A Midsummer Night's Dream (Annotated by Henry N. Hudson with an Introduction by Charles Harold Herford) - Softcover

Shakespeare, William; Hudson, Henry Norman

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1420952587 ISBN 13: 9781420952582

Publisher: Digireads.com, 2016

Synopsis

One of Shakespeare’s most frequently performed plays and regarded as maybe his best comedy, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is the story of the events surrounding the wedding of Theseus, Duke and Athens, and the Amazonian queen Hippolyta. At the outset of the play we find Hermia, who is in love with Lysander but is betrothed by her father’s arrangement to Demetrius. Meanwhile Helena laments her unrequited love of Demetrius. Several parallel and interconnecting plot lines complicate the narrative. One of which is the planning of a play, “Pyramus and Thisbe,” to be performed at the wedding. Secondly an element of fantasy is introduced through the story of Oberon, King of the fairies, and his Queen, Titania, whom he conspires against through the use of a magical love potion. The use of this love potion alters the varying affections of the characters of the play resulting in a series of comedic mishaps. Unlike many of Shakespeare’s works “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” does not drawn upon any historical or previous literary work, making it one of his most original compositions. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper, is annotated by Henry N. Hudson, and includes an introduction by Charles Harold Herford.

About this title

About the Author

Arguably the greatest English-language playwright, William Shakespeare was a seventeenth-century writer and dramatist, and is known as the Bard of Avon. Under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth I, he penned more than 30 plays, 154 sonnets, and numerous narrative poems and short verses. Equally accomplished in histories, tragedies, comedy, and romance, Shakespeare s most famous works include Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, The Taming of the Shrew, and As You Like It.

Like many of his contemporaries, including Christopher Marlowe, Shakespeare began his career on the stage, eventually rising to become part-owner of Lord Chamberlain s Men, a popular dramatic company of his day, and of the storied Globe Theatre in London.

Extremely popular in his lifetime, Shakespeare s works continue to resonate more than three hundred years after his death. His plays are performed more often than any other playwright s, have been translated into every major language in the world, and are studied widely by scholars and students.

Edition details

• Publisher: Digireads.com
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1420952587
• ISBN 13: 9781420952582
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 90