A Midsummer Night's Dream is a glittering masterpiece which was revolutionary in its time, argues Tom Bishop - the most complicated piece of plotting in any English play. Held together by a lyrical energy at once enthralling and playful, it is about love and the role of the imagination in love, and its view of us mortals is roughly Puck's: 'Lord, what fools these mortals be!' But our folly, Shakespeare suggests, is also a blessing: the paradox at the heart of the play is that the source of all that is most dangerous and destructive in the world is also the source of all that is best in it.

CONTENTS

1. Introduction
2. A synopsis of the plot
3. What is A Midsummer Night’s Dream about?
4. What are we supposed to make of Theseus?
5. How much does Shakespeare owe to Ovid?
6. Why is magic so important in the play?
7. Why did Shakespeare bring in the “mechanicals”?
8. What should we make of Titania and Bottom?
9. How are women treated in the play?
10. Why is the play called a dream?
11. How does the play’s language reflect its view of love?
12. How reassuring is the conclusion?
13. What view of the world does A Midsummer Night’s Dream leave us with?

Relevant to pupils studying:
- CIE IGCSE English Literature

About The Author

Tom Bishop is Professor of English at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He is the author of Shakespeare and the Theatre of Wonder (Cambridge, 1996), translator of Ovid’s Amores (Carcanet, 2003), and co-editor of The Shakespearean International Yearbook, an annual collection of essays on Shakespeare.

About Connell Guides

Connell Guides are a series of 75 study guides to great literature and key historical events. The books are written by top academics from leading universities, and provide in-depth analysis of A Level and GCSE texts, helping students engage deeply with literature by encouraging independent thought and demystifying complex concepts - presenting them in clear, accessible terms.

Brilliant for students looking to widen their contextual and critical understanding of a text, discover niche 'wow-factor' points for essays and coursework, or simply brush up on their knowledge. They’re the perfect level-up for A Level / GCSE revision, and an excellent introduction to university-level study - Jam-packed with information you won’t find anywhere else.