A young woman flees Athens with her lover, only to be pursued by her would-be husband and by her best friend. Unwittingly, all four find themselves in an enchanted forest where fairies and sprites soon take an interest in human affairs, dispensing magical love potions and casting mischievous spells. In this dazzling comedy, confusion ends in harmony, as love is transformed, misplaced, and - ultimately - restored.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
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Amazon Review
Traditionally seen as one of Shakespeare's more romantic and enchanting plays, A Midsummer Night's Dream has more recently been seen as a darker and more sinister play than generations of schoolchildren have ever imagined. The play has usually been seen as a comical tale with confused identities and the fickleness of youthful love, as the young lovers, Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius and Helena escape parental control and the "sharp Athenian law" of their elders by eloping into the forest outside the city. Unfortunately they stumble into civil war in fairyland, where King Oberon and Queen Titania fight over possession of a beautiful young Indian "changeling" boy. The appearance of the "rude mechanicals", a group of Athenian workers, including the weaver Nick Bottom, compounds the confusion. Chaos, confusion and "shaping fantasies" reign before the final settlement of the play, but underneath all the hilarity many critics have discerned more ambivalent attitudes towards coercive parental control, bestial sexuality and the destructive power of desire. These approaches in no way detract from the exquisite lyricism of many sections of the play, but make it a more complex and effective comedy than has often been appreciated. --Jerry Brotton
About the Author
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright of the 16th and 17 centuries, now widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the word's pre-eminent dramatist.
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First Sentence
When Samuel Pepys saw A Midsummer Night's Dream in September 1662, he remarked that he had never seen it before - 'nor shall ever again, for it is the most insipid ridiculous play that ever I saw in my life'. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt
When Samuel Pepys saw A Midsummer Night's Dream in September 1662, he remarked that he had never seen it before - 'nor shall ever again, for it is the most insipid ridiculous play that ever I saw in my life'. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I owned a large volume of the complete works of Shakespeare for a number of years and opened it perhaps once. The first play I started with was Midsummer Night's Dream. The ponderous size of the book along with the large pages filled with close print soon overwhelmed me and I gave up.
I have had a nicely filled bookcase full of the Collector's Library for a number of years and have continued to add to it. I was pleased to see Shakespeare's sonnets and some of his plays begin to appear. What a difference it made for me! I read Macbeth in one sitting. Cute little books with pictures make the Bard seem far less daunting. Each volume has an introduction and a glossary. I like the bright white paper and the pretty red cloth covers. The dustwrappers are so attractive that all you need is some ribbon and a bow to put it under the Christmas tree. They are especially handsome when you have a whole bookcase full of the little books.
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a good one to start with if you've never read Shakespeare. It's lighthearted and fun with mischievous fairies and a sprinkling of magic. Frankly, it piqued my interest because I wanted to know how the unfortunately named Bottom ended up with an ass's head.
I really hope Collector's Library publishes all of Shakespeare's works like they did with Jane Austen and Sherlock Holmes.
I am now taking Hamlet to dinner.
I have had a nicely filled bookcase full of the Collector's Library for a number of years and have continued to add to it. I was pleased to see Shakespeare's sonnets and some of his plays begin to appear. What a difference it made for me! I read Macbeth in one sitting. Cute little books with pictures make the Bard seem far less daunting. Each volume has an introduction and a glossary. I like the bright white paper and the pretty red cloth covers. The dustwrappers are so attractive that all you need is some ribbon and a bow to put it under the Christmas tree. They are especially handsome when you have a whole bookcase full of the little books.
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a good one to start with if you've never read Shakespeare. It's lighthearted and fun with mischievous fairies and a sprinkling of magic. Frankly, it piqued my interest because I wanted to know how the unfortunately named Bottom ended up with an ass's head.
I really hope Collector's Library publishes all of Shakespeare's works like they did with Jane Austen and Sherlock Holmes.
I am now taking Hamlet to dinner.
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By Mp Barker
Format:Kindle Edition
We all know this is a great Shakespearean play, the only question to answer is: how is the formatting on the Kindle edition?
In this example it's done sufficiently and the play reads as it should. The stage directions are included in full, and are also very clear. I'm very pleased with my free download.
In this example it's done sufficiently and the play reads as it should. The stage directions are included in full, and are also very clear. I'm very pleased with my free download.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Sambrina
Format:Paperback
The book contains everything you need when putting on a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, there is a small glossary at the back for Shakespearian words no longer used and longer explanations about the significance of beards if needed
For £2 you can't fault it. :)
For £2 you can't fault it. :)
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4.3 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good
This is a good read and an absolute bargain. This was free so I suppose I have nothing to moan about really.
Published 2 days ago by Sarah
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love it
Shakespeare doesn't really rely on the feedback of a 17 year old girl but still I found the play enjoyable and fun to read. Read more
Published 15 days ago by Ellie
5.0 out of 5 stars
Midsummer nite
Product fine - delivery great -product as described. I really cannot be bothered to write reviews for every book I buy just to keep Amazon happy. Read more
Published 17 days ago by Tree man
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Impressed
For a first time student of Shakespeare this makes easy reading and it is well set out and is not too pricey for someone on a tight budget.
Published 19 days ago by Christine Glover
5.0 out of 5 stars
Midsummer Night's Dream
This edition is a very cheap edition and is ideal for our - play-reading group use. It is compact and very portable. Read more
Published 25 days ago by mossy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
Its great to find that you can get most of the classics for free on the Kindle. I have been working my way through them. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Shane Stewart
5.0 out of 5 stars
The man was a genius
A fantasy love plot with some of Shakespeare's greatest language. A staple of any bookshelf with characters who are timeless
Published 1 month ago by Allgriffs
4.0 out of 5 stars
Read several times.
This is a good story, but like most shakespeare the more you reread the better you understand it, the better it gets.
Published 1 month ago by BillyB
3.0 out of 5 stars
Reading Shakespeare
I am just starting to read Shakespeare and I admit I am struggling. I am on a learning curve,so the average star rating is more down to me not grasping the language. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. P. M. Flanagan
5.0 out of 5 stars
alltime favourite
my all-time favourite shakespeare play. a great read and great value product, i would recommend this to other avid readers.
Published 2 months ago by Lindsay
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