By Alicia Hernandez | May 1, 2016
Publications of the Play
The first performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is proposed to have taken place in 1594, according to the study of scholar William B. Hunter. In his article, he refers to the ceremony associated with the play, the marriage of Elizabeth Carey and Thomas Berkely, whom had relations with the acting company Shakespeare was a member of, whose marriage took place on the 19th of February, five days after Hunter initially thought the play was first performed, on Valentine’s Day in 1596. It has been determined that the play was actually first performed in May of 1594 for the wedding of Thomas Heneage and the Countess of Southampton, the mother of Shakespeare’s good friend Earl of Southampton (8).
It is suggested that the epilogue provided by Puck was strictly added for the public theater performances, and not for the wedding ceremonies (8). Therefore, it is believed that there is both a private and public version of the play for different occasions, which indicates that the first fifteen opening lines that hint at the play’s performance taking place in February were added in for the private ceremonial version.
The play was published in The Folio in 1594 and again in the Quarto in 1596 where Shakespeare included the character Philostrate to take over Egues’ order from the Duke to arrange a play for the wedding, all in an attempt to create a disconnect between George Carey and Egeus (8-9). Due to this, Hunter believes The Folio edition of the play is the original Shakespeare version while the Quarto version is an altered account of the original intent composed for the sake of the Carey family and adjusted to fit the time period of the occasion (9).
A young scholar of Shakespeare’s time, Francis Meres, is famously responsible for the implied chronological placement of some of Shakespeare’s poems and plays in his book, published in 1598, which includes A Midsummer Night’s Dream, according to a Shakespearean excerpt published online by Katharine Lee Bates in 2009.
Following Meres’ book, a man named Thomas Fisher printed a version of the play that is considered to be the First Quarto. In addition, bookseller James Roberts printed an incorrect version of the play illegally, which became known as the Second Quarto, in 1619, which he continued to sell and pass off with the incorrect publication date, 1600, according to an article by Sara Childress. Unfortunately, Shakespeare and his company did not profit off of these illegal transactions because the Elizabethan publishing system had allowed James Roberts’ printing shop to obtain copyright of the publication (Childress). The version that ended up in the First Folio, in 1623, published by friends of Shakespeare John Heminges and Henry Condel, was a revised version taken from the Second Quarto, corrected using a theater copy, which contained some choreography and the divided acts (2009).
Photo courtesy of http://www.hrc.utexas.edu
The History Behind the Entertainment
The entertainment within the performance plays well into the Renaissance genre, while also touching on mythology and the Greek world of Athens. Shakespeare featured characters previously seen in works by Chaucer, such as Pyramus and Thisby, and Plutarch, such as Theseus and Hippolyta (Childress). The title of the play refers to the English holiday tradition that took place on the summer solstice, June 23, which is considered to be Midsummer Eve. The celebration consisted of campsites and bonfires where they would tell mystical tales, rather than ghost stories, about fairies, spells and magic, or witchcraft. The play also mentions the month of May, which refers to a similar tradition on the first night of May where the English townspeople would enjoy festivities in the woods involving music and dances, sort of like today’s music festivals, such as Coachella. The play combines the two holidays within a story that offers a positive resolution that was intended to oppose the Puritan critics. The traditions went against Puritan beliefs for they argued that nothing good could come from such festivities. Shakespeare’s play is believed to be in favor of these nights of fun and freedom, especially considering the lines where Oberon remarks on the mix up with the lovers in Act Four, Scene 1:
See’st thou this sweet sight?
May all to Athens back again repair
And think no more of this night’s accidents
But as the fierce vexation of a dream. (Midsummer, 4.1)
Through Oberon’s character, Shakespeare is hinting at the idea that though the holidays might bring about mischief, it should not be a major concern. In addition, when Theseus makes comments on the lovers’ final decisions in Act Five, Scene 1, he blames the legends and fairy tales on the imagination and states that those who believe that these stories are real are simply lunatics with overactive imaginations. Shakespeare seems to be defending not only the holidays in May and June, but also the whole genre of fantasy, implying that it is a stretch of the imagination that is meant to entertain and not meant to be taken too seriously.
References to the Queen
There are multiple references to Queen Elizabeth, whom is believed to have been a guest at the first performance of the play, according to Jiffynotes.com. Shakespeare remarks on her accomplishments as a leader, as well as her reputation as a virgin. Hippolyta and Titania are meant to portray Elizabeth in ways that represent her military expertise, prominent independence as a single woman and excellence in the arts. For instance, Hippolyta mentions Elizabeth’s political reputation and her honorable single life. As for Titania, she is meant to be skilled in music, art and dance as Elizabeth is known for, and, in addition, the “Fairy Queen” is a direct reference to the epic by Edmund Spenser, whom dedicated the work to the Elizabethan court of England. Lastly, the arrow Cupid shot the white flower with in the play was meant to signify the idea that it was intended for Elizabeth but yet she managed to keenly avoid it. It seems that Shakespeare had devoted certain aspects of his plays to being appreciated and admired by his queen.
Works Cited
Childress, Sara. “Title page from William Shakespeare’s A Midsommer Nights Dreame, 1619.” Hrc.utexas.edu. Harry Ransom Center, n.d. Web. 23 April 2016.
Hunter, William B. “Performance and Text: The Evidence of a Midsummer Night’s Dream.” ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews 11.1 (1998): 8-9. Web.
Jiffynotes.com. “Historical Context.” Jiffynotes.com. Jiffynotes, n.d. Web. 23 April 2016.
Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, n.d. Web. 1 May 2016.
Shakespeare, William. Shakespeare’s Comedy of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Ed. Katharine Lee Bates. Boston: Leach, Shewell, & Sanborn, 1895. Shakespeare Online. Amanda Mabillard, 20 Dec. 2009. Web. 23 April 2016.
Title page from William Shakespeare’s A Midsommer Night’s Dreame, 1619. Carl H. Pforzheimer Library, Texas. Hrc.utexas.edu. Google Images. Web. 23 April 2016.
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