Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

Part of the authoritative and acclaimed Penguin Shakespeare series, now rejacketed in the celebrated Penguin Classics livery

A young woman flees Athens with her lover, only to be pursued by her would-be husband and by her best friend. Unwittingly, all four find themselves in an enchanted forest where fairies and sprites soon take an interest in human affairs, dispensing magical love potions and casting mischievous spells. In this dazzling comedy, confusion ends in harmony, as love is transformed, misplaced, and – ultimately – restored.

Contains a general introduction to Shakespeare’s life and Elizabethan theatre. This book provides a separate introduction to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.

About the Author: William Shakespeare was born some time in late April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon and died in 1616. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist.

Stanley Wells is Emeritus Professor of the University of Birmingham and Honorary President of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Helen Hackett is a Reader in English Literature at University College London.

28 May 2015
 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare ISBN 9780141396668