Neil Gaiman's version of A Midsummer Night's Dream from his book The Sandman: Volume 3:
Dream Country is a twisted version of the well known Shakespeare play that includes an audience of
strange creatures, some of which were used in the play. With the help of artist Charles Vess, Gaiman's
version of A Midsummer Night's Dream comes alive through bold colors and imagery and the use of
facial and body expressions that differ among those who are human and those who are not. This paper
will look at the different forms of facial expressions that the artists used both with words and
illustrations: from the somber and diminutive expressions of the humans to the sinister and gleeful
smiles of the strange audience that watches them.
Gaiman's version of A Midsummer Night's Dream involves an array of characters though only
few have a solid dialog. The humans in this version includes a very noticeable character, William
Shakespeare himself, and a few others such as his son and the acting troupe he was with that premiered
his play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. In Gaiman's rendition, Shakespeare takes his actors to premier
A Midsummer Night's Dream to a creature known as the Shaper. The Shaper explains to Titania that he
and William came to an agreement four years ago. Shaper would give something to Shakespeare, which
can be presumed is the ability to write world renown plays and sonnets, and in return, Shakespeare
would write and premier two plays for him (Gaiman, 64). It is understandable, that therefore,
Shakespeare would have such a worried and somber expression on his face. If something were to go
wrong, it would end disastrously.
Most of the acting company does not have lines outside what they recite in...
... middle of paper ...
...d depicting the expressions that range from human to creature. Though Gaiman's scripts
are fantastic on their own, it is the visual artistry that really ties it in together. From the somber looks of
humans to the amused, hungry looks of the creatures, A Midsummer Night's Dream definitely takes a
little turn from Gaiman's other shorts in The Sandman: Volume 3: Dream Country. A Midsummer
Night's Dream by Neil Gaiman is flawless in the way it incorporates creatures into Shakespeare's life in
and beyond theater and deeply twisted in the way it is done, that shows man will do anything for a little
fame and how much facial expressions change how a person or creature is looked at.
Works Cited
Gaiman, N., Jones, K., Jones, M., Vess, C., & Doran, C. (2010). A Midsummer Night's Dream. The Sandman (Fully recolored ed., pp. 53-77). New York: Vertico/DC Comics.
In Shakespeare’s Midsummer’s Night Dream he entices the reader using character development, imagery, and symbolism. These tools help make it a wonderful play for teens, teaching them what a well-written comedy looks like. As well as taking them into a story they won’t soon forget.
Color, for writers through the ages, has been a telling element. A Midsummer Night’s Dream should be no exception to this element. The characters of the story tell a tale of magic; complete with fairies, potions, and a donkey’s head. Each of these effects brings enchantment to the story, charm that can not necessarily be employed naturally on a Middle English stage. The play, itself, talks on the magic that is A Midsummer Night’s Dream,
Fairies, mortals, magic, love, and hate all intertwine to make A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare a very enchanting tale, that takes the reader on a truly dream-like adventure. The action takes place in Athens, Greece in ancient times, but has the atmosphere of a land of fantasy and illusion which could be anywhere. The mischievousness and the emotions exhibited by characters in the play, along with their attempts to double-cross destiny, not only make the tale entertaining, but also help solidify one of the play’s major themes; that true love and it’s cleverly disguised counterparts can drive beings to do seemingly irrational things.
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a festive comedy. The play takes place in June and this is a bewitched time. In the spring the custom is to celebrate the return of fertility to the earth. During this time the young people spend the night in the woods to celebrate. Shakespeare uses the greenworld pattern in this play. The play begins in the city, moves out to the country and then back to the city. Being in the country makes things better because there is tranquility, freedom and people can become uncivilized versus when they are in the city and have to follow customs and laws and behave rationally.
Throughout A Midsummer Night’s Dream the theme of conflict with authority is apparent and is the cause of the problems that befall the characters. It also is used to set the mood of the play. The passage below spoken by Theseus in the opening of the play clearly states this theme.
Staging A Midsummer Night's Dream With an Emphasis on the Influence of the Spirit World on the Human World
In William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” two worlds are contrasted throughout the play. The Athenian state is governed by order, law, and reason; the forest or Fairy world lies within the realm of the imagination where anything is possible. While both worlds run parallel in the play, their inhabitants are influenced by one another. Their rulers, Theseus and Oberon, play critical roles in the events of the story. Theseus acts compassionately with a sense of duty, order and respect; his initial rulings for Hermia provide the exposition for the comedy (May 75). Oberon acts compassionately as well, but acts on a whim and resorts to trickery if it suits his desires; his actions direct the complication in the plot (May 75). Their personalities are characterized by how they attempt to help the young lovers, how and why they make decisions and how they interact with their loved ones and subjects. The rulers’ similarities govern the reasons behind their actions; their differences contribute to the success of the story.
In conclusion, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare effectively uses the motifs of the seasons, the moon, and dreams to show that love, irrationality, and disobedience directly cause chaos. By calling to mind the seasons in unnatural order, describing the moon behaving strangely, and discussing the dualistic, irrational nature of dreams, Shakespeare effectively evokes a sense of chaos and disorder. Linking each of these motifs to the themes of love, irrationality, and disobedience allows Shakespeare to illustrate the disarray that is bound to result from any romance.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most popular and frequently performed comical plays (Berardinelli). The play transformed into a cinematic production by Michael Hoffman has not changed in its basic plot and dialogue, but the setting and some character traits have. The play setting has been gracefully moved from 16th century Greece to 19th century Tuscany (Berardinelli). The addition of bicycles to the play affects the characters in that they no longer have to chase each other around the woods, but can take chase in a more efficient fashion. As far as characters are concerned, Demetrius is no longer the smug and somewhat rude character we find in act 1, scene 1 (Shakespeare pg. 6, line 91), but rather a seemingly indifferent gentleman placed in an unfortunate circumstance set to delay his wedding to Hermia. Perhaps the most noticeable change in the character set from stage to film occurs in the characters of Puck and Nick Bottom.
Throughout A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, there are multiple analyses that one can follow in order to reach a conclusion about the overall meaning of the play. These conclusions are reached through analyzing the play’s setting, characterization, and tone. However, when one watches the production A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Michael Hoffman, a completely different approach is taken on these aspects, leading to a vastly different analysis of the work. Though there are many similarities between the original written play A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare and the on-screen production of the aforementioned play which was directed by Michael Hoffman, there are differences in setting and
Shakespeare, William, Gail Kern Paster, and Skiles Howard. "Act 1, Scene 1." A Midsummer Night's Dream: Texts and Contexts. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1999. Print.
Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square Press, 2004.
In today’s society, the concept of dreaming and dreams, in general, has been featured in a variety of different mediums, such as literature, film and even music. While the mediums of film and music are both prime examples of this concept, the medium of literature, on the other hand, contains a much more diverse set of examples pertaining to dreams and dreaming. One key example is William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. While the portrayal of dreams, in general, plays a prominent role in Shakespeare’s play, the exploration of many aspects of nature, allows readers to believe that dreams are merely connected to somewhat unconventional occurrences.
Considered to be the greatest playwright to ever have lived, William Shakespeare’s works continue to fascinate and entrance audiences around the world. Imbued with imagery, his comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream is perhaps one of his more fantastic but none the less intricate plays. Presiding over the proceedings, the moon is the uniting feature of the play. With its multi-layered symbolism it is the thread that connects the different characters and weaves the tale together.
Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night's Dream. Comp. Folger Shakespeare Library. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009. Print.