!A MIDSOMMER NIGHTS DREAME (ca.1595-6)
DREAME is among those FOLIO plays that had already seen publication, in this case, two Quartos: the first in 1600 (Q1) and the second in 1619 (Q2). Q2 is a re-print of Q1 (with additional print-shop errors). Both the Riverside & Oxford/Norton therefore use Q1 as their control-text. But both editions also refer to F whose text appears to have been set from a copy of Q2 annotated from a promptbook. There are no ACT divisions in either quartos, though they appear in F. Furthermore, certain promptbook indications sometimes cause F to appear “clumsy”. There are, for instance, two conflicting entrances for “Pucke” and “Robin” at 3.1.54 & 76 (TLN 865 & 888 respectively on F p.152). The first entrance probably originates from the promptbook (the Oxford editors speculate that Puck brought on the “Almanach” required by Quince) and the compositor (perhaps confused by the same character’s two names) simply forgot to eliminate the second entrance. There is also a rather troublesome stage direction, “shifting places” in the margin of TLN 1460 on F p.156 (3.2.416), which only makes sense — the Oxford editors surmise — if it is applied to the entire passage of mix-ups between PUCK, DEMETRIUS & LYSANDER (3.2.412-30 / TLN 1440-76). Such a passage would have perhaps been “bracketed” in the Promptbook (and likewise in the annotated Q2) but in the two-column layout of F, such “brackets” were un-applicable. The marginal note therefore appears (minus the brackets) in the middle of the passage.
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The underlying promptbook may have originated in a relatively late revival of the play. According to the Oxford editors “The specification ‘Tawyer with a trumpet before them’ (5.1. s.d.126 / TLN 1924) presumably refers to William Tawyer” a member of the King’s Men of whom “there is no record earlier than 1624” (Textual Companion, p.279)
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!!X AXIS (abscisses): 2223 lines
The FOLIO establishes the traditional division of ACTS. Scenes were first established (as a whole) by Capell (1768).
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ACT I: line 1
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1.1: line 2
1.2: line 266
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ACT II: line 372
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2.1: line 373
2.2: line 650
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ACT III: line 812
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3.1: line 813
3.2: line 1021 / Oxford/Norton 3.3: line 1457
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ACT IV: line 1508
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4.1: line 1509
4.2: line 1746
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ACT V: line 1791
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5.1: line 1792 / Oxford/Norton 5.2: line 2153
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FINIS @ line 2223
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What is a little peculiar with this division of ACTS, though, is that between acts 2, 3 & 4 the stage is never cleared: TITANIA sleeps through the first act-break (between 2 and 3), and the mixed-up lovers sleep through the second (between 3 and 4).
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Indeed, the action is continuous from 2.1 to 4.2 (i.e. throughout the entire forest scenes).
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!!Y AXIS: ENTRANCES & EXITS
Entrances & exits of Characters
According to their order of appearance.
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• (2,81) reads "enters at line 2, exits at line 81".
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• (1063 [sleeps 1110,1161] 1378)
reads “Character (in this case DEMETRIUS) enters at line 1063, sleeps from lines 1110 to 1161, and exits on line 1378”.
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• (432 [invisible 566,623] 649)
reads “Character (in this case OBERON) enters at line 432, is invisible to other characters on stage from lines 566 to 623, and exits on line 649”.
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• Pyramus (151,2750)
at the end of a character’s list, reads “Character (in this case BOTTOM) plays the part of PYRAMUS in the inset play ‘Pyramus & Thisbe’ from lines 1925 to 2131”.
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• PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS are capitalized.
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THESEUS (Duke of Athens)
(2,136) (1623,1711) (1792,2152)
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HIPPOLYTA (Queen of Amazons, betrothed to Theseus)
(2,136) (1623,1711) (1792,2152)
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EGEUS (father of Hermia)
(14,136) (1623,1711) (1792,1881) (1903,2152)
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HERMIA (in love with Lysander, betrothed to Demetrius)
(24,237) (686 [sleeps 717,800] 811) (1063,1104) (1203,1384)
(1489 [sleeps 1496,1660] 1726) (1819,2152)
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LYSANDER (in love with Hermia)
(24,239) (686 [sleeps 717,758] 799) (1146,1378) (1440,1445)
(1457 [sleeps 1464,1660] 1726) (1819,2152)
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DEMETRIUS (in love with Hermia)
(25,136) (566,623) (737,742) (1063 [sleeps 1110,1161] 1378) (1446,1456)
(1465 [sleeps 1477,1660] 1726) (1819,2152)
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HELENA (in love with Demetrius)
(191,265) (566,623) (737,789) (1146,1384) (1478 [sleeps 1484,1660] 1726) (1820,2152)
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QUINCE (a carpenter / ‘Prologue’ in “Pyramus & Thisbe”)
(266,371) (813,920) (934,936) (1746,1790) (1905,1951) / ‘Prologue’ (1905,1951)
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SNUG (a joiner/ ‘Lion’ in “Pyramus & Thisbe”)
(266,371) (813,920) (1761,1790) (1925,1951) (2021,2072) / ‘Lion’ (1925,2072)
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BOTTOM (weaver / ‘Pyramus in “Pyramus & Thisbe”)
(266,371) (813,920) (1917,1020) (1510 [sleeps 1557,1726] 1745) (1771,1790) (1925,1951) (1971,2007) (2073 [rip Pyramus 2099] 2152) / Ass-headed (1917,1580) / ‘Pyramus’ (925,2131)
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FLUTE (a bellows-mender/ ‘Thisbe’ in “Pyramus & Thisbe”)
(267,371) (813,920) (1746,1790) (1925,1951) (1989,2007) (2062,2065)
(2107 [rip Thisbe 2131] 2152) / ‘Thisbe’ (1925,2131)
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SNOUT (a tinker/ ‘Wall’ in “Pyramus & Thisbe”)
(267,371) (813,920) (929,936) (1746,1790) (1925,2009) / ‘Wall’ (1925,2009)
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STARVELING (a tailor/ ‘Moonshine’ in “Pyramus & Thisbe”)
(268,371) (813,920) (1746,1790) (1925,1951) (2021,2098) / ‘Moonshine’ (1925,2098)
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A Fairy
(373,521)
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PUCK (or Robin Goodfellow, a sprite)
(373,553) (627,649) (718,736) (invisible 865,926) (1026,1124)
(1133 [invisible 1146,1384] 1445) (1450,1456) (1465,1507) (1559,1621) (2153,2222)
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OBERON (King of the Fairies)
(432 [invisible 566,623] 649) (677,685) (1021 [invisible 1146,1384] 1436) ([invisible 1510,1557] 1621) (2174,2206)
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TITANIA (Queen of the Fairies)
(433,521) (650 [sleeps 676,945] 1020) (1510 [sleeps 1557,1590] 1621) (2174,2206)
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Fairies
(650,676) (979,1020) (1509,1554) (2174,2206)
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!!PLOT & COLOURING
THESEUS is preparing his marriage with HIPPOLYTA.
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EGEUS has betrothed his daughter HERMIA to DEMETRIUS. But Hermia doesn’t love Demetrius, she loves LYSANDER. Rather, it is HELENA who loves Demetrius. Hermia will therefore elope with Lysander and flee into the woods pursued by Demetrius who is himself pursued by Helena.
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Meanwhile a bunch of “rude mechanicals” are preparing a play, ‘Pyramus & Thisbe’, that they wish to present at Theseus and Hyppolyta’s wedding. In order not to be “dogg’d with company”, they will rehearse in the woods where the magical OBERON & TITANIA are also planning to celebrate Theseus’ wedding.
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But Oberon & Titania are at odds over a stolen Indian boy of Titania’s retinue that Oberon would like for his “henchman”. Titania refuses. Oberon will therefore avenge himself by having Titania fall madly in love with the first creature she sees (following the application of the juice of a particular flower while she sleeps). Well … the potion goes somewhat astray and Lysander will no longer love Hermia but Helena who will also be adored by Demetrius, while according to Oberon’s plan Titania will fall in love with the assheaded BOTTOM.
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In the end, everyone (save Demetrius) is restored and the triple nuptial (Theseus-Hyppolyta; Hermia-Lysander; Demetrius-Helena) is celebrated with the presentation of
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A TEDIOUS BRIEF SCENE OF YOUNG PYRAMUS
AND HIS LOVE THISBY; VERY TRAGICAL MIRTH
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• Basically, there are three groups (and thereby three intermixed plots in this play):
1) The Athenian Gentry
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THESEUS
HIPPOLYTA
EGEUS
HERMIA
LYSANDER
HELENA
DEMETRIUS
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2) The Athenian Mechanicals
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QUINCE
BOTTOM
SNUG
FLUTE
SNOUT
STARVELING
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3) The Fairies of the Woods
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OBERON
TITANIA
PUCK
& the FAIRIES
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• The paired lovers are:
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THESEUS / HIPPOLYTA
HERMIA / LYSANDER
OBERON / TITANIA
& somewhat belatedly HELENA / DEMETRIUS
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• And the play takes place in two locations
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ATHENS (1,371) (1746,2222)
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THE WOODS (372,1745)
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!!METATHEATRE
A TEDIOUS BRIEF SCENE OF YOUNG PYRAMUS
AND HIS LOVE THISBY; VERY TRAGICAL MIRTH
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Is
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planned and cast (266,371)
rehearsed (813,920)
&
performed (1905,2131)
