Embedded Files
A Midsummer Night's Dream
AMND: Short for "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare
TEXT: "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
Shakespearean Superstitions
Article: "9 serious theatrical superstitions."
Theatre superstitions: Break a Leg; The Ghost Light and "The Scottish Play" .
A cast of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and the superstitions that almost ended our show and friendships.
Shakespearean Plots
COMEDY:
a play, movie, etc., of light and humorous character with a happy or cheerful ending; a dramatic work in
which the central motif is the triumph over adverse circumstance, resulting in a successful or happy conclusion
In a Shakespearean comedy- all or several of these elements are evident within the play:
1- Mistaken identity.
2- One character is a clown or a servant who always points out or speaks the truth.
3- The characters usually marry in the end- i.e. a happy ending.
4- There is a separation and a reunion.
5- Love is impeded by elders/parents; or there are other family disputes.
6- The play is plot driven- usually with multiple storylines that intersect.
7- Nature has a role in the play-- either through a forest or through weather.
TRAGEDY:
A drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances.
In a Shakespearean drama or tragedy- all or several of these elements are evident within the play:
1- There are supernatural elements (witches, ghosts, strange weather).
2- The play is character driven- usually though a tragic hero: a person with noble qualities who has a great flaw.
3- The main character makes a tragic error: some disorder that has been committed against the laws of nature and needs to be corrected.
4- The hero usually wants revenge or he is being avenged
5- The characters usually die or meet downfall or destruction in the end- i.e. a sad ending.
6- One character is a clown or a fool who always points out or speaks the truth and offers a bit of comic relief.
7- Politics or war has a role in the play- usually with the main character at the core of the conflict.
Top 5 Shakespeare Movie Adaptations- Coriolanus, Cymbeline, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Taming of the Shrew.
There are 5 that are most famous:
1- Hamlet: A young prince is denied his crown after his father is killed. He is tasked to find who killed his father, and must pretend to be crazy to find his father's killer. He has to deny the girl he loves and be cruel to his mother and her new husband. This play is about guilt, revenge, and duty to family.
2- Romeo and Juliet: Two young lovers are kept apart by their warring families. They marry in secret with the help of her nurse and the town friar (priest). The boy kills the girl's cousin, and the girl is promised to marry another man. On the night before her wedding, she fakes her death, and the boy thinks she is dead and kills herself. She wakes and then kills herself as well. This play is about forbidden love, teenage rebellion, and family duty.
3- A Midsummer Night's Dream: A young couple wants to marry, but her father wants her to marry another boy-- who her best friend is in love with. The couple runs off to get married in secret, with the other two chasing them. After a crazy night of mistaken identity, the friends fighting with each other, and the couples falling in and out of love with each other-- they end up marrying and finding happiness. This play is about teenage rebellion, parental authority, and the magic of love.
4- Macbeth: A brave General is told he is destined to become King, and he and his ambitious wife conspire to kill the current King and take over his throne. Once Macbeth is king, however, he must continue to kill those who may reveal that he is a traitor. The play is about ambition and the desire for power no matter the consequences on family and self.
5- Taming of the Shrew: A young woman refuses to marry anyone her father presents to her. She is headstrong, independent, and speaks her mind. A young man is determined to win her over and "tame" her. The play is about two people who dislike each other and through a series of events, learn to love each other.
Shakespearean Insults:
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