A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Edited,IntroducedandAnnotatedbyCedricWatts,ProfessorofEnglishLiterature,UniversityofSussexItslyricism,comedy(bothbroadandsubtle)andmagicaltransformationshavelongmadeAMidsummerNightsDreamoneofthemostpopularofShakespeare'sworks.Thesupernaturalandthemundane,theillusoryandthesubstantial,areallshimmeringlyblended.Loveistreatedastragic,poignant,absurdandfarcical.'Lord,whatfoolsthesemortalsbe!',jeersRobinGoodfellow;butthejokemaybeonhimandonhismasterOberonwhenBottomtheweaver,hisheadtransformedintothatofanass,isembracedbythevoluptuouslyamorousTitania.