In 2016, Russell T. Davies took on the challenge of adapting one of Shakespeare's most famous comedies, A Midsummer Night's Dream. As with any staging or production of Shakespeare's work, the director will make changes to meld the play into their particular vision. Davies is no different as he offers several key changes within his adaption. Most notable of these changes are the portrayal of Theseus as malevolent dictator with Hippolyta as his forced, victim bride, and the alterations to the woods scenes, including a warrior take on the fairies and new love couplings. These performance changes indicate that Davies is trying to play with the relationship dynamics of many characters. The goal of Davies' production seems to revolve around modernizing
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Mainly, the visuals in this film invoke a technological totalitarian regime within the Athens government. Specifically, the red flags, suits, emblems, and arm bands all seem Nazi-like in their imagery. In addition, the film also introduces technology to Shakespeare. There are several scenes where characters and the audience watch live broadcasts from the capital and where characters use tablets to show information in the scenes. The scenes outside the city, however, do not seem to follow the same totalitarian world build. Instead, much like the differences between the Athens as a city and the woods in the original play, the woods in the 2016 adaption also differ greatly from the city. Mainly, the woods remain woods. They are full of trees and plants and the fairy's visuals remain grounded in a naturalistic imagery. It is interesting to note that the context of the city has changed greatly in the city of Athens within this adaptation, but the woods remain largely untouched. It may suggest that Davies' uses modern civilization, particularly with its new technology, to highly contrast the magical, naturalistic realm of the fairies in order to emphasize the disillusionment of the forest …show more content…
As stated earlier, the speeches of Oberon and Titania are altered from the source text of act 2, scene 1 to remove the changeling, focus more intently on the royal fairies' relationship, and so that the romantic plot between Titania and Oberon would be allowed, all of which portrays Titania in a powerful light. Even more so, in this scene Oberon ends by extending an offer "to go with thee", or rather, for Titania submit to Oberon and come back to him (Davies 22:20). Titania refuses his offer stating, "not for thy fairy kingdom," which ultimately only extends her autonomy (Davies 22:30). Both of these lines exist within the source material as is, however, since the context of the child is removed from this adaptation, it is clear that the only reason she refuses is because she does not want to be with him. This ultimately quarrels with the last scenes of the fairy storyline, in which Oberon has tricked Titania, and they quickly make up. In act 4, scene 1, and around 1:00:00 of the film, with the line from Oberon, "Her dotage I now begin to pity," it is clear that Oberon has learned and progressed from and beyond the trickery he has done to Titania. However, Titania, despite having a short line of disapproval, is immediately hushed by Oberon's "Now, thou and I are new in amity"
Mainly, the visuals in this film invoke a technological totalitarian regime within the Athens government. Specifically, the red flags, suits, emblems, and arm bands all seem Nazi-like in their imagery. In addition, the film also introduces technology to Shakespeare. There are several scenes where characters and the audience watch live broadcasts from the capital and where characters use tablets to show information in the scenes. The scenes outside the city, however, do not seem to follow the same totalitarian world build. Instead, much like the differences between the Athens as a city and the woods in the original play, the woods in the 2016 adaption also differ greatly from the city. Mainly, the woods remain woods. They are full of trees and plants and the fairy's visuals remain grounded in a naturalistic imagery. It is interesting to note that the context of the city has changed greatly in the city of Athens within this adaptation, but the woods remain largely untouched. It may suggest that Davies' uses modern civilization, particularly with its new technology, to highly contrast the magical, naturalistic realm of the fairies in order to emphasize the disillusionment of the forest …show more content…
As stated earlier, the speeches of Oberon and Titania are altered from the source text of act 2, scene 1 to remove the changeling, focus more intently on the royal fairies' relationship, and so that the romantic plot between Titania and Oberon would be allowed, all of which portrays Titania in a powerful light. Even more so, in this scene Oberon ends by extending an offer "to go with thee", or rather, for Titania submit to Oberon and come back to him (Davies 22:20). Titania refuses his offer stating, "not for thy fairy kingdom," which ultimately only extends her autonomy (Davies 22:30). Both of these lines exist within the source material as is, however, since the context of the child is removed from this adaptation, it is clear that the only reason she refuses is because she does not want to be with him. This ultimately quarrels with the last scenes of the fairy storyline, in which Oberon has tricked Titania, and they quickly make up. In act 4, scene 1, and around 1:00:00 of the film, with the line from Oberon, "Her dotage I now begin to pity," it is clear that Oberon has learned and progressed from and beyond the trickery he has done to Titania. However, Titania, despite having a short line of disapproval, is immediately hushed by Oberon's "Now, thou and I are new in amity"