Classic to Modern English Literature

A Midsummer Night's Dream is set in Athens and revolves around the marriage of Theseus, the Duke of Athens, and Hippolyta, the former queen of the Amazons. The comedy was written by William Shakespeare in 1595 or 1596. The title suggests an atmosphere of fantasy, whimsy, and imagination. In an interesting, the word “dream” only appears 14 times throughout the play and the only variation of it, “dreams,” appears just twice. It was first performed between 1595 and 1596. The play was written to celebrate the wedding of Elizabeth Carey. It expresses, "gender and power", "appearance and reality", "order and disorder", "dream and consciousness." Thomas Fisher published the first quarto edition of A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1600. He entered the play into the Register of the Stationers' Company on October 8, 1600. On the other hand, Arthur Rackham illustrated a limited edition of A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1939. The play belongs to th

Comedy Genre Ladies and gentlemen, gather 'round for a tale of laughter and mirth! Comedy, that cheeky sibling of tragedy, is the art of tickling funny bones and poking fun at human foibles. It's not just about getting giggles; oh no, it's a mirror held up to society, reflecting our quirks and quandaries with a wink and a nudge. Picture this: Ancient Greece, 4th century BCE. Aristotle, that bearded thinker, declares comedy to be all about us social creatures and our silly ways. Fast forward to the 20th century, and we've got Henri Bergson, a French philosopher with a penchant for chuckles, agreeing that laughter is society's way of saying, "Hey you, get back in line!" Now, don't confuse comedy with its rowdier cousins - farce and burlesque. They're the class clowns of the literary world, while comedy tries to keep a straight face (and often fails spectacularly). But where did this merry-making art form come from? Well, buckle up for a wild ride thr