To me,
Midsummer's isn't one of Shakespeare's funniest comedies, but it does contain what I consider to be some of Shakespeare's finest humor: "Pyramus and Thisbe." The storyline mocks
Romeo and Juliet, demonstrating Shakespeare's genius in writing both comedy and tragedy. His ability to dramatize essentially the same story in two different tones showcases his talent. Sources disagree on which play was written and performed first, but one can assume that many theatergoers saw the two shows and noticed the parallels. The text itself sets the tone for the story; the asides between the royal audience members during "Pyramus" provides the bulk of the scene's humor. Even if the play within a play was played seriously, the court's quips poke fun of the popular tragic archetypes of the day. Do you guys think that Shakespeare's burlesque of "Pyramus" makes up for our high school sufferings from
Romeo and Juliet?
Fun fact: According to the awesome Oxford Reference, Shakespeare drew some inspiration for
A Midsummer's Night Dream from Chaucer's
Knight's Tale.
Fun fact 2: Disney adapted the play into a short Mickey Mouse cartoon! (
Here's a link to part 1! I can't find part 2, but anything with Donald Duck is worth the watch.)
I agree with your statement that Shakespeare showed his talent by presenting the same tragic story in two completely different ways. It does seem like a way to placate those who were bothered by the ridiculousness of Romeo and Juliet. I wonder if one reason Shakespeare wrote multiple genres was so he could appeal to a wider range of people.
ReplyDeleteI agree that being able to poke fun at himself is one of the reasons that Midsummer Night's Dream is so good. For me, it doesn't make up for all of the hype about Romeo and Juliet, but it is a step in the right direction. Haha
ReplyDeleteI like that you noticed it too, that Pyramus and Thisbe and Romeo and Juliet are so similar. And I loved the little asides, too, throughout the performance by the mechanicals but they really make you miss the tragedy of poor Pyramus and Thisbe. :)
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