A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Class 4: Festivals (Act 1)

Lecture Topic: Festivals in Flux

The action of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is moved by two events: the impending wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta, and the celebration of a popular holiday, Midsummer’s Eve. The festivals take place in two locations: the royal court and in the woods.

Why does Shakespeare choose these two diverse locations for the festivities? It is not merely a plot device. The locations—the court and the woods—are a reflection of the increasing divisions among classes in early modern England. For hundreds of years in Europe, the whole...

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