Midsummer Night's Dream Essay

         Mason Gray
         
Question
Write an essay on the following passage from A Midsummer Night's Dream. You should give consideration to such matters as:
How          the episode relates to the play as a whole (be careful not          just to tell the story);
         The          distinctive features of the language; and
         The          performance possibilities of the extract.

Introduction
The following essay addresses key concepts surrounding an excerpt from Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Nightâs Dream taken from Act II scene 2. Act II asserts the power of the fairies in their ability to manipulate reality within the context of the play. At this point Oberon as a supernatural monarch applies a magical concoction to the eyes of his female counterpart while she sleeps. Subsequently Lysander and Hermia appear on stage. Arguably the central protagonists of the play, Lysander and Hermia fall victim to the ignominious concoction at the hands of Puck acting on Oberon's behalf. Later in the passage Helena and Demetrius enter the fray and form a basis of a dissonant love quartet with Lysander and Hermia, all somehow affected by magic potion. The essay will attend some detail to how the excerpt relates to the wider play. There will be detailed commentary on the framing of language, stylistic diversity and prominent distinctive features of language use and their efficacy in performance. Further performance possibilities will be assessed and reflected upon. The conclusion of the essay will summarise salient ideas and knit key principles together in order to best understand the how and why of Shakespeare's method.

Oberon applies potion from a magical flower to the sleeping eyelids of his queen, Titania. Although this act to unsuspecting onlookers may seem ostensibly benign in actuality it transpires the flower is of a genus struck by Cupid's nefarious arrow and thus able to pass on the properties of the fabled arrow. The language that Shakespeare deploys for Oberon's act in question is an insight into the state of mind of the character and such matters of intention that are otherwise left to myriad interpretation. However it would stop short of vital detail just to say that the language informs the audience without exploring how.
The fairies of the play are attributed with rhyming verse that is part of a syllabic metre of some certain measure indicative of a higher order (Ryan, 2000). The six lines 33-38 inclusive are consistent of a metre with five stress syllables and an AAABBB rhyme structure. Six and three are thematically inherent in the Oberon's speech at this juncture. So it remains to be said that it can be inferred that as three is a central symbol of Christian faith and six divisible by three, that Shakespeare may have directly or otherwise bestowed some divine attribute upon Oberon. Since the act of changing reality is an act of power equivalent to the divine, Oberon may represent such power. Portrayal of Christian religious figures was outlawed in Elizabethan England (Greenblatt, 2008, p.37) therefor it is possible that Shakespeare represented the divine supernatural through mythological ethereal beings instead. However modern audiences receive Oberon's designs on Titania as deceptive, callous, patronising and not at all godlike.
Stylistically in the same speech Shakespeare uses the rhyme to build up to what Oberon intends for Titania. What thou seest when thou dost wake (2.2.33, Norton , 2nd edition, p.863) Oberon's intention culminates to 'Wake when some vile thing is near'(2.2.40, Norton , 2nd edition, p. 863). Clearly rhyme only euphemises a sinister intention and such linguistic features deployed by Shakespeare can be seen to disguise malice of misused power and the inherent thinly veiled contempt as comedy of mischief. The entire eight line speech (2.2.33-40, Norton , 2nd edition, p. 863) is a command and some individual sentences direct imperatives. 'Do it for thy true love take' is active command yet Shakespeare uses a lexicon of romance in order to figuratively make a bitter pill easier to swallow. 'Love and languish for his sake'(2.2.33-35, Norton , 2nd edition, p. 863) for example is laden with a romantic register, alliterative in the collocation of 'love and languish' as a device to tug at audiences heart strings even breaking into third person 'for his sake' meaning himself Oberon. When Oberon then utters the lines listing heinous beasts as possible candidates that may befall Titania's fate the audience is struck between the conundrum of overtures of love coupled with a suggestion of a fateful encounter with a 'vile thing' (2.2.40, Norton , 2nd edition, p. 863). In essence the comedy embedded in Oberon's twittish deceptive act is very Punch and Judyish. Further magic on other characters is humorous; it seems, through the benevolence associated with good fairies of folklore coupled with uncertainty as to the ensuing confusion.

The Oberon/Titania opening scene of Act II can use a variety of methods to represent the diminutive nature of the supernatural beings. Using diminutive actors in casting is an outmoded practice hence stage design is often the preferred alternative. Oversized foliage and giant acorns work to the desired effect. However modern interpretation has seen experiments with radical concepts in a manner that attempts to propagate long held ideas of fairyland exemplified in DVD 1 (Video 2, Band 1). In the above scene discussed, Oberon simply arches over a sleeping Titania in order to deliver the deception or may join her in an embrace as she sleeps as in Nobles conceit (Video 2, Band 1). Oberon is performed with both majesty and Fairylike quirks so that the audience can relate to the play as comedy rather than delve on sinister aspects. Fairylike quirks can be achieved through casting a woman as Oberon or some voice changing measure, older actors, colourful costume versus a white box room and even acrobatics and lighting can provide the effect (Video 2, Band 1). Some adaptations may prefer a sinister Oberon yet decidedly to detriment of accuracy to the genre.

Lysander's subsequent exchange with Hermia is one of contrasting motivations to those of Oberon. Shakespeare returns to using rhyming couplets. Lysander's initial quartet of rhyming verse features an alternating rhyme structure as he in a romantic lexical register questions that the prolonged wandering has fatigued Hermia and admits to having gotten them lost and asks whether rest would be suitable. The uncanny quirks of contrast between Oberon's deceptive, self-serving, manipulative speech and Lysander's softer, understanding, capitulating speech are remarkable. Oberon's speech in conjunction with magic, channels command and uses language of imperatives with love only inferred through a lens of careful analysis. Lysander's overtures of love are more overt as Shakespeare reflects this linguistically deploying inquisitive phrases or declaratives while imperative language is minimal. An example 'we'll rest us, Hermia' is a rare imperative and even then Lysander capitulates by adding 'if you think it good' (2.2.43, Norton , 2nd edition, p. 863).
The exchanges between Lysander and Hermia thereof comprise of affirmations of love between the two with a desire on Hermia's part to preserve abstinence. While there is congruity between them both that rest is a due course of action there is a little bittersweet agony of the sleeping arrangement. The lexical register Shakespeare devises is not surprising where Lysander suggests that 'one turf shall serve as a pillow for us both; One heart, one bed: two bosoms one troth' (2.2.47-48, Norton , 2nd edition, p. 863) Shakespeare stipulates a clear case on Lysander's behalf for the couple sharing a bed with troth rhymed with both: a promise to marry as justification. Yet Hermia's polite resistance is compelling as the language used reflects succinctly the banalities of innocence in unrequited love. An example of this is 'Now much beshrew my manners and my pride' (2.2.60, Norton , 2nd edition, p. 863) where Hermia curses her own will to be chaste if there is intimation that she does not trust Lysander's intentions as honourable. Clearly this kind of lexicology bubbles with innocence and love and finely balances forces of chemistry on a knife edge and espouses chastity before marriage as a cause worthy of pursuit. Shakespeare's tantalising poise on the morality in the pursuit of love is best encapsulated in these exchanges between Lysander and Hermia. While unrequited love is challenged in the play Shakespeare clearly demarcates love out of wed lock as a faux pas. There is much speculation whether the play was written for a royal court or even a royal wedding and hence the morality and values embedded within this particular scene would have been topical in Elizabethan times. Furthermore given Queen Elizabeth I own private life made a matter of state this scene certainly foregrounds some food for thought (Brown and Johnson, 2000, pp.63-65).
Further along while Lysander and Hermia sleep Puck or Robin Goodfellow as he is also known engrosses in a soliloquy. Puck's speech in rhyming couplets is consistent with the rest of the play where the fairies and higher ranking humans are attributed the quality of eloquent speech which is contrasted only with Peter Quince and fellows whom are common working folk and are given prosaic speech or on occasion only blank verse (Ryan, 2000). At this juncture there is a case of mistaken identity, something of a common theme in Shakespearian comedy. Puck takes Lysander to be the Athenian that is being pursued by a young woman in love though Demetrius more accurately fits the bill. Nevertheless Robin anoints Lysander's eyes with magic potion. Shakespeare uses language expressive of a tireless search adopting descriptive words to enquire as to the likelihood of Lysander's candidacy as the Athenian in question. 'Weeds of Athens he doth wear' an identification of Lysander 'This is he my master said' (2.2.73-89, Norton , 2nd edition, p. 864). The metre is again consistent with a measure of five prominent beats as in Oberon's speech.
Demetrius pursued by Helena enters the scene as Puck exits. Four lines of an exchange between Demetrius and Helena conclude the passage. Demetrius is in pursuit of Hermia and himself being pursued by Helena whose overtures he resists in a chain of unrequited love. Shakespeare adopts unbridled desperation in Helena's voiced words: 'Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius' an example of pleading yet paradoxical of inherent suffering. Demetrius pleads to the contrary 'do not haunt me thus'(2.2.90-94, Norton , 2nd edition, p. 863).The exchange culminates in Demetrius compounding Helena's humiliation by going forth in search of Hermia leaving Helena to the perils of the wilderness of an Athenian forest. There is a paradoxical beauty in the rhyme that the four lines that Demetrius and Helena exchange. Normally shared rhyming couplets are indicative of concordant resonance here the shared couplets amplify Helena's shame and afford a laugh at her expense.
Performance possibilities for the courting quartet are always going to be dictated by the principle that at this scene the unconscious energy of unrequited love reaches a pinnacle beyond Act II scene 2. Helena's pursuit of Demetrius is loaded with physical energy as well emotional and their entering the stage running must not only capture this energy visually but also in the vocal exchange. Helena's voice should be guttural and heartfelt and on the brink of emotional collapse. Not easy at all. Demetrius's resistance must reflect defiance to rejection and his own desperation while emotionally hardened so not to show any guilt for ill-treating Helena. By contrast to Lysander and Hermia in this scene who are straight forwardly performed as an eloping couple concerned with preserving the etiquette of love, Helena and Demetrius are infinitely more complex.
In conclusion of the essay it would suffice to say that the passage in question frames two couples before an act of magic besets them. However that would stop short of the myriad complexities of the characters involved and leaves performance issues unresolved. Being critical of linguistic diversity of Shakespeare's method has given vital clues of how this scene might play out in front of a paying audience. It is easy enough to understand Oberon's insidious act opens the scene and sets out a cunning plot to lay siege to a changeling child that Titania has fostered on behalf of a late friend. Performing a Fairy king with control issues is another matter. Consideration to voice, casting and set design is pivotal to effectively carry out the role. Puck's role too is one beset with challenges as to bestowing a supernatural diminutive persona to a real life actor. Not only the outward appearance but the nature and voice of Puck are central to the characterisation. The humans in the love quartet pose variety of challenges it can be interpolated from the above textual analysis. The unconscious energies of each of the protagonist's vying for the others love must be accorded as much attention as the actual spoken word. Cadence of speech is central to portrayal of energy shifts. Clearly Lysander's heart felt bed making with Hermia would have a different rhythm and pace to Helena's and Demetrius's brief shared rhyming couplets of unrequited love. A final note worth making would be that to overlook the genre is the chagrin of a bad performance. That is to say actors should be aware of the technicality that the play conforms ubiquitously to the rules of comedy.

2050 words
References
AA306 (2007) DVD1 (Video 1, Band1) âShakespeare: Text and Performanceâ.
Brown, R. D. and Johnson, D. (eds) (2000) A Shakespeare Reader: Sources and Criticism, Basingstoke: Macmillan.
Greenblatt, S., Cohen, W., Howard, J. E. and Maus, K. E. (eds) (2008) The Norton Shakespeare, second edition, New York and London: W. W. Norton.
Ryan, K. (2000) Shakespeare: Texts and Contexts, Basingstoke: Macmillan.