A fairy in the service of Titania, Queen of the Fairies, meets Puck. Puck explains the conflict over an Indian boy between Oberon, King of the Fairies, and Titania.
Stagecraft ‘Enter a FAIRY’ One of Shakespeare’s favourite dramatic techniques is to contrast one scene with another. Here, after presenting the worlds of the court and the Mechanicals to the audience, he introduces a third world: the fairy kingdom. Try one or both of the following activities to gain a first impression of the fairy world. a Mind movie Relax and close your eyes as your teacher reads the poetry (lines 2–31) aloud to you. Imagine or draw this world as vividly as you can. Share your picture with a partner. b Comparisons and contrasts Compare and contrast this fairy world with the two worlds presented in Act 1. In your Director’s Journal draw up a table of the three worlds, like the one below. Features Characters Nature of conflicts Setting
The court
The Mechanicals e.g. Bottom
The fairies
Thorough through briar thorny bush pale fence sphere orbit orbs fairy rings cowslips wild flowers that stand upright
pensioners gentlemen of the royal bodyguard who often dressed splendidly in golden uniforms
e.g. marriage e.g. wood
c Add additional features that it would be useful to compare – for example, the language that is used and the themes that are introduced and explored in each of the three worlds. Decide on the key similarities and differences between the worlds.
Language in the play What does the audience see? (in pairs) Both speeches in the script opposite create visions (or dreams) in the audience’s mind of things that happen in the fairy world. Some images would be very difficult to put on a stage – for example, ‘elves for fear / Creep into acorn cups’ (lines 30–1). Discuss how much help the audience needs to imagine what is described by the actors. Make some suggestions about props, staging, set and how the actors engage with and respond to the language. Write up your suggestions.
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whither where
savours scent seek some dewdrops … ear (contemporary thought was that pearls originated from dewdrops; pearls were fashionable in Elizabethan earrings, and Shakespeare is making a connection between the royal courts of Elizabeth and the fairy queen)
lob lout anon soon revels merry-making passing … wrath very fierce and angry
changeling human child swapped by fairies for one of their own
Knight of his train an important soldier, one of his attendants
trace wander through perforce by force starlight sheen shining starlight square quarrel