Midsummer Night's Dream (Arden Shakespeare Second (Paperback))

Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare is hilarious!
Review: Anyone who has read this play will say that it was a riot. What's even better than reading it, though, is seeing it performed live. My face hurt because I was laughing so hard! But if you do read it, and you have that problem about understanding what it's saying, not a big deal! The flavorful but easy to read dialouge makes it simple to understand what's going on. But, you can always get the New Folger edition that has explanations of certain parts on the opposite page (very helpful for when Shakespeare makes a joke that doesn't make any sense to us now). This play is laugh-out-loud funny and almost anyone can enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: Well Crafted and Very Funny!
Review: Probably, the only reason I can not give this 5 stars is because I was spoiled by Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors." This is a sparkling piece of art. It is easy to see how Greek Mythology inspired Shakespeare. The Greek gods have human desires, impulses, and weaknesses. And often, their people suffer because of them. In this play, several characters are hindered (although unintentionally) by the bickering Oberon and Titania. It is easy to see the similarities between Zeus and Hera. The play also offers situation comedy, young lovers, frustrated parents, sparkling images, and a happy ending. CAUTION-ENTER THIS MYSTICAL WONDERLAND AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Rating:
Summary: Sublime!
Review: This is one of my favorite, if not my VERY favorite of Shakespeare's works. It is certainly my favorite of the comedies and I do not hesitate to rank this as one of the greatest works of literature of all-time. By the way, I LOVE this play. Oh yeah, have I mentioned that...well enough of that. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is one of the funniest plays of all-time. I was literally laughing out loud during the performance of "The Most Lamentable Comedy..." at the play's end. The "dream" world within the forest is a magical fantasy world in which the humans are manipulated by faries to fall in or out of love. Within this world, in which most of the play occurs, the powers of the imagination are heightened and the characters are helpless against their imaginations, which guide everything they do and say. This is one of the play's major themes: the imagination. Even out of the "dream world" the characters are guided by their imaginations. Duke Theseus (the plays strongest critic of such a notion) even admits that in order to enjoy such a performance (as the one put on by the unforgettable Bottom, and his comrades-in-folly), one must use one's imagination. I honestly believe that this is Shakespeare at his best. I would recommend this work to anyone!