Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 1.1 Performance: Egeus, Hermia, Demetrius, Lysander 91-110
This video features a performance from "A Midsummer Night's Dream," where Egeus insists Hermia marry Demetrius, dismissing her love for Lysander. Lysander defends his love and rights, revealing Demetrius's past affection for Helena,...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 1.1 Interview: Egeus, Hermia, Demetrius, Lysander Pt 1
This video delves into the complexities of familial and romantic relationships in Act 1, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," focusing on the conflict between Egeus and his daughter, Hermia. Viewers will gain insights...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 3.2 Performance: Puck Lines 6-34
In this video from Act 3, Scene 2 of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Puck gleefully recounts how he transformed Bottom's head into that of an ass while Bottom's acting troupe rehearsed in the woods. The transformation led to comedic chaos...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 3.2 Performance: Puck Lines 379-388
In this video from Act 3, Scene 2 of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Puck emphasizes the urgency of their tasks to Oberon, noting the fast approach of dawn with Aurora's harbinger in the sky. He mentions that spirits and ghosts must return...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 3.2 Performance: Puck Lines 348-354
In this video from Act 3, Scene 2 of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Puck explains to Oberon that he mistakenly applied the love potion to the wrong Athenian, thinking he recognized him by his clothing. Puck sees the resulting confusion and...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 3.2 Performance: Puck and Lysander Lines 450-466
In this video from Act 3, Scene 2 of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Puck interacts with Lysander, causing further confusion under the influence of the love potion. Puck's trickery includes mimicking voices to mislead Lysander, intensifying...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 3.2 Performance: Oberon Lines 389-396
In this video from Act 3, Scene 2 of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Oberon describes his role as a fairy, making light of his magical activities at dawn. He stresses the need to swiftly resolve the chaos caused by the love potion before...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 3.2 Performance: Oberon Lines 355-378
In this video from Act 3, Scene 2 of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Oberon observes the turmoil caused by Puck's mishandling of the love potion. Determined to rectify the situation, he orders Puck to lead the Athenian youths through the...
Curated Video
A MidsummerNight'sDream 1.1.19 Animated note:Theseus and Hippolyta
From epic battles to romantic encounters or political alliances, Greek mythology includes multiple narratives regarding the union of Theseus, the founder and first ruler of Athens, and Hippolyta, the Amazon queen. Shakespeare, drawing...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1.304 Word Nerd: Die
During a performance, Demetrius humorously interprets Bottom's delivery of Pyramus's declaration of death as a pun, suggesting Pyramus is saying he's a "die" (singular of dice) that rolled an ace (one), playing on the notion of being one...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1.234 Game of Wits
Theseus and Demetrius engage in a complex and somewhat confusing game of wits involving animal metaphors. The dialogue revolves around Snug's assurance that he won't scare the audience with his lion roar, leading to exchanges comparing...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1.92 Animated Note: Proud River
In A Midsumer Night's Dream, Titania describes her quarrel with Oberon as disrupting the natural world, causing mists to pull water from the sea and flood rivers, which she personifies as becoming "proud and arrogant." This video...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1.245 Word Nerd: Nymph
Tthe word nymph derives from the latin verb "nubrey," to mary in ancient latin. The word, "nymph" referred to a woman who was ready to marry because she had reached sexual maturity. In medieval English, however, nymph was used to refer...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1.231 Apollo and Daphne
In A Midsummer Night's Dream, Helena references the myth of Apollo and Daphne. Cupid's arrows cause Apollo to love Daphne and Daphne to detest Apollo, leading to her transformation into a laurel tree as Apollo nearly captures her. Apollo...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1.137 | Historical Allusion: India
Less than a decade before Shakespeare wrote "A Midsummer Night's Dream," the English Navy had defeated the Spanish Armada, paving the way for English dominance in global trade, notably through the establishment of the East India Trading...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1.12 Animated Note: Cowslip Pensioners
In Shakespeare's era, "pensioners" referred to a group of noblemen closely associated with the English monarch, forming an honor guard and receiving a pension for their service. These gentleman pensioners were known for their extravagant...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 1.2: The Mechanicals
Explore the many ways Shakespeare creatively names his characters to reflect their respective trades. For example, "Quince the carpenter" refers to a carpentry tool, while "Snug the joiner" is a cabinet maker.
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Fairies
Modern fairy tales draw from a rich tradition of fairy folklore known even in Shakespeare's time. Fairies were believed to possess supernatural abilities, like flying swiftly around the world and shape-shifting, often engaging in...
Curated Video
A MidsummerNight'sDream 1.1.11a Animated Note: Diana and Moon
To Hippolyta the waning moon resembles a silver bow bent back to fire an arrow. According to Greek mythology, the moon and the bow and arrow go together. Since Diana is the goddess of both the moon and hunting and she's often pictured...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream: French Crown 1.2.087
In his remark, Quince uses the expression “French crown” to refer, not to a French coin, but to the top of the head of an everyday Frenchman. Quince says that some of these heads “have no hair at all.” His remark alludes to the fact that...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1.202 Word Nerd: Ninny
The word "innocent" originates from the Latin prefix "in-" (not) and the verb "nocere" (to do harm), initially meaning someone who does no harm. By the time of Shakespeare, "innocent" had evolved to describe someone naive due to youth....
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1.197 Discussion: Helen of Troy
Helen of Troy, famed as the most beautiful woman on Earth, was married to King Menelaus of Sparta before being abducted (or, according to some versions, eloping willingly) with Paris, a prince from Troy. This act led to the Greek kings...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1.109 Prologue
Quince's prologue may seem clumsily written at first but is a masterfully crafted speech by Shakespeare. Ambiguity and word choice, allows for dual meanings, at times earnest or humorous. The speech, asking for the audience's forgiveness...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1.046 Eunuch
The term "eunuch" refers to a castrated man. It was originally used in ancient kingdoms where eunuchs served as guards for the ruler's harem, ensuring they would not engage with the women they protected. Additionally, there was a...