"I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream past the wit of man to say what dream it was. Man is but an ass if he go about t’expound this dream. Methought I was—there is no man can tell what. Methought I was, and methought I had—but man is but a patched fool if he will offer to say what methought I had. The eye of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen, man’s hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart to report what my dream was. I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of this dream. It shall be called ‘Bottom’s Dream’, because it hath no bottom," (IV.i.199–209).
The above quote is stated by Bottom after he wakes up from his journey with Titania. Bottom's head has been restored and Bottom is convinced that his experience with Titania is nothing more than a ridiculous dream. This passage utilizes irony to produce a comedic effect. Bottom boasts that he has had a "rare vision," one that no human could possibly understand because it is simply to complex. Ironically, Bottom suggests that Quince should write a ballad for his dream, which obviously could not be done had this dream been beyond human comprehension. These statements present not only the irony of Bottom's suggestion to turn his dream into a ballad, but they also exploit Bottom's comical, conceited nature. Irony is incorporated again when Bottom states, "Man is but an ass if he go about t’expound this dream." The reader/audience member is well aware of the fact that Bottom has just recovered from having the head of an ass, and here, he equates those who have not experienced his dream to donkeys. Just as Shakespeare likes to incorporate irony for comedic effect, he incorporates dual meanings. For example, Bottom says: "It shall be called 'Bottom's Dream,' because it hath no bottom," the name Bottom and bottom meaning "end" are used. Shakespeare incorporated this double meaning to once again show Bottom's obsessiveness towards himself. Bottom's foolishness is highlighted in this passage, particularly in his comically mixed-up association of body parts and senses: he suggests that eyes can hear, ears see, hands taste, tongues think, and hearts speak. This passage offers comedy to the theme of dreams. Shakespeare uses the theme of dreams throughout the novel as a sort of mystical tool that makes time lose its normal flow, leaving the characters confused between reality and the workings of their mind.
Shakespeare uses ideas that often cause people confusion to create the humor in this play. For example, Shakespeare uses the confusion of dreams, love, and magic to take his audience on an enjoyable ride. People often wake from a nap or a long sleep and take a couple of minutes to become reacquainted with their surroundings. Shakespeare exaggerated this concept throughout this novel to play with his character's emotions. For example, after awakening from a long slumber, Titania falls in love with Bottom, while Lysander and Demetrius fall in love with Helena, leaving Hermia, the attractive woman, loveless. This confusion is fully understood by the audience making them anxious for the characters to resolve this confusion. In every play there is a particular emotion evoked stronger than the others, that allows the audience to be completely consumed by the action on stage. In this particular comedy Shakespeare chose to use the anxiousness, and sometimes frustration that the audience feels to draw them into the show. Shakespeare also uses absurdity to create the comedy in this play. Absurdity is most clearly shown through Bottom. The idea of a man running around in a donkey mask is so absurd that the audience has no choice but to laugh. It adds to the humor of this situation that Titania, Bottom's opposite, becomes instantly attracted to him. The chaos of Bottom's play, which is meant to represent many of the important ideas and themes of the main plot also adds to the foolishness of this show. Because the craftsmen are such bumbling actors, their performance satirizes the dramatic Athenian lovers and gives the play a joyful, comedic ending.
This is my favorite Shakespeare play we read this year. Unlike "Taming of the Shrew," which I found to be extremely confusing with the switching of roles, this play was able to incorporate confusion amongst the characters without invoking confusion in the reader. I feel as though "Richard III" and "Macbeth" are more eloquently written, however I think that is intentional. The diction in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" lends itself to the themes of absurdity and disillusionment. I liked the way in which the play opens with a bunch of sub-stories: the four lover, Bottom and the craftsmen, and Titania. I also liked the way that Shakespeare uses the love potion to represent the surreal world of love. When Puck mistakenly applies the love potion to Lysander’s eyelids, the statement is made that love is seen with the eyes, but felt with the heart. I liked how this tied in with the idea that Hermia was loved over Helena solely for her looks. I found myself being able to get past the difficulty of reading Shakespeare's language and enjoying the comedy and messages of this play.
No comments:
Post a Comment