Cover Letter
For my adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, I chose to focus on the soundtrack of the film, and how it can highlight certain aspects of the play. I wanted to center the music around a main theme. One of the major themes of the play I explored was the many layers of realities and the different worlds the characters interact with.
This was difficult for me at first, because I wasn’t sure how to pick apart these realities and have them fit with the characters living in them. I went back to what we discussed in class and by thinking more about how a theme of the play is capriciousness, I was able to explain the purpose of these different worlds was to highlight the lawless nature of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Many of the songs I chose for the soundtrack incorporated harmonies or multiple layers of different types of instruments. I chose those songs in order to highlight the layers of reality in the play, which were different from scene to scene. I didn’t realize this at first and was just picking songs based on the moods of the scenes they would accompany. However, I then realized what a lot of them had in common, and decided to look for more songs with layering.
I really enjoyed thinking about the play from a different perspective. It helped me understand it on a much deeper level. I also enjoyed thinking about music in a different way and using it to tell a story. After this project, I found myself wondering what other readers think about the connections between the different realities of the play, because I believe they can have a different significance to different people.
This was difficult for me at first, because I wasn’t sure how to pick apart these realities and have them fit with the characters living in them. I went back to what we discussed in class and by thinking more about how a theme of the play is capriciousness, I was able to explain the purpose of these different worlds was to highlight the lawless nature of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Many of the songs I chose for the soundtrack incorporated harmonies or multiple layers of different types of instruments. I chose those songs in order to highlight the layers of reality in the play, which were different from scene to scene. I didn’t realize this at first and was just picking songs based on the moods of the scenes they would accompany. However, I then realized what a lot of them had in common, and decided to look for more songs with layering.
I really enjoyed thinking about the play from a different perspective. It helped me understand it on a much deeper level. I also enjoyed thinking about music in a different way and using it to tell a story. After this project, I found myself wondering what other readers think about the connections between the different realities of the play, because I believe they can have a different significance to different people.
Reality in A Midsummer Night's Dream
On the surface, A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare is a play about love and magic. However, it is the many layers of realities that make the play so powerful and last throughout time. The different worlds in which the characters interact create an atmosphere that shapes how we view the play's stories, which is why I decided to focus on this concept for my adaptation. Each character has their own unique perception of reality which creates a sense that the chaotic world of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one that is ungoverned by the laws of nature.
The play begins in Athens, which is a world that is similar to our reality. In this world, fairies and magic don’t exist, and rigid law governs the main characters of the play, and sets up the conflict for the four lovers. Hermia and Lysander are forbidden to get married, because her father wants her to be with Demetrius. The reality for the Athenians is one of regulation and strict societal roles. This is not only seen by Hermia’s father, Egeus, and Theseus, the Duke of Athens. Another layer of the play is the story of the Rude Mechanicals, a group of actors whose main worries are making a play that is worthy of being performed in front of the Duke. Frequently in the play, they are worried about being punished by the laws of Athens, saying that if their lion roar was too convincing it would “fright the Duchess and the ladies that they would shriek, and that were enough to hang us all.” (1.2, 73-74) Athens is a place of rules and fear, and those who live there are forced to lead their lives by it.
However, not all of the Athenians live in that world. In the reality of Demetrius, Lysander, Hermia and Helena, these strict laws do not decide their fates. They are ruled by a much more powerful force, which is love. Even after Egeus’s warning of death for Hermia if she disobeyed him, she and Lysander still pursue their love. Lysander comforts Hermia, saying “Could ever hear by tale or history, The course of true love never did run smooth.” (1.1, 135-136) He believes that all throughout history, even faced by enormous obstacles such as theirs, love prevails. Helena and Demetrius are also driven by the force of love, as no matter how much they are faced with rejection, they both follow their passion to great lengths and continue to pursue the person they love.
A world that ignores law even more than the reality of the four lovers is that of the fairies. In the woods, neither the rules of Athens nor the laws of nature affect the characters. In this world, the juice from a special kind of flower can make “man or woman madly dote upon the next live creature that it sees” (2.1, 77-78), invisible fairies can spy on humans, and a man’s head can be turned into that of a donkey’s. The character responsible for much of this mischief is Robin Goodfellow, also known as Puck. Puck embodies this lack of law by not only living in a world where there are no rules, but by bringing the other characters into it as well. Anyone who crosses his path is sucked into his tornado of chaos, where no other law applies.
These three realities are very conflicting on the surface. However, they are what make the magic of the play. The fact that these contrasting realities all coexist in one world are what gives A Midsummer Night’s Dream the complexity that makes it much more than just a play about love and magic. Through my adaptation, I would focus on this concept to highlight the fact that it makes the play something accessible and a different experience to everyone who views it, no matter what rules govern their lives.
The play begins in Athens, which is a world that is similar to our reality. In this world, fairies and magic don’t exist, and rigid law governs the main characters of the play, and sets up the conflict for the four lovers. Hermia and Lysander are forbidden to get married, because her father wants her to be with Demetrius. The reality for the Athenians is one of regulation and strict societal roles. This is not only seen by Hermia’s father, Egeus, and Theseus, the Duke of Athens. Another layer of the play is the story of the Rude Mechanicals, a group of actors whose main worries are making a play that is worthy of being performed in front of the Duke. Frequently in the play, they are worried about being punished by the laws of Athens, saying that if their lion roar was too convincing it would “fright the Duchess and the ladies that they would shriek, and that were enough to hang us all.” (1.2, 73-74) Athens is a place of rules and fear, and those who live there are forced to lead their lives by it.
However, not all of the Athenians live in that world. In the reality of Demetrius, Lysander, Hermia and Helena, these strict laws do not decide their fates. They are ruled by a much more powerful force, which is love. Even after Egeus’s warning of death for Hermia if she disobeyed him, she and Lysander still pursue their love. Lysander comforts Hermia, saying “Could ever hear by tale or history, The course of true love never did run smooth.” (1.1, 135-136) He believes that all throughout history, even faced by enormous obstacles such as theirs, love prevails. Helena and Demetrius are also driven by the force of love, as no matter how much they are faced with rejection, they both follow their passion to great lengths and continue to pursue the person they love.
A world that ignores law even more than the reality of the four lovers is that of the fairies. In the woods, neither the rules of Athens nor the laws of nature affect the characters. In this world, the juice from a special kind of flower can make “man or woman madly dote upon the next live creature that it sees” (2.1, 77-78), invisible fairies can spy on humans, and a man’s head can be turned into that of a donkey’s. The character responsible for much of this mischief is Robin Goodfellow, also known as Puck. Puck embodies this lack of law by not only living in a world where there are no rules, but by bringing the other characters into it as well. Anyone who crosses his path is sucked into his tornado of chaos, where no other law applies.
These three realities are very conflicting on the surface. However, they are what make the magic of the play. The fact that these contrasting realities all coexist in one world are what gives A Midsummer Night’s Dream the complexity that makes it much more than just a play about love and magic. Through my adaptation, I would focus on this concept to highlight the fact that it makes the play something accessible and a different experience to everyone who views it, no matter what rules govern their lives.
link to playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMdrBrI1hPEuJkyfXjnWWV9k1QZqxZLoo
Album Art
Liner Notes
1. Act One, Scene One. “When the World Comes to an End” – The Dirty Projectors and Björk. As Lysander and Hermia receive the news of their forbidden marriage, they create a plan to leave Athens and start a new life elsewhere. This song captures the urgency of their departure, and the fact that their old world is coming to an end. The layers of harmony create the picture of the layers of realities about to unfold in the play.
2. Act Two, Scene One. “Break on Through (To the Other Side)” – The Doors. In this scene, the world of the fairies is introduced. We are taken to another world of completely separate law than that of Athens. The song fits Puck perfectly, as it shows his love of mischief and sabotage as it sets up the viewer for the chaos that he will create for the lovers who have no idea what is about to come.
3. Act Two, Scene Two. “Reborn” – Colin Stetson. After traveling through the woods, Hermia and Lysander decide to rest. As Hermia sleeps, she dreams that she is being attacked by a snake, and Lysander isn’t there to help her. The layers of this song fit the layers of realities building in this scene. We have left Athens and gone into a different reality of the forest, and within that world, we see an entirely different world of Hermia’s dreams. As the song builds, the tension and fear builds as well. This represents the fear building in Hermia as she wakes and realizes her dream was true. The snake was her fear, and Lysander is nowhere to be found to help diminish it.
4. Act Two, Scene Two. “Our Prayer” – The Beach Boys. Later in this scene, the fairies sing Titania to sleep, unknowing that Oberon and Puck have created a plan to distract her from the changeling boy through causing her to fall in love. Even though she is about to be tricked by Puck, the scene has a calm and serene feeling. The harmonies of the song create the atmosphere of peace. Because it has no lyrics, as the fairies sing there would be no sense of whether or not they knew what was about to come. However, the tone is mysterious and slightly unnerving, and creates a slight fear in the feeling of calm as she sleeps.
5. Act Three, Scene One. “I Wanna Be Adored” – The Stone Roses. In this scene, Titania wakes up and sees Bottom with a donkey head after hearing him sing. She immediately falls in love. This song sets up the scene well, as it builds slowly and has a very dreamlike quality, which is appropriate seeing as Bottom will later believe this all to be a dream. The song not only represents Bottom and Titania’s love, but Bottom’s desire to be adored as an actor by the people of Athens. His greed has led him to this exact place, where he will experience a bizarre “dream” of his greatest desire to be adored.
6. Act Three, Scene Two. “Bizarre Love Triangle” – New Order. This scene is the lovers’ fight after Puck’s mistake. This song fits because it captures the chaos of the feelings of Lysander, Demetrius, Helena and Hermia. The confusion and desire they feel for one another is amplified by the flower’s magic, but it is aimed at the wrong people. The pace of the song captures the pace of the changing emotions in the lovers, as they go from confusion to hatred for each other in minutes.
7. Act Three, Scene Two. “Moss Garden” – David Bowie and Brian Eno. This scene follows the discord of Puck’s mistake, but has a much different tone. As the lovers sleep, Puck is fixing his error and making the right people fall in love again. This song serves as a transition in realities, from one of chaos and disarray to one where all is right again. The dreamlike quality of the song creates a feeling of calm as Puck is restoring balance back into the play with the magic flower.
8. Act Four, Scene One. “Woods” – Bon Iver. In this scene, the lovers awake from their night in the woods. They are back in Athens, and have returned to a reality of order and rule that they abandoned in the woods. This song fits the feeling of their slow return to a different world. The layers of harmonies again show the layers of realities they have experienced. The lack of instruments and the focus on Bon Iver’s voice demonstrates that the lovers are back in a more simple and normal world.
9. Act Five, Scene One. “Search for Delicious” – Panda Bear. In the last scene of the play, Puck’s speech offers the idea that everything we just witnessed could be just a dream. All of the chaos and bizarre events make sense if they exist only in our sleeping minds. This song captures that feeling, as it’s slow tempo and layers of sound create feeling that the listener could be dreaming it. Because of this, it is a fitting end to the play as it fades out like the feeling of waking up from sleep.
2. Act Two, Scene One. “Break on Through (To the Other Side)” – The Doors. In this scene, the world of the fairies is introduced. We are taken to another world of completely separate law than that of Athens. The song fits Puck perfectly, as it shows his love of mischief and sabotage as it sets up the viewer for the chaos that he will create for the lovers who have no idea what is about to come.
3. Act Two, Scene Two. “Reborn” – Colin Stetson. After traveling through the woods, Hermia and Lysander decide to rest. As Hermia sleeps, she dreams that she is being attacked by a snake, and Lysander isn’t there to help her. The layers of this song fit the layers of realities building in this scene. We have left Athens and gone into a different reality of the forest, and within that world, we see an entirely different world of Hermia’s dreams. As the song builds, the tension and fear builds as well. This represents the fear building in Hermia as she wakes and realizes her dream was true. The snake was her fear, and Lysander is nowhere to be found to help diminish it.
4. Act Two, Scene Two. “Our Prayer” – The Beach Boys. Later in this scene, the fairies sing Titania to sleep, unknowing that Oberon and Puck have created a plan to distract her from the changeling boy through causing her to fall in love. Even though she is about to be tricked by Puck, the scene has a calm and serene feeling. The harmonies of the song create the atmosphere of peace. Because it has no lyrics, as the fairies sing there would be no sense of whether or not they knew what was about to come. However, the tone is mysterious and slightly unnerving, and creates a slight fear in the feeling of calm as she sleeps.
5. Act Three, Scene One. “I Wanna Be Adored” – The Stone Roses. In this scene, Titania wakes up and sees Bottom with a donkey head after hearing him sing. She immediately falls in love. This song sets up the scene well, as it builds slowly and has a very dreamlike quality, which is appropriate seeing as Bottom will later believe this all to be a dream. The song not only represents Bottom and Titania’s love, but Bottom’s desire to be adored as an actor by the people of Athens. His greed has led him to this exact place, where he will experience a bizarre “dream” of his greatest desire to be adored.
6. Act Three, Scene Two. “Bizarre Love Triangle” – New Order. This scene is the lovers’ fight after Puck’s mistake. This song fits because it captures the chaos of the feelings of Lysander, Demetrius, Helena and Hermia. The confusion and desire they feel for one another is amplified by the flower’s magic, but it is aimed at the wrong people. The pace of the song captures the pace of the changing emotions in the lovers, as they go from confusion to hatred for each other in minutes.
7. Act Three, Scene Two. “Moss Garden” – David Bowie and Brian Eno. This scene follows the discord of Puck’s mistake, but has a much different tone. As the lovers sleep, Puck is fixing his error and making the right people fall in love again. This song serves as a transition in realities, from one of chaos and disarray to one where all is right again. The dreamlike quality of the song creates a feeling of calm as Puck is restoring balance back into the play with the magic flower.
8. Act Four, Scene One. “Woods” – Bon Iver. In this scene, the lovers awake from their night in the woods. They are back in Athens, and have returned to a reality of order and rule that they abandoned in the woods. This song fits the feeling of their slow return to a different world. The layers of harmonies again show the layers of realities they have experienced. The lack of instruments and the focus on Bon Iver’s voice demonstrates that the lovers are back in a more simple and normal world.
9. Act Five, Scene One. “Search for Delicious” – Panda Bear. In the last scene of the play, Puck’s speech offers the idea that everything we just witnessed could be just a dream. All of the chaos and bizarre events make sense if they exist only in our sleeping minds. This song captures that feeling, as it’s slow tempo and layers of sound create feeling that the listener could be dreaming it. Because of this, it is a fitting end to the play as it fades out like the feeling of waking up from sleep.