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A Midsummer Night's DreamPlease see the bottom of the page for commentary.
Next: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 2, Scene 1 _________ Explanatory Notes for Act 1, Scene 2 From Shakespeare's Comedy of A Midsummer-Night's Dream. Ed. Katharine Lee Bates. Boston: Leach, Shewell, & Sanborn. Quince. What sort of man does the name Peter Quince suggest? What is his trade? Bottom. Is Nick Bottom, "Bully Bottom," a natural contemporary of Theseus and Hippolyta? What is his trade? How far is he a just representative of his trade? Halliwell suggests that he may take his name from a "bottom" of thread:— "A bottome for your silke it seemesCf.:- "Beat me to death with a bottom of brown thread."Snug. What sort of man does the name Snug suggest? What is his trade? Flute. What is the trade of Francis Flute? Was that a better trade in the sixteenth century than in the nineteenth? Why did Shakespeare dub this actor Flute? Snout. What sort of man does the name Tom Snout suggest? What is his trade? Starveling. What is the trade of Robin Starveling? Has his trade anything to do with his name? 1. our company. "Staunton suggests the possibility that 'in the rude dramatic performance of these handicraftsmen of Athens, Shakespeare was referring to the plays and pageants exhibited by the trading companies of Coventry, which were celebrated down to his own time, and which he might very probably have witnessed." This is not impossible, especially in view of the fact, which I do not remember to have seen noticed in connection with the present play, that midsummer eve was especially chosen as the occasion for a 'showe' or 'watche,' performed by various companies of handicraftsmen.'" — Furness. 2. generally. Meaning what, in Bottom's language? Note the context. 3. scrip. Meaning what? See just below. 6. How does Quince display the pride of the author and stage-manager? How the ignorance of the "rude mechanical"? How many suggestions does Bottom make during the scene? 11-12. Marry. Meaning what? Cf. "By'r lakin," III. i. 12. Note the saucy fling at the titles of the old-fashioned plays, as "A lamentable Tragedie, mixed full of pleasant Mirth, containing the Life of Cambises," or "A new Tragicall Comedie of Apius and Virginia." 13-14. Is praise from Bottom commendation? Yet we may suppose that the sallow countenance of Peter Quince flushes with pleasure. 15. spread yourselves. Meaning what? 27. condole. "Bottom, of course, blunders, but it is impossible to say what word he intended to employ. Shakespeare uses 'condole' only once besides, and he then puts it into the mouth of Ancient Pistol, who in such matters is as little of an authority as Bottom. See Henry V, II. i. 133: 'Let us condole the knight,' that is, mourn for him. In Hamlet, I. ii. 93, 'condolement' signifies the expression of grief." — Wright. 28-29. What is Bottom's conception of high tragedy? Has he given any indication that his "chief humour is for a tyrant"? 29. Ercles is Bottom's version of Hercules. Hercules was one of the ranters and roarers of the old moral-plays; and his Twelve Labours formed a popular subject of entertainment. In Greene's Groatsworth of Wit, 1592, a player tells how he had 'terribly-thundered' the Twelve Labours of Hercules. In Histriomastix, 1610, some soldiers drag in a company of players; and the captain says to one of them, ' Sirrah, this is you that would rend and tear a cat upon the stage.' And in The Roaring Girl, 1611, one of the persons is called Tear-cat. The phrase to make all split is met with repeatedly. So in Beaumont and Fletcher's Scornful Lady, II. 3: 'Two roaring boys of Rome, that made all split.' Also in The Widow's Tears, by Chapman, I. 4: 'Her wit I must employ upon this business to prepare my next encounter, but in such a fashion as shall make all split.'" — Hudson. 31-38. Show that this is nonsense — that it is rant — that it is burlesque. What are racing rocks? 39. This was lofty! Where does the emphasis fall? 45. Flute's guess is worse than Bottom's. 47. play a woman. "Previously to the Restoration, the parts of women were usually performed by boys or young men. 'In stage playes, for a boy to put on the attyre, the gesture, the passions of a woman; for a meane person to take upon him the title of a Prince with counterfeit porte and traine, is by outwarde signes to shewe themselves otherwise then they are.' — Gosson's Plays Confuted in Five Actions. Occasional instances, however, of women appearing on the London stage occurred early in the seventeenth century. . . . According to Prynne, some women acted at the 'Blackfriars' in the year 1629, and one in the previous year. It appears from the passage in the text, and from what follows, that the actor's beard was concealed by a mask, when it was sufficiently prominent to render the personification incongruous; but a story is told of Davenant stating as a reason why the play did not commence, that they were engaged in 'shaving the Queen.'" — Halliwell.
55-65. Compare the list of dramatis persona as here made out with the parts finally taken in the interlude. (Act. V. Scene I.)
80. aggravate. "The verb aggravate was, in all probability, considered one of the affected words of the day, and, in that case, would have a very ludicrous effect when thus misapplied by Bottom." — Halliwell. 81-82. sucking dove. Oratory has its dangers for Bottom. What is the method of Quince in managing his star actor? How does it succeed? 84. proper. Comely. 90-97. Bottom is ready to draw freely from his stock of false beards, or, perhaps, to die his own any shade of red or yellow, even to the golden brightness of the French coin called a crown. This gives Quince a chance for a quibble, which comes somewhat too nimbly from the plain carpenter. Such prompt allusion to the baldness induced by what was known as "the French disease" would have seemed more in keeping from Mercutio or Benedict. The double meaning in barefaced was perhaps not intentional on the part of the harassed manager, but there are signs that his temper was giving way. What example of anti-climax is there in Quince's address to the actors? 101-102. a bill of properties. A list of stage-requisites. Cf.:— "He has got into our tyring-honse amongst us,105. obscenely. Perhaps Bottom means obscurely.
108. hold, or cut bow-strings. " This phrase is of the proverbial kind, and was born in the days of archery: when a party was made at butts, assurance of meeting was given in the words of that phrase;
the sense of the person using them being that he would 'hold' or keep promise, or they might 'cut his bow-strings,' demolish him for an archer." — Capell.
How to cite the explanatory notes:______ Related Articles
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