Staging the play

Setting ◊ A Midsummer Night's Dream takes place in the daytime world of Athens, a state of disciplined order and down-to-earth reality, and the night-time world of the enchanted wood, a realm of disorder and fantasy. These two distinct settings must be created by stage scenery, properties (props) and lighting. Settings for a play may vary from extravagant expensive sets to essential or abstract staging, depending on the budget that is available and the personal preferences of the director. Whatever the case may be, the stage setting should not be a distraction but should enhance the audience's understanding of the play.

Over to you ◊ The speech in Text C4 takes place in the enchanted night-time wood where fairies and disorder rule. Work in groups and decide what stage scenery, props and lighting you would use for a performance of the speech in your classroom. Take into consideration the amount of time you have to prepare scenery and props, the space that is available and the possible sources of light. Be realistic in your suggestions. Discuss your proposals with other groups. Choose the best ideas and plan a performance.

OUT

|Hermia and Helena have been friends since childhood but have fallen out because of a misunderstanding caused Puck's mistake. From your own experience and knowledge make a list of reasons why long, close friendships sometimes break up.

You Juggler! You Puppet!

Act 3, Scene 2: Another part of the wood

Hermia realises that Lysander realty is in lave with Helena and does not love her anymore. She accuses Helena of stealing him from her.

hermia: O me, you juggler¹, you canker-blossom²,

You thief of love! What, have you come by night

And stolen my love's heart from him?

helena: Have you no modesty, no maiden³ shame,

No touch of bashfulness⁴? What, will you tear 5

Impatient answers from my gentle tongue⁵?

Fie⁶, fie, you counterfeit, you puppet⁷, you!

hermia: Puppet? Why so? - Ay, that way goes the game⁸.

Now I perceive⁹ that she hath made compare¹⁰

Between our statures". She hath urged her height, 10

And with her personage, her tall personage,

Her height, forsooth¹², she hath prevailed with him¹³.

And are you grown so high in his esteem¹⁴

Because I am so dwarfish¹⁵ and so low?

How low am I, thou painted maypole¹⁶? Speak! 15

How low am I? -1 am not yet so low

But that my nails can reach unto your eyes¹⁷.

GLOSSARY

1. juggler: (artist who keeps objects in the air by throwing them up quickly and catching them again), trickster, deceiver

2. canker-blossom: a worm that eats into and destroys a flower

3. maiden: young woman, virgin

4. bashfulness: modesty

5. What, will... gentle tongue: are you trying to force me into answering you?

6. Fie: expression of disgust (arch.)

7. puppet: a small human being or animal

8. Ay, that way goes the game: so, that is the way she did it

9. perceive: see

10. hath made compare: compared

11. statures: heights

12. forsooth: truly

13. she hath prevailed with him: she has won him over

14. esteem: favourable opinion

15. dwarfish: like a dwarf, short

16. maypole: tall pole around which people danced on May Day

17. I am not yet... your eyes: I am tall enough to scratch your eyes out

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