Tags

, ,

This is the fourth of six posts on A Midsummer Night’s Dream as part of the Reading Shakespeare A Play A Month Reading Challenge hosted by Risa of Breadcrumb Reads.

Click here to read the first discussion post.
Click here to read the second discussion post.

Click here to read the third discussion post.

———————————————————————————————————

While Act III was rather long, this one is rather short.

Act IV opens with Titania fawning over her lover.  Bottom is still not aware of his transformation and seems to have also developed a taste for hay and oats.  Oberon, in the meantime, has decided that it is time to end Titania’s spell because he has already got what he wanted from her.

Oberon says that he met Titania earlier while she was trying to find presents for her lover and badgered her for the boy which she relinquished to him without question.  Funny the things we would gladly give up when we are in love. :)

Bottom decides that he has to sleep and Titania sleeps as well.  And here signals the role of sleep in the resolution of Titania being in love with an ass.  When she wakes, she reconciles with Oberon and they dance and play music so the lovers would continue to sleep.  It is also curious to note that they seem to love the night as when Puck announced that he hears the morning lark, Oberon says that they move to a place where it is till night.

Theseus, Hippolyta, and Egeus and others walk through the woods after celebrating May Day and find the sleeping lovers.  They are woken and are confused by the events that have transpired.  Lysander admits that he and Hermia were planning to run away which causes Egeus to get mad but Theseus intervenes and decides that all three couples should get married on the same day.

I actually found this rather sad since it was only Lysander who was restored to his love for Hermia.  Demtrius’ love for Helena was fulfilled through the use of magic. :(

With regards to Bottom, he wakes up and like the lovers, thinks it but a dream.  He manages to find his friends and instructs them to meet him at the palace as they are to perform their play.  I can’t imagine what would happen since they never even got anything right during their rehearsal. :)

This were the events that happened in Act IV.  It was a rather peaceful act.  Lysander and Demetrius don’t seem to be mad at each other anymore and so are Hermia and Helena.