Bardology

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1595-6)

Both Lysander and Demetrius want to marry Hermia. Demetrius is her father’s preference – though he has his own admirer in Helena.

Hermia prefers Lysander, however, and they elope to the forest – pursued by Demetrius … and Helena. When Oberon overhears Demetrius rudely rejecting Helena, he has Puck administer the love juice. But Puck messes up, and now Lysander loves Helena.

When Demetrius also falls for her, she’s totally confused. Puck playfully grafts a donkey’s head on a carpenter’s shoulders for Titania to fall in love, but once he’s sent back to repair the damage, Hermia can finally marry Lysander and Helena Demetrius.

Much Ado About Nothing (1598)

Claudio and Benedick arrive in Messina, fresh from battle, and reconciled with former enemy Don John – they think. Now it’s time for Claudio to romance Hero, with Don Pedro’s assistance.

By contrast Benedick has sworn he’ll never marry – which Beatrice says light-heartedly is lucky for women. But privately Benedick likes Beatrice, and Beatrice likes Benedick.

Meanwhile Don John – who hates Claudio – plots to make Hero look unfaithful. Claudio is deceived, but keeps his revenge to himself until the wedding.

Then the bumbling police force expose the plot – and with John arrested, all four youngsters can marry happily after all.

Othello (1604)

The city state of Venice appoints the warrior Othello to defend their Mediterranean possession Cyprus from Turkish attack. But Othello’s choice of Cassio as his assistant enrages the ambitious Iago, who resolves to destroy him.

Accompanied by his young wife Desdemona, Othello sails for Cyprus, only to discover that a storm has shipwrecked the Turkish fleet.

Now Iago begins his campaign, first engineering Cassio’s sacking, then convincing Othello that Desdemona is in love with her husband’s former lieutenant.

Enraged, Othello confronts, then murders his young wife – before learning of her innocence and his own folly in trusting Iago.

Pericles (1608)

Pericles wins the competition for Antiochus’s daughter, but his life is endangered by what he discovers. He escapes to Pentapolis, where he is shipwrecked.

A second competition secures Thaisa for his wife. But her apparent death in childbirth is a prelude to a watery grave and Marina’s fostering with old friends at Tarsus.

Time passes, and jealousy menaces Marina’s life. She escapes to a Mytilene brothel from which her virtues eventually secure her safety.

Pericles hears of Marina’s death, then, meeting her by chance, is reconciled. He dreams he should travel to Ephesus – there to be finally reunited with Thaisa.

Summaries

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1595-6)

Much Ado About Nothing (1598)

Othello (1604)

Pericles (1608)

Bardology

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A Stratford Childhood and After

Elizabethan Shakespeare (1)

Elizabethan Shakespeare (2)

Summaries

Bardology

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