A Midsummer Nights

Dream

William Shakespeare
Shakespeare was born in 1564 in a town called Stratford-upon-Avon,
which is north of London.
He left Stratford for London to advance his literary career and become
an actor.
He joined an acting company called The Lord Chamberlains Men and
became its primary playwright and an actor.
He would often perform at the court of Queen Elizabeth I.
After the plague he wrote about 2 plays a year. Shakespeare wrote a
total of 37 plays. This made William a wealthy man.
He died in 1616.
He is considered the greatest playwright in the world and is considered
a great contributor to the English language.
He had a clear understanding of human nature and created dramatic
situations that relate to all human beings. (universality)

English Words Invented by Shakespeare

Amazement
Bedroom
Bloodstained
Cold-blooded
Countless
Gloomy
Lonely
Critical

Plays written by William Shakespeare

Tragedies

Comedies

Histories

Troilus and Cressida

The Tempest

King John

Coriolanus

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Richard II

Titus Andronicus

The Merry Wives of Windsor

Henry IV, Part 1

Romeo and Juliet

Measure for Measure

Henry IV, Part 2

Timon of Athens

The Comedy of Errors

Henry V

Julius Caesar

Much Ado About Nothing

Henry VI, Part 1

Macbeth

Loves Labours Lost

Henry VI, Part 2

Hamlet

A Midsummer Nights Dream

Henry VI, Part 3

King Lear

The Merchant of Venice

Richard III

Othello

As You Like It

Henry VIII

Antony and Cleopatra

The Taming of the Shrew

Cymbeline

Alls Well that Ends Well

Twelfth Night
The Winters Tale
Pericles, Prince of Tyre

The Globe Theatre

The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William
Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord
Chamberlain's Men
A modern reconstruction of the Globe, named "Shakespeare's Globe", opened in
1997 approximately 750 feet (230 m) from the site of the original theatre.

The Characters of Midsummer

Humans
Theseus Duke of Athens and Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons
Egeus Hermias father
Lysander and Hermia
Demetrius and Helena
Nick Bottom, Peter Quince, Francis Flute, Tom Snout, Snug, Robin
(Actors)
Fairies
Oberon, King of the Fairies and Titania, Queen of the Fairies
Robin Goodfellow (Puck)

The Story in Brief

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1wMfOwlAZ8

Themes and Symbols/Motifs

Love and marriage
Order and disorder
Appearance and reality
Creative imagination
(Recurring elements and patterns of imagery in A Midsummer Night's Dream which support
the play's themes)
Nature
The Moon
Sleep and dreams
Eyes
Plays, rehearsals and roles/parts
Magic

Pyramus and Thisbe

A play within a play
Performed during the wedding feast of Theseus and Hippolyta
Tragedy in contrast to the rest of the play.