The Central Theme of a Midsummer Night’s Dream

THE CENTRAL THEME OF A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM ERNEST SCHANZER M OST readers of A Midsummer Night's Dream appear to be under the erroneous impression that the main events of the play take place on Midsummer Night.' For this misapprehension Shakespeare himself is at least partiy responsible. He seems to have had a fondness for giving baffling or misleading titles to his plays. Why Love's Labour's Lost, we ask; why As You Like It? So it is with A Midsummer Night's Dream. I have never seen it remarked upon by a critic that the central incidents of the play actually take place on Walpurgisnight (the Eve of May-day), as is made clear by Theseus' remarks in Act IV, where he expresses his belief that the lovers have come to the wood early that morning to observe the rites of May-day (IV, 1, 135 If.). Walpurgisnight is one of the two main nights of the year for witchcraft and every form of magic. The other is Midsummer Night (St. John's Eve). Both nights are therefore particularly well fitted to provide the time-setting for the supernatural events in the wood. Moreover, Midsummer Night is traditionally connected with flower magic; certain herbs and flowers gathered during that night were supposed to possess various wonderworking powers. This may well account for Shakespeare's use of Dian's bud and Cupid's flower instead of _orne other magical agent. Why, then, did Shakespeare call the play A Midsummer Night's Dream and not A Walpurgisnight's Dream? Partly, I think, because of the flower magic asscciated with Midsummer Night and also, perhaps, because of the various superstitions connected with maidens' dreams on that night. Shakespeare seems to be saying that the events in the wood that take place under the influence of the magic flower are like the dreams of lovers on Midsummer Night. Bottom, Titania, the Athenian lovers, all believe upon awakening that the events of the night were a mere dream. And, indeed, what could be more like a dream, almost a nightmare, than Lysander'S and Demetrius' pursuit of one another through the blinding fog? And the absence of all courtesy and modesty, of all the restraints shown by us in society in our waking moments, which marks the mutual recriminations and lOne of the exceptions is G. L. Kittredge j see p. ix of the Introduction to his edition of the play (Boston, 1939). 233 UNIVE.RSITY OP TORONTO QUARTERLY, vol. XX, no. 3, April, 1951 234 THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO QUARTERLY abuse of the Athenian lovers under the spell of the love-juice, have about them the quality of a dream. Again, is not Bottom's ready acceptance of all the wonders of fairydom and above all of Titania's love for him like that of dreamers who take for granted the most startling events? Only when Bottom awakes does he realize that he had "a most rare vision," so strange that he will sing it for the benefit of the assembled court at Thisbe's death. We may also think of the title of the play not in relation to its principal characters but in relation to the auclience. In Puck's Epilogue Shakespeare invites us to think of the whole playas merely a dream: If we shadows have offended Think but this, and all is mendedThat you have but slumb'red here While these visions did appear. (V, 1, 430-3) There seems to be one further reason for Shakespeare's choice of the title, and that is the traditional association of midsummer with madness. "Why, this is very midsummer madness!" exclaims Olivia when confronted with the grotesque courtship of Malvolio. The ridiculing of a certain kind of madness, of love-madness, forms indeed the main theme of the play and provides the connecting link between the various episodes and groups of characters. But the butt of Shakespeare 's ridicule is not romantic love in general, as Charlton and Pettet seem to believe.' For though Shakespeare may smile occasionally at the extravagances of romantic lovers, he always treats them with the utmost indulgence as long as their love conforms...