"This edition of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream allows a variety of approaches to Shakespeare, including historical, feminist, and cultural studies. Shakespeare's text is accompanied by an intriguing collection of thematically arranged historical and cultural documents and illustrations, including excerpts from such sources as letters, conduct books, legal documents, and literary works that illuminate the themes of the play. The editors' intelligent and engaging introductions to the play and to the documents (which are presented in modern spelling with annotations) offer a richly textured understanding of early modern culture and of Shakespeare's work within that culture."--BOOK JACKET.

Series statement on jacket.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 325-337) and index.

Pt. 1. William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream / Edited by David Bevington Pt. 2. Contextual Readings 1. Popular Festivals and Court Celebrations The Rites of May The Ballad Court Entertainments 2. The Making of Men The Ranks of Men: William Harrison's Of Degrees of People The Formation of the Ruler: Plutarch's Life of Theseus The Formation of the Gentleman: Sir Thomas Elyot and Roger Ascham Working Men The New Man: Simon Forman's Dreams 3. Female Attachments and Family Ties

Amazons Gossips Nuns The Virgin Queen A Poet and Her Patron Family Ties 4. Natural and Supernatural Bad Weather and Dearth Metamorphosis and Monstrosity Bestiality and Monstrosity Monsters and Prodigies Fairy Belief.