William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an English dramatist, poet, and actor, generally regarded as the greatest playwright of all time.

The Arden Shakespeare is the established edition of Shakespeare's work. Justly celebrated for its authoritative scholarship and invaluable commentary, Arden editions guide you to a richer understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare's plays. This edition of A Midsummer Night's Dream provides a clear and authoritative text, detailed notes and commentary on the same page as the text and a full introduction discussing the critical and historical background to the play. The editor brings fresh perspectives on global productions and adaptations of this most-loved of Shakespeare's comedies.

List of Illustrations
General editors' Preface
Preface
INTRODUCTION
STAGE, SCREEN, ART
The play in its time: staging and casting
British productions: Restoration to nineteenth century
British productions: the twentieth century and after
Europe
Beyond Europe
Other media: cinema, music, art

SOURCES AND ANALOGUES: FAIRIES AND MORTALS
Fairies and fairy lore
Ovid: the classics and the fairies
Pyramus and Thisbe
Theseus and Hippolyta: Plutarch, Chaucer and Shakespeare
THEMES AND DESIGNS
Pastoral: the forest
Dreamers and Lovers
Patriarchy
Carnival, class, court
Theatre, art and illusion
The comedy of compromise

LANGUAGE AND VERSE

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
Appendix 1: Casting Chart
Appendix 2:Date and Occasion
Appendix 3: The Text
Abbreviations and References
Index