shakespeare 2 Further essays in Shakespearean performance by players with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Edited by Russell Jackson and Robert Smallwood. Cambridge University Press, 1988 Shakespeare s Imagery and what it tells us. Caroline F. E. Spurgeon. Cambridge University Press, Beacon Press The Shakespeare Miscellany. David Crystal and Ben Crystal. Penguin Books, London, England, Websites: Shakespeare s Words, this is the official David and Ben Crystal website, with the complete works with glossary, themes and motifs, allusions, and much, much more. Folger Shakespeare Library, Replete with lesson plans, a teachers blog, and information about Folger programming and collections. British Library: - Extensive information on the background, production and publication history, and quartos of Shakespeare s plays: