The Imaginative and Mysterious Mind of the Dreamer

In Act V of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare explores the subconscious world that is created in the mind of the dreamer, and how such an experience relates to the conscious world. The Act begins with Hippolyta and Theseus considering the oddness of the lovers' dream. Hippolyta says, "But all the story of the night told over,/ And all their minds transfigured so together,/ More witnessth than fancy's images,/ And grows to something of great constancy;/ But howsoever, strange and admirable" (5.1.23). In these lines, Hippoltya contemplates how unusual it is that the lovers all had the same dream. These questions therefore arise: How tied are the conscious and subconscious worlds? Are dreams just internal desires and fancies finding a way to the surface? What distinguishes the dream world from reality? Upon finishing this act, I was left dwelling on the quote "All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream" (Edgar Allen Poe). In the Epilogue, Robin (a dreamlike character, a faerie) relates to the audience that the whole play was "but a dream." There is therefore a level of disbelief that remains even when he is clarifying the situation because the source is in itself a figment of the imagination.

Through looking on a few websites about dream research, I found that people have been trying to make sense of dreams throughout history with little actual progress. The human mind is a mystery. The dream world in literature is therefore a place where anything can happen, and no one can claim anything absolutely false. In the play, the lovers share and later recall the same dream. There is no definitive answer to whether this experience is possible or not (even to this day). For Shakespeare, dreams become a place where people may mediate and filter their inner desires (and essentially the inner self that is constrained by societal expectations). The dream world is a place where rules of class order, gender roles, social etiquette, etc. can be put to rest, and pure chaos can ensue with no real consequences.

Although, we may usually consider a "dream ending" to be a sort of a cop-out, Shakespeare uses the dream to strengthen his plot point. In the Epilogue, Robin says, "If we shadows have offended,/ Think but this, and all is mended:/ That you have but slumbered here,/ While these visions did appear;/ And this weak and idle theme,/ No more yielding but a dream." In this Epilogue, Robin aims to make a nice, conclusive ending to the tale that in reality creates an unsettling feeling in the audience. Robin states that nothing in the play was meant to cause offense or confusion because the whole play was simply the journey of the subconscious, imaginative mind. The problem here is that the subconscious mind is not a simple thing, and while he suggests that the play has ended, the questions and confusion has only just begun. There is something incredibly disturbing about the mysterious nature of the dream world, and never quite knowing what is real and what is not.

Should Act V Have Gone The Route of "Die, die die, die, die"?

Should Act V Have Gone The Route of "Die, die die, die, die"?

Blog Post #1 By Morgan Smith

A question some Shakespeare scholars pose in response to A Midsummer Night's Dream Act V is, "Was that really necessary?". When we last left our couples and characters in Act IV, most of the problems that initiated this whimsical play were resolved; the youths were paired off with their rightful mates, Oberon and Titania's feud produced Oberon victor, Bottom restored, and Theseus and Hippolyta's wedding is underway.

Don't roll down the curtains just yet- there are a number of subtle and significant themes continued in Act V that are worth your observation.

Echoing the title, dreams play an importance throughout the play and Act V served as a cincher to this motif. Puck wrapped up the theme of dreams by heralding Hippolyta and Theseus' later conversation of the lovers' "dreams" with this Epilogue, 'If we shadows have offended,/Think but this, and all is mended;That you have but slumbered here." (895, Lines 1-4) At this point, many of the characters presume that the proceedings of the night before were merely reverie and Puck's address to the audience fashions the play into a whimsical dream the crowd has enjoyed.

But besides repeating pre-existing themes, Act V gave a unique and silent version of AMND's leading ladies, Hermia and Helena. For the first time, these otherwise opinionated women have nothing to say in Act V. The previously unstoppable Helena and outspoken Hermia who defied "the ancient privilege of Athens" (850) seem to have nothing to say now that they have acquired the objects of their affection. This change in character insinuates marriage as the ultimate social achievement for women in this society, while the males can expect to go on to other things (and provide commentary to crude plays).

Act V served as a vehicle to tie the loose ends of themes, such as gender. Hippolyta, the symbolically conquered Amazon queen, is finally married to Theseus in this Act preceded by the play the "rude mechanicals" so laboriously put together. Compared to where we saw them last stating their wishes to rise up from their blue-collar post, their production of 'Pyramus and Thisbe' does not live up to their expectations and they unknowingly suffer harsh critique from their audience, "Hard-handed men that work Athens here, Which never laboured in their minds till now", is what Egeus refers to the players as. They bumble through the tragic love story- which eerily echoed the plot of Romeo and Juliet, though I've heard forbidden romances that end with everyone dying is a classic story arc (Tristan and Isolde, anyone?).

At first I thought such a play was an odd choice to entertain wedding guests with, but the theme of hardships and love seemed to shadow the trials faced by everyone in the woods prior. This reflection in 'Pyramus and Thisbe' to me added to the dreamlike mystique of the Acts that took place in the forest.

Overall, I do not feel AMND would be the same without Act V to really nail all those motifs on the head once and for all.

I would also like to add the pleasure I took in Theseus' reaction to Bottom offering an epilogue or rustic bergamask dance at the conclusion of the play, "No epilogue, I pray you; for your play needs no excuse...Marry, if he that writ it had played Pyramus and hanged himself in Thisbe's garter it would have been a fine tragedy...But come, your bergamask. Let the epilogue alone." (893)

It made me laugh. That is the best and most disparaging rejection to a shabby play!

Although A Midsummer Night's Dream is recognized as a comedy, one of the major themes within this play is love. Does love intertwine with comedy or is it more associated with tragedy? As human beings, do we dream the impossible dream? I think everyone does in some way and we see this in the play as well. Although the women get what they want in the end, is it really what they wanted? Their rights are taken away and they have become silent. Bottom, Snug, Snout, Quince and Flute all decide to put on a play, and are all comedic characters. These are actors who rarely have used knowledge, but at the same time are hard working individuals. One major reason they put on the play is because they think they will get paid for it. They didn’t agree to be in the play because they want to make a career out of it. They feel that this will enable them to move up in society and become a higher class.

A moral within this play is if you dare to dream your dream, it MIGHT come true; and if it doesn't then hopefully it will still be fun and entertaining. Dreams are something we always wish to be true but they might be hard to fulfill. The course of true love is not an easy thing and in the play Lysander assures Hermia of this. No matter what there will always be difficulties and obstacles that people must face. Hermia does everything she can to remain positive and thinks that after overcoming and facing the difficulties of love that it will all soon come together. This is the price that lovers must pay. The exploration of love is at the heart of the play, although it is recognized to be a comedy. In this play we see that it is a male dominated society. Gender is one of the big issues, does it ever really get resolved? As far as gender roles go, Hippolyta is the most traditional feminine woman because the other female characters don’t listen to the men. This may show us that they are strong willed and will fight for what they want despite what others say.