A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the second play we read in my Intro to Shakespeare class. After the weighty read that Richard III was, Midsummer was a light, refreshing change of pace. Not only was the content more pleasant to read, but also the text itself was easier to understand. I didn’t have to refer to the modern translation as much in my No Fear Shakespeare edition.
My instructor asked us to choose our favorite character, so of course I chose Puck. I think he was the most fun of all the characters, but I kept wondering what type of character he would translate to if Midsummer were a tragedy instead of a comedy. There were many elements in the play that can be found in Shakespeare’s tragedies. But since we know it’s a comedy, we go along with the jokes, even though they would certainly be seen as unfortunate or even mean-spirited in another context. However, I think Puck would make an excellent villain. I wonder if anyone has tried their hand at interpreting Midsummer as a tragedy.
