The Enchantment of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream": Myths, Folklore, and The Globe Theatre

1. Midsummer Night’s Dream Lord, what fools these mortals be!

2. Origins • Greek Mythology • Theseus is a Classical Greek hero from Athens • He slayed the Minotaur • Hippolyta was Queen of the Amazons • women warriors who shun men/ archers • Pyramus & Thisbe • a Myth from Ovid’s Metamorphoses • Shakespeare would have studied this story as a child • Titania • name taken from a greek term for the daughter of a Titan • The Fairy Queen from English folklore is never named

3. Origins continued Folklore • Oberon-- from a Gallic mythological poem; king of the fairies • Fairies-- unique to English folklore • small humanoid beings with supernatural powers • protectors against evil • Puck-- English folklore • a trickster character; mischievous • known to play pranks on humans, just for fun • AKA Robin Goodfellow & Hobgoblin • often depicted as a half-man half-goat grotesque creature • The Mechanicals (the craftsmen/actors)-- based on the local townsfolk of Stratford and other small villages Shakespeare knew well

4. Romeo and Juliet ties • R & J and Midsummer were written in the same time period • Thematically they are the same • both plots are driven my missed communicatio, sleeping lovers, magic herbs, and young lovers drawn together despite parental wishes/the law • both deal with death as a result of disobedience to the law • Prince’s decree in R &J and ancient law of a daughter’s obedience in Midsummer • Both use Pyramus and Thisbe • forms the basic plot of R&J • appears as the majority of Act 5 in midsummer as a play for wedding entertainment • Midsummer is the comedic alternative resolution to the fatal R&J resolution

5. The Globe stuff for your final

6. Builders • The sons of James Burbage built it • Richard was the owner of the Theater • homebase for Lord Chamberlain's Men • Cuthburt & Richard • They dismantled the Theater because the lease on the land expired and the neighbors didn’t like having a theater nearby • they moved all the wood of the Theater across the Thames • They constructed the Globe at Bankside with all the remains • Shakespeare became a main shareholder • with 10% interest

7. Globe operations • Globe was 1 of 5 permanent outdoor theaters • the Curtain, the Rose, the Swan, the Fortune • 15,000 patrons visited these 5 per week • Daily performances • except: Sundays, Lent, and plague outbreak • Companies other than Lord Chamberlain's Men performed there • plays other than Shakespeare’s were also performed

8. The Name • came from the Latin expression theatre mundi, “theater of the word” • idea that the stage is a world, and the world is a stage • reflected in Jaques monologue “All the world’s a stage”

9. Globe 2 • The roof caught on fire and burned down the theater in 1613 • stage cannons caught the thatched roof on fire • It was rebuilt with a tiled roof • the King’s Men (successors of Lord Chamberlain’s men) played there • Toward end of Shakespeare’s life • he was already back at Stratford

10. One last thing: Advertisment The type of play performed everyday was announced by means of a colored flag White Flags • were used to advertise that the play performed that day would be a comedy. • Using white flag indicated that the play would be a light subject. Black Flags • were used to advertise that the play performed that day would be a tragedy. • Using a black flag indicated that the play would be a dark subject, associated with death. Red Flags • flags were used to advertise that the play performed that day would be a history. • Using a red flag indicated that the play would be a subject, associated with blood, as most plays based on history were!