Bottom's Up

Act IV Scene I

Act IV Scene II

Act IV Scene I of A Midsummer Night’s Dream strings along the newfangled—and far-fetched—romance between Bottom the Horse-Headed and Titania the Queen of the Fairies. Disclaimer: The video I selected was obviously a low-budget ensemble, and though at times the shoddily built scenery and drabness of the costumes detract from the sensory experience, it still accurately captures the essence of the text.

Compiled of cardboard planks, the scenery portrays the woods in a rather two-dimensional way. Interestingly, the director cast children as the barefoot fairies Peaseblossom, Cobweb, and Mustardseed, not adults as one would assume. Whether the director decided this for practical purposes or mistakenly overlooked details, these children were also girls—even though Bottom refers to each of them as “monsieur”. 

As in many instances throughout, the visual medium clarifies scenes that seemed unmerited or misplaced in the text. Take, for example, the point where Bottom has the fairy Peaseblossom scratch his head; in the video, the fairy runs her hand down his whole head, reminding the audience that he is still befallen by the donkey head debacle. By just reading the text, one may mistake this for a pointless request and miss its playfulness. Tragically, this version misses a great opportunity, brushing over some of Bottom’s wittiest and most inept lines. In one particular series, Bottom should have stated, “I must to the barber’s, / monsieur, for methinks I am marvels hairy about / the face. And I am such a tender ass, if my hair do / but tickle me, I must scratch.” (4.1.24-27) Coupled with the fluffy horse’s head and his drowsy drawl, this moment certainly would have sent the audience reeling.  

What this rendition lacks in wise verse selection it compensates for with the addition of previously unincluded bits. Bundles of unintelligible gabble follow many of Bottom’s extended speeches as if to add to his sleepy bliss. For instance, Titania and Bottom have sequence that Shakespeare originally wrote only for Titania (bolded):

 Titania: “Oh how I love thee!”

 Bottom: (Affectionately mutters, “Uh...”)

 Titania: “Oh how I dote on thee!”

 Bottom: (Ecstatically and loudly replies “Uhhhuhuhhuuh!”)

After watching these scenes, it is difficult to discern if the director planned the interjections or if the actors threw them in to get a rise out of the crowd. Either way, they add an unexpected and enjoyable facet of humor.

The director chooses, and rightly so, an emotional and sensitive depiction of Oberon’s soliloquy. Filled with great pity and remorse, the actor drops his voice and gazes fondly upon his wife from afar. His passionate words evince this, as he proclaims, “And may all to Athens back again repair / And think no more of this night's accidents / but as the fierce vexation of a dream.” (4.1.6-70) Following this moment of pause and deep regret, he applies nectar to Titania’s eyes and she awakes, no longer under the spell. Whereas a reader may regard Oberon’s next line as plain fact, the actor delivers it as a backhanded jab to Titania’s blindness. His snide comment, "There lies your love", almost takes a proud stance against Titania's usual position of authority (4.1.79). Fraught with her own missteps, Titania affirms, "O, how mine eyes do loathe his visage now," confessing the deception that eyes often emit (4.1.81) In closing, Oberon orders Robin—depicted by a woman, not a man—to whisk away Bottom's donkey head, returning the scene to past normalcy.

In the next movement, Egeus, Theseus, and Hippolyta stumble upon the lovers, shocked to see those once filled with "hatred" and "jealousy" calmly sleeping beside one another. (4.1.150) They make amends and depart for home. Much to his chagrin, Bottom awakes alone, reaffirming his cluelessness and his role outside the circle of four main characters.

Marking the change of scene, flute notes resound until the proper characters (Quince, Flute, and Snug) enter the center of the stage. The dialogue that ensues laments the loss of Bottom, whom they presume dead. Just as the actor that plays Flute begins to cry, the entry of Bottom interrupts and shifts the tone from sorrow to jubilation. Ending on a light note, Bottom inspires his fellow "rude mechanicals" with a light-hearted remark: "Eat no onion nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath...No more words. Away!" (4.2.42-45) Crucially, this reinforces the distinction between comedy and tragedy, where disorder eventually ends in serenity and progress—not death and pain.