A Midsummer Night's Dream Act III Scene i
Act III Scene i
The company of clowns enters the area of the forest where Titania still sleeps. They begin to prepare for the rehearsal of their play by allocating stage areas in the forest, but Bottom brings up the issue of the script. He believes that certain scenes in the play cannot be performed, and cites first the example of Pyramus's death with his sword. Bottom believes that the sight of a sword would be quite uncomfortable for the ladies of the court, and the other workmen agree. Bottom proposes that they add a prologue to the play in which it is clearly explained that swords will be drawn but will cause no harm, Pyramus does not actually kill himself, and lastly that Pyramus is being played by Bottom the weaver.
They all like the idea, and another player raises concern at the effect on the audience on seeing a lion and proposes another prologue that may assuage fears regarding the lion. But Bottom believes that such a prologue is not needed and rather the Lion must only wear half a mask, and speak to the audience and explain that he is not truly a lion. After that, the players discuss how to display moonlight, and a wall, in the play and find solutions for both.
Just as the players are to begin their play, Puck enters the scene and stays to watch their play and perhaps participate in it. Bottom begins the play and exits the scene, he misses his next cue and when Peter Quince calls out to him, he returns but with a mutated head of an ass, a prank of Puck. The others are shocked to see him so 'translated' and run away screaming. Bottom is confused by this and thinks that they are playing some sort of prank on him. He decides to remain in the spot and begins to sing to pass the time. His singing awakens Titania, and the queen immediately confesses her love for Bottom. He is momentarily taken aback at this and talks about leaving the forest but Titania says that she wouldn't allow him to leave. She calls to her fairies and instructs them to care for his every need. The fairies rush the weaver, he finds out the name of each fairy and makes humorous remarks about the nature of their names. Titania asks her fairies to bring him to the place where she slept.
Analysis
The magic of the fairies is another important theme of A Midsummer Night's Dream, it adds to the dreamlike quality that the play aspires towards. In the previous scene, the introduction of the love potion served as an important plot device that affected the occurrence of events not just among the fairies but also in the other group of characters in the play.
In this scene, we witness how the workmen are affected by the intervention of fairy magic in their midst. Shakespeare heightens the comedy of the situation by having Bottom be unaware of his transformed head. It is comically evident that Titania is far too beautiful a creature to be enamored by a clumsy workman with the head of an ass, and yet Bottom expresses no surprise in being treated such by the fairy queen.
The bizarre manner in which the workmen decide to use actors to represent both moonshine and a wall demonstrates how little they understand the theatre. Their decision to include a prologue and have the lion speak before roaring for the benefit of faint-hearted ladies is comically ridiculous.
