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351:. Bottom and Puck are the only two characters who converse with and progress the three central stories in the whole play. Puck is first introduced in the fairies' story and creates the drama of the lovers' story by messing up who loves whom, and places the donkey head on Bottom's in his story. Similarly, Bottom is performing in a play in his story intending it to be presented in the lovers' story, as well as interacting with
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offers to play the part of the lion (as he offers to play all other parts), but he is rejected by Quince, who worries (as do the other characters) that his loud and ferocious roar in the play will frighten the ladies of power in the audience and get Quince and all his actors hanged. In the end, the
151:
In performing the play, Quince recites the prologue but struggles to fit his lines into the meter and make the rhymes. The noble audience makes jocular comments, while the rest of the mechanicals struggle (all except Bottom, who rather confidently improvises).
540:. His part is often considered one of the more humorous in the play, as he uses a lantern in a failed attempt to portray Moonshine and is wittily derided by his audience. His real job is as a tailor.
30:
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argues that he partly resembles
Shakespeare himself. Both are from a craftsmanly background, both work quickly and both take secondary roles in their own plays. Robert Leach makes the same point.
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266:. When he is first assigned the part, he is afraid it may take him a while to finally remember his lines (even though the lion's role was nothing but roaring originally).
494:, the two lovers whisper to each other through Snout's fingers (representing a chink in the wall). Snout has eight lines under the name of Tom Snout, and two lines as
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Traditionally, Peter Quince is portrayed as a bookish character, caught up in the minute details of his play, but as a theatrical organizer. However, in the
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Flute is a young, excited actor who is disappointed when he finds he is meant to play a woman (Thisbe) in their interlude before the duke and the duchess.
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throughout the play. A weaver by trade, he is famously known for getting his head transformed into that of a donkey by the elusive
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Nick Bottom (left), Francis Flute (right), and Tom Snout (background) playing
Pyramus, Thisbe, and Wall in a 1978
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and derives from his craft: "Snout" means a nozzle or a spout, a feature of the kettles a tinker often mends.
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Tom Snout was originally set to play
Pyramus's father, but the need for a wall was greater, so he discharged
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as a strong character extremely capable of being a director. It is he who leads the search party looking for
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The characters' names are Peter Quince, Snug, Nick Bottom, Francis Flute, Tom Snout, and Robin
Starveling.
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describes them as "rude mechanicals" in Act III, Scene 2 of the play, in reference to their occupations as
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Robin
Starveling as Moonshine (second from right), with thorn-bush and dog, in a 1907 student production
505:. Snout is often portrayed as a reluctant actor and very frightened, but the other mechanicals (except
121:", which are the strengthening blocks that form the outer corners of stone or brickwork in a building.
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On the
Elizabethan stage, the role of Flute and the other Mechanicals was intended to be doubled with
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On the
Elizabethan stage, the role of Snug and the other Mechanicals was intended to be doubled with
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lion's part is revised to explain that he is in fact not a lion and means the audience no harm.
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Snug is often played as a stupid man, a manner describing almost all of the
Mechanicals.
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The
Purpose of Playing: Shakespeare and the cultural politics of the Elizabethan theatre
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four fairy escorts: Moth (also spelled Mote), Mustardseed, Cobweb, and
Peaseblossom.
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Snug is the only Mechanical to whom the playwright did not assign a first name.
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Quince's amateurish playwriting is usually taken to be a parody of the popular
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Robin Starveling plays the part of Moonshine in their performance of
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four fairy escorts: Moth, Mustardseed, Cobweb, and Peaseblossom.
192:", which is written in the first person as if spoken by Quince.
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In the play, Flute (Thisbe) speaks through the wall (played by
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88:, becomes the unlikely object of interest for the fairy queen
373:-mender. He is forced to play the female role of Thisbe in "
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Snout's name, like that of the other mechanicals, is
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Flute's name, like that of the other mechanicals, is
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and he is turned into a monster with the head of an
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513:) are usually much more frightened than Tom Snout.
144:Despite Quince's obvious shortcomings as a writer,
886:White, Kenneth S. (1960). "Two French versions of
141:preferences are references to vernacular ballads.
27:Set of six characters in A Midsummer Night's Dream
414:a bellows-mender might be called upon to repair.
406:and derives from his craft: "Flute" references a
117:Peter Quince's name is derived from "quines" or "
250:Snug is a minor character in the play. He is a
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902:American Association of Teachers of French
410:, an instrument prominently featuring the
61:and mostly incompetent actors from around
184:The character is named in the title of a
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481:, and one of the Mechanicals of Athens.
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1723:Theatre characters introduced in 1605
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333:Titania adoring the Ass-headed Bottom
7:
1548:Scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream
498:. He is the Wall for Act V-Scene 1.
827:The Johns Hopkins University Press
711:The Soul of Athens: Shakespeare's
25:
1541:The Quarrel of Oberon and Titania
873:Shakespeare and the Elizabethans
369:Francis Flute's occupation is a
262:to play the part of the lion in
202:Snug (A Midsummer Night's Dream)
796:Montrose, Louis Adrian (1996).
758:10.5040/9781408188095.00000022
740:(1979). Brooks, Harold (ed.).
1:
748:, second series. London, UK:
471:Riverside Shakespeare Company
210:Snug playing the Lion in the
431:(1959), Flute is renamed to
84:The biggest ham among them,
1612:"A Midsummer Night's Dream"
802:University of Chicago Press
783:Theatre Studies: The basics
294:(1959), Snug is renamed to
190:Peter Quince at the Clavier
176:in the middle of the play.
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1605:Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
1500:The Sandman: Dream Country
877:Cambridge University Press
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92:after she is charmed by a
1703:Comedy theatre characters
1573:A Midsummer Night's Dream
1410:A Midsummer Night's Dream
1340:A Midsummer Night's Dream
1206:A Midsummer Night's Dream
962:A Midsummer Night's Dream
888:A Midsummer Night's Dream
813:A Midsummer Night's Dream
742:A Midsummer Night's Dream
713:A Midsummer Night's Dream
428:Le Songe d'une nuit d'été
291:Le Songe d'une nuit d'été
225:A Midsummer Night's Dream
166:A Midsummer Night's Dream
45:A Midsummer Night's Dream
1305:A Midsummer Night's Gene
1238:A Midsummer Night's Rave
444:used the English names.
385:' marriage celebration.
307:used the English names.
1708:Fictional organizations
1623:A Midsummer's Nightmare
1354:Three Shakespeare Songs
1313:A Midsummer's Nightmare
1222:Dream of a Summer Night
381:which is performed for
355:in the fairies' story.
79:skilled manual laborers
1718:Fictional Greek people
781:Leach, Robert (2008).
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243:Tales from Shakespeare
57:. They are a group of
42:are six characters in
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1437:The Triumph of Beauty
750:Bloomsbury Publishing
746:The Arden Shakespeare
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343:Nick Bottom provides
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221:William Shakespeare's
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168:, he is portrayed by
73:. The servant-spirit
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1418:The Enchanted Island
1343:(1842, Mendelssohn)
772:Drama Online Library
738:Shakespeare, William
379:play-within-the-play
212:play-within-the-play
1534:Hermia and Lysander
1289:A Midsummer Tempest
1254:Were the World Mine
957:William Shakespeare
425:French adaptation,
423:Jules Supervielle's
335:. Oil on canvas by
288:French adaptation,
286:Jules Supervielle's
258:who is assigned by
180:Cultural references
1659:Dead Poets Society
1651:Pyramus and Thisbe
1555:Titania and Bottom
1394:Pyramus and Thisbe
537:Pyramus and Thisbe
491:Pyramus and Thisbe
486:play-within-a-play
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375:Pyramus and Thisbe
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264:Pyramus and Thisbe
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232:for an edition of
228:. Illustration by
216:Pyramus and Thisbe
54:Pyramus and Thisbe
50:play-within-a-play
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893:The French Review
875:. Cambridge, UK:
869:Wells, Stanley W.
570:, pp. 60–63.
162:1999 film version
16:(Redirected from
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1713:Fictional actors
1645:Love-in-idleness
1616:ShakespeaRe-Told
1297:Lords and Ladies
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439:Georges Neveux's
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156:Characterization
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392:) to Pyramus (
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146:Stanley Wells
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131:mystery plays
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1473:The Dreaming
1471:
1463:
1460:(1983, play)
1455:
1452:(1852, play)
1447:
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1038:Peter Quince
1024:
960:
897:
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822:
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797:
782:
770:– via
741:
714:
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489:
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476:
446:
426:
416:
408:church organ
401:
398:
387:
368:
345:comic relief
342:
337:Henry Fuseli
332:
309:
289:
279:
276:
273:
260:Peter Quince
249:
241:
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165:
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150:
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128:
116:
113:Peter Quince
107:Peter Quince
102:
83:
52:
43:
39:
37:
1675:Wicker Park
1600:Fascination
1230:Get Over It
1191:Adaptations
1097:Productions
1084:Philostrate
1033:Nick Bottom
1025:Mechanicals
904:: 341–350.
829:: 329–349.
661:Brooks 1979
646:Weiner 1971
518:metonymical
404:metonymical
394:Nick Bottom
324:Nick Bottom
318:Nick Bottom
230:Louis Rhead
174:Nick Bottom
133:of the pre-
125:Playwriting
94:love potion
86:Nick Bottom
40:mechanicals
1692:Categories
1592:Television
1481:The Lovers
1281:Literature
1140:Television
970:Characters
690:Blits 2003
673:Blits 2003
631:White 1960
616:Blits 2003
604:Blits 2003
592:Blits 2003
580:Leach 2008
568:Wells 1990
544:References
473:production
419:Jean-Louis
282:Jean-Louis
170:Roger Rees
1602:" (1994,
1581:The Dream
1262:10ml Love
1214:Wood Love
1053:Tom Snout
1015:Demetrius
988:Hippolyta
910:0016-111X
851:0013-8304
843:1080-6547
787:Routledge
461:Tom Snout
455:Tom Snout
449:Titania's
390:Tom Snout
339:, c. 1790
312:Titania's
238:Mary Lamb
219:, within
100:by Puck.
71:Hippolyta
1457:The Park
1367:Il Sogno
1006:Lysander
871:(1990).
709:(2003).
503:The Wall
496:The Wall
437:, where
434:Tubulure
300:, where
297:Gatebois
139:metrical
1638:Related
1614:(1994,
1517:Titania
1507:Auberon
1440:(1646,
997:Titania
984:Theseus
859:2872222
699:Sources
484:In the
412:bellows
383:Theseus
371:bellows
353:Titania
246:(1918).
234:Charles
188:poem, "
90:Titania
67:Theseus
59:amateur
1678:(2004)
1670:(1996)
1662:(1989)
1654:(8 CE)
1626:(2017)
1584:(1964)
1576:(1962)
1565:Ballet
1512:Faerie
1503:(1991)
1492:Comics
1442:masque
1421:(2011)
1405:(1949)
1397:(1745)
1389:(1692)
1370:(2004)
1356:(1951)
1324:(2011)
1316:(1997)
1308:(1997)
1300:(1992)
1292:(1974)
1273:(2015)
1265:(2012)
1257:(2008)
1249:(2005)
1241:(2002)
1233:(2001)
1225:(1983)
1217:(1925)
1067:Others
1011:Helena
1002:Hermia
993:Oberon
977:Lovers
918:383649
916:
908:
857:
849:
841:
764:
724:
511:Quince
507:Bottom
479:tinker
268:Bottom
256:Athens
252:joiner
119:quoins
63:Athens
1429:Stage
1378:Opera
1332:Music
1171:Stage
1079:Egeus
914:JSTOR
900:(4).
855:JSTOR
839:eISSN
825:(3).
377:", a
254:from
1402:Puck
1198:Film
1178:1970
1162:2016
1157:1992
1152:1981
1147:1969
1131:2017
1126:1999
1121:1968
1116:1959
1111:1935
1104:Film
1074:Puck
1058:Snug
1013:and
1004:and
995:and
986:and
906:ISSN
847:ISSN
762:ISBN
722:ISBN
509:and
421:and
349:Puck
284:and
236:and
196:Snug
75:Puck
69:and
38:The
1526:Art
959:'s
890:".
831:doi
818:ELH
815:".
754:doi
417:In
396:).
280:In
240:'s
164:of
98:ass
1694::
912:.
898:33
896:.
853:.
845:.
837:.
823:38
821:.
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785:.
760:.
752:.
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720:.
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680:^
653:^
638:^
623:^
81:.
1618:)
1608:)
1598:"
1444:)
949:e
942:t
935:v
920:.
879:.
861:.
833::
804:.
789:.
774:.
756::
730:.
663:.
20:)
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