Act 4 Scene 1 of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

The scene opens with BOTTOM revelling in the luxury of being waited on by Titania's fairies.

Character: he enjoys being pampered.

Humour: his references to needing a scratch "methinks I am marvellous hairy about the face. And I am such a tender ass. . . " Talks of wanting "a bottle of hay". He does not realise he has an "ass" head!

Class: claims a "good ear in music" and asks for "the tongs and the bones" (!) – very simple musical instruments that a poor or lower class person would play.

The set part begins with Bottom and Titania asleep, and Oberon telling Puck (Robin) that he now pities Titania's "dotage" (fondness) for "this hateful fool" (Bottom).

Language:Oberon speaks regally, using high expression for high thoughts and speaking long, complex sentences. What a contrast with Bottom's speech! Oberon speaks 10-syllable blank verse, Bottom mere prose.

Oberon says he will take off the spell, as Titania has given him the "changeling child". He tells Puck to remove the ass's head from Bottom. He tells Titania they will go to Theseus^t house "tomorrow midnight" to bless it.

Character: Oberon will have his way - Titania only gave him the boy because she was obsessed with Bottom. When she realises the full extent of Oberon's spiteful vengeance, will she really regard the quarrel as settled - or may she demand the boy back? Oberon's language is formal, regal - as befits his position as a King who has his way.

THESEUS ARRIVES, HUNTING, WITH HPPOLYTA AND EGEUS.

Hippolyta is polite to him, but can she really love him (he defeated her in war)?

They stumble on the lovers, asleep.

Advice to actors: Theseus courteous, flattering, endearing. Egeus: amazed. Theseus's huntsmen's horns wake the lovers. Lysander recounts his attempted elopement and Egeus angrily interrupts, "I beg the law, the law upon his head!" Demetrius, however, says he now loves "only Helena". Theseus conceives the idea of a triple wedding and overrules Egeus.

Love: we believe Lysander and Hermia are in love, but can Demetrius and Helena ^“eternally be knit” on the basis of magic, or Theseus and Hippolyta on the basis of conquest and courtesy?

Character: Theseus is forgiving, magnanimous and firm. Sums up the new situation quickly and postpones hearing details till later.

BOTTOM WAKES UP

Bottom wakes up imagining he's still rehearsing - then remembers "I have had a dream". He cannot bring himself to say what he thought he was. He thinks his dream should be made a song, for him to sing a Thisbe's death.

Character: Bottom's simple good nature is revealed again, as is his self-centredness - though this is always with a social purpose. His language is lively and colloquial.

Humour: Bottom's embarrassment; his failure to realise how unsuitable his "dream" would be for a comment on the tragic death of Thisbe (suggesting Pyramus was an ass!); his nonsense-talk.

Are all the problems really sorted out?

For Lysander/Hermia, probably. What about the other lovers though?

Bottom's nature has not changed, and his desire to keep changing things by putting himself at the centre of everything will continue to cause tensions when he is collaborating with others.

Titania will need to take care not to cross Oberon - she knows what can happen when he takes spite out on her.

Helena will need convincing that Demetrius' love will last longer this time.

Theseus will need to win Hippolyta's heart, having won her "with my sword".

Will Egeus be happy about being snubbed by the Duke, disobeyed by his daughter and deserted by Demetrius?