Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 4.1.55 Word Nerd: Orient Pearls
Titania places a flowery wreath on Bottom's head, and Oberon remarks that the dewdrops on the flowers, resembling tears, suggest the flowers are lamenting their dishonor in adorning Bottom's donkey head. He compares these to pearls,...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 3.2.214 Heraldry
In A Midsummer Night's Dream, Helena uses wordplay and heraldry to symbolize the deep connection between herself and Hermia, likening them to "two seeming bodies but one heart," indicating their close friendship. She references heraldry,...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 3.2.203 Word Nerd: Artificial
The term "artificial" originates from the Latin "artificium," meaning craftsmanship or artistry, which was its initial meaning in English. Nowadays, "artificial" typically refers to anything man-made, often carrying a negative...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 3.2.158 Word Nerd: Conjure
The word "conjure" comes from the Latin words for "with" and "oath," initially meaning to accomplish something through a sacred oath. By Shakespeare's era, it evolved to refer specifically to summoning devils or spirits by using a sacred...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 3.1.126 Cuckoo
The cuckoo bird is named after the sound it makes. Its behavior of the female laying eggs in the nests of males other than her partner has led to the term "cuckold," referring to a man whose wife has been unfaithful. In A Midsummer...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1.84 Word Nerd: Purple Grain
Before the advent of modern chemistry in the 19th century, one of the most unusual natural coloring agents was a red dye made by grinding up the bodies of insects living on cacti in Central America. This dye was known as "purple in...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1.195 Word Nerd: Adamant
The word "adamant" originates from the Latin word "aramas," meaning a hard stone, and has evolved to denote anything unbreakable. In Shakespeare's era, "adamant" specifically referred to a lodestone or naturally occurring magnet,...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1.158 Word Nerd: Vestal
The term "vestal" originates from Vesta, an ancient Roman goddess, and was initially associated with the Vestal Virgins who served her temple in Rome, pledging thirty years of chastity. By Shakespeare's time, "vestal" had broadened to...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1.100 Imagery: Flooding
In Shakespeare's time, excessive rain posed as much risk to agriculture and livestock as drought did, leading to crop rot, washaways, and livestock drowning. This not only affected farmers negatively but also disrupted recreational...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 1.1.71 Word Nerd: Mew
The word "mew" originates from the Latin word "mutate," which means to change, and is the root of the English word "mutate." However, "mew" is specifically used to describe the molting process of a bird. This term has been extended...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 1.1.19 Word Nerd: Triumph
The term "triumph" originally comes from the Latin "triumpus," signifying the highest honor bestowed by the Roman Empire for a significant military victory. By Shakespeare's era, "triumph" had evolved to denote any public celebration, as...
Curated Video
A Midsummer Night's Dream 1.1.033 Word Nerd: Gaud
This video explores the etymology and historical context of the use of the word "gaud," relating it to a Latin word "gaudere," meaning to rejoice, and its association with a special kind of bead on a Catholic Rosary. It also touches on...
Schooling Online
Shakespeare Today: A Midsummer Night's Dream - Context
Watch this video to learn about Shakespeare’s fascinating world, and its influence on the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Watch the Elizabethan era come to life and come to a deeper understanding of Elizabethan comedy, views on gender,...
Schooling Online
Shakespeare Today: A Midsummer Night's Dream - Plot Summary
Love is in the air! Athens is abuzz with preparations for Theseus’ marriage to Hippolyta. Meanwhile, the younger Athenians are negotiating a tricky love triangle: Lysander and Hermia are in love, but Hermia’s father wants her to marry...
Getty Images
ARCHIVAL - Theatre, Waterloo, London, UK. Midsummers Night Dream. 1950
ARCHIVAL - Theatre, Waterloo, London, UK. Midsummers Night Dream. 1950
Getty Images
ARCHIVAL - Theatre, Waterloo, London, UK. Midsummers Night Dream. 1950
ARCHIVAL - Theatre, Waterloo, London, UK. Midsummers Night Dream. 1950
Getty Images
'William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream' Premiere
Movie Poster at the 'William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream' Premiere at the Bruin Theatre in Westwood, California on April 26, 1999. (Footage by WireImage Video/Getty Images)
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read "A Midsummer Night's Dream?"
Set the stage for a study of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream with an engaging animated video that is sure to stoke the interest of readers as it gets to the bottom of the key themes of the comedy. The narrator's arguments...
TES Global
Tes: A Midsummer Night's Dream: Silent Shakespeare
[Free Registration/Login Required] This 1909 silent film adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is the first film version of the play. Although abbreviated, the action closely follows Shakespeare's original with the...
TES Global
Tes: Directing the Dream Film With Erica Whyman
[Free Registration/Login Required] This is a short video of Erica Whyman describing the role of director and things to consider when directing a school play of A Midsummer Night's Dream. These include exploring the text, looking at the...