English 144: A Midsummer-Night’s Dream

What was Shakespeare thinking when he came up with such a play? Or was it really Elizabeth who wrote these plays?

As I read A Midsummer-Night’s Dream, I cannot help but wonder what was happening to Shakespeare at this time in his life. For what made him think of lovers running away because of a father’s hate, to be part of a game in the fairies’ world. It seems too that in each world there is at least one couple that faces challenges. We have Lysander, Hermia, Helena, and Demetrius in the human world. Lysander and Hermia love one another but are driven to flee their homes because Hermia’s father does not approve. Demetrius, for some reason, has stopped wooing Helena and has turned his affection to Hermia. This leaves Helena hurt and jealous for no one loves her. At the same time, we have actors for a play trying to figure out where to rehearse and if everything is ready for their practice of a play. Then we have the fairies. The queen (Titania) and king (Oberon) face a problem. Oberon is jealous of Titania’s attention to this “changeling boy.” As Oberon tries to have Titania give him up but fails, all three worlds get ready to crash into one.

There is so much going on at once! What was going in Shakespeare’s life that would allow him to create such a complex and creative story? In a way it reminds me much of Queen Elizabeth’s life (so the whole conspiracy of Shakespeare being fake would almost seem real). Elizabeth has everyone waiting for her hand in marriage, that she plays them around in order to successfully get what she wants. Much like Titania, she will not give up what she wants because a man requests her to do so. Or if you look at it from Hermia, with both men wanting her, you could see Elizabeth as the desired one. Every man wanting her, leaving other women (Helena) scornful and jealous, just as Amy felt when Robert choose the Queen over her.

There is so much going on in this one play, that it is hard to believe that something did not influence or spark the idea for it. I do not doubt that Shakespeare was real; however the idea of it being like Queen Elizabeth’s life is most enticing to me. Though Andy made a lot of sense on how Elizabeth could not have been the pen behind the mask. I am left to wonder though want mayhem was happening back then or if Shakespeare was am to jest create such a marvelous story all in his head.