A Midnight Summer's Dream: Picture Captioning

ACT 3: THE FINAL SCENE

Brief Explanation

This is the final scene in the play, The Midnight Summer's Dream. It brings to a close all the confusion, chaos and comedy that happens all through the play. The scene starts off with Theseus, the Duke of Athens, who had just found Hermia, Helena, Demetrius and Lysander, asking his servant, Philostrate, about which kind of entertainment available. With the many options that Philostrate gave to the Duke, Theseus seemed to choose the most unlikely of the three that he read through: " A tragical tale of young Pyramus and his love Thisbe, a very tragical mirth.." Despite Philostrate saying everything he could to convince the king to decide otherwise, he is not successful. This sets the scene of, well, the scene. Bottom the Weaver and all of the "mechanicals" perform this play. The play in itself is quite awkward, with their director, Peter Quince, having to even give directions from backstage; yeah, it was that bad, but very humourous and entertaining in the end. The entire play ends when the Duke and his newly-wedded wife Hippolytta and the lovers leave, and soon after the mechanicals and everyone else.

The Captions

Our group was in charge of reanacting the entire play, and a few days before the performance, we were charged with the task of just taking a few pictures and videos, highlighting the most significant moments in the scene. I have selected five images of which I think portray rather important parts in the scene. I will put at least a line said by at one of the actors of the play as the heading or titles of the images, as I explain what they really mean below them:

"SAY, WHAT ABRIDGMENT HAVE WE FOR THIS EVENING?"- Theseus

In this picture, you can see Thesues asking his assistant, Philostrate, aabout what entertainment or abridgement available Theseus goes through a few choices that Philostrate gives him. However, Theseus rejects these choices, as he sees them as boring or just cliches. Philostrate tries is best to convince him to choose otherwise but he is not successful. Theseus lands on the play directed by Peter Quince, that stars Bottom and all the other mechanicals involved. Philostrate tries to tell Theseus that him choosing that will be a bad idea, and even describes the mechanicals as "men who have not laboured in their minds till now." However, Theseus is convinced that he wants to see this play, as it can be an awesome twist to things, which it ends up to be. Disapponted, Philostrate delivers the message to the mechanicals, who are happy and scared at the same time as they had never performed a pplay infront of such a high-ranking audience. However, the show had to go on and they could not back down. They prepare themselves and as evening approaches, they get ready to oerform their play infront of Theseus and the four lovers. The play is as funny as it is eyebrow-raising.

"I FEAR MY THISBE'S PROMISE IS FORGOT.."- PYRAMUS


In this picture, the play has already started, with Theseus, Hippolyta and the 4 lovers already settled. The prologue has already been said. To the right is Thisbe and to the left is Pyramus. In this picture, they are talking over a wall with a small chink through it, kind of like a hole. Their love is forbidden but they still love each other and can do anything to be together. The picture depicts the two whispering into the wall, which is played by Snout, as thesy are talking to each other in the play. This is just but the start of the  very interesting play.

"I KISS THE WALL'S HOLE, NOT YOUR LIPS AT ALL." - THISBE

This "kissing" scene occurs right immediately after the conversation the two forbidden lovers, Pyramus and Thisbe, have had. However, they are not able to kiss each other, as they both just kiss the wall. This leaves Snout, the one playing the wall, really grossed out, but the show has to continue, doesn't it? Pyramus then tells Thisbe to meet him secretely at Ninus' Tomb. After this, Pyramus, Thisbe and the wall exit to give way to the lion and moonshine, also mechanicals in the play. 

"WHEN LION ROUGH IN WILDEST RAGE DOTH ROAR" - THE LION


The lion is played by Snug the joiner, and he starts off by assuring the ladies in the audience that he is just but a man in a costume, and not an actual lion. Moonshine then introduces himself and his role, which is basically to hold a lantern in place abaove his head. Thisbe then shows up on stage, searching for "Ninus' Tomb" where she was to meet Pyramus. The lion then chases Thisbe all over the stage, causing quite some commotion. They then run out of stage, and this is the picture indicating all of this.

"COME, BLADE, MY BREAST IMBRUE." - THISBE

In this scene, both Pyramus and Thisbe are dead. Pyramus arrived at Ninus' Tomb and found Thisbe's bloody scarf that they lion had gnawled up once she had dropped it. He is so sad that he takes a sword and kills himself just to be with her. However, she is not dead, and finds his lifeless body later. She does the same thing to herself with the same sword. Pretty sad but also sweet in a way. The play ends after this and Theseus, Hippolyta and the four lovers Hermia, Helena, Lysander and Demetrius walk out, followed by the mechanicals soon after.

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