Introduction – Part 2
n this lecture we continue our introduction to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, focusing in particular on: (i) Shakespeare’s connection with the classical tradition, including his emulation of Senecan tragedy (Titus Andronicus) and Plautine comedy (A Comedy of Errors), etc.; (ii) the importance of the classics in the late 16th century, especially in the works of Christopher Marlowe (1564-93) and Ben Jonson (1572-1637); (iii) the importance of the death of Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, as turning-point in his career; (iv) a definition of tragedy and comedy based on the concept of the harmony of the spheres (or musica universalis); (v) the three strata of society in A Midsummer Night’s Dream – the gods, the nobility, and the working class – and the harmony between these three strata by the end of the play; (vi) the changes that are undergone by characters in comedy, especially those associated with a journey at sea (as in Twelfth Night, The Tempest, Pericles and A Winter’s Tale) or with a retreat to the countryside (as in As You Like It, Love’s Labour’s Lost and A Midsummer Night’s Dream); and (vii) the importance of dance as a means of restoring harmony in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
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This clip is part of a larger course exploring Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream: https://massolit.io/courses/shakespea...
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