Oberon and Titania

Two fun loving characters

GWEN Herat

LITERATURE: The ides of March, celebrated last week, caused all Shakespeare lovers around the world to ponder as a famous quote. This sinister forecast before Julius Caesar arrived at the Capitol is far and wide removed from the only play which the Bard wrote for the young.

Yet, the two plays; one a tragedy and the other a comedy, share their diverse complications on mankind. Shakespeare, great at leading his readers up the garden path, often settled intrigue and passion.

With the Bard?s death/birth anniversaries few weeks away, let us look at two of his fun-loving characters, Oberon and Titania from The Midsummer Night?s Dream.

After the Duke of Athens, Theseus settles down to marry the Amazone Queen Hippolyra whom he defeated in battle, he has to settle a matrimonial dispute between Hermia and Demetrius who is in love with Lysander but before the king could settle it, Hermia elopes with Lysander and ends up at the woods in Athens.

It is here in the woods that goblin Puck one of the attendants on the Fairy Queen, tells her about the quarrel between Oberon and Titania over a boy adopted by the Queen herself whom he desires for a henchman.

When the queen refuses to yield, Oberon in rage, orders Puck to fetch a flower and squeeze on sleeping Titania?s eyelids. This causes her to fall in love with the first live creature she sees on waking up. In the meantime, Helena follows Demetrius to the woods and Obreon invisible to them, but with sympathy, squeezes the same flower juice on Helena.

Puck who mistakenly selects Lysander to do so, when wakes up, pursues Helena. Puck is up to his mischief again; He mischievously offers an ass?s head to Bottom the weaver who is rehearsing a play in celebration for the wedding of Theseus.

Lysander - ?And run through fire I will, for thy sweet sake;

Transparent Helena; Nature here shows art

That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart

Where is Demetrius? O? how fit a word

Is that vile name to perish on my sword.

Helena - Do not say so Lysander, say not so

What though he loves your Hermia; Lord what though.

Yet, Hermia still loves you; then be content

Lysander - Content with Hermia, No, I do repent The tedious minutes I with her have spent Not Hermia. But Helena I love who will not change a raven for a dove...

ACT. II Scene. III

Titania, waking up, falls in love with Bottom. At this point the confusion is worse. Demetrius under the influence of magical eye lotion, fights over Helena. Puck is desperate.

He has to put the lovers to sleep before Lysander wakes up and finds out about the truth. In the meantime, Oberon releases Titania while Puck does the same with the ass?s head. One quarrel is settled.

Titania ?My Oberon; what visions have I seen.

Methought, I was enamour?d of an ass

Oberon - Then lies your love Titania - How came these things to pass

O? how mine eyes do loathe his visage now.

Oberon - Silence awhile - Robin take off his head

Titania music call; and strike more dead

ACT. IV Scene. I

The fairy king and fairy queen leave before dawn while Thesues and Hippolyta hunting early, comes across the sleeping lovers whose spell has been broken by Puck, wakes them up.

Bottom baffled by his apparent dream, goes off to find his lost friends. Oberon and Titania are happy while Puck recites the last and final word as the Midsummer Night?s Dream ends.

It is believed that Midsummer Night?s Dream is Shakespeare?s magical play with the loveliest of lyrical verse written for a wedding during his time. The play triggers with Romantics, immortals and mechanics is an enchanted fantasy beneath moonlight.

Many versions of it were mounted on stage, beginning with the Restoration operatic version titled Fairy Queen with the great scoring of Purcell. This was followed closely by many others that included a Chinese version set in a chinese garden.

Covent Garden put it on their boards in 1840 while Sadler?s wells did so in 1853. Yet another version done at the Savoy in 1914 rejected the music of the great composer, Mendolssohn for no obvious reason.

More followed. In 1924 at the Old Vic and again at the same venue in 1929 and yet another version at the same time during the Christmas in 1937 told the brits what a wonderful play it was.

Different version, some revived while others as they were, saw them debuting around the world with Oberon and Titania given the lead roles along with Puck. Many dramatists attempted to profile Shakespeare through this play.

Exposures

This play has been filmed twice in Hollywood. In 1935, Reinhard made it into a film with the grandiose cut off, making it look more romantic than the original play. The other version done in 1969 by Peter Hill along with the royal Shakespeare Centre using the House Park and lakes of Compton Verney near Stratford.

Ian Richradson and Judy Dench acted the roles of Oberon and Titania.

However, many film directors found the King and Queen of Fairies denoting animal and nature with their quarrels, had upset the balance of nature. The whole episode in the play takes place in the woods of Athens.

In music, Mendelssohn music was used for many years. Weber based his opera, Oberon on the play. Benjamin Britten?s opera, A Midsummer Night?s Dream was made in 1960.

Choreographers profiled many characters in excerpts while the Royal Ballet and the New York City Ballet mounted full length ballets of this fantasy.

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