For the next entry in my blog series on Shakespeare and Neurodiversity, I cover what might be the better alternative to “Romeo and Juliet” for High School Freshmen students who are neurodiverse.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a comedy that is sort of like Shakespeare meets “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” (1963). It’s Zaney, it’s Crazy, but it also has those Shakespearean overtones that give the story it’s power and something that neurodiverse and special education students may understand from.
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Kevin Kline as Nick Bottom in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (1999)
Now, when I say that Shakespeare meets Stanley Kramer in a way, I mean that you aren’t just going for over the top humor. Well, you do get some of that in the form of Nick Bottom, the Weaver, who wants to be like Bert in “Mary Poppins” for the upcoming wedding. Instead, he turns into Lampwick from “Pinocchio” when he dons the head of a donkey.
There is also another name that Shakespeare uses for the donkey head, but it’s important to instill self-control to your students, so it’s better to not use that word because neurodiverse and special education students will most definitely pick up on it.
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Getting back to Nick Bottom, he is a very rare character in the sense that he was often viewed as a sort of underdog character. He wants to achieve fame and fortune in life, but he can’t seem to find it wherever he goes. Nick has to work throughout the play to get to where he needs to meet his goals and he sort of does it at the climatic wedding celebration.
In life, there are going to be plenty of underdogs out there and a lot of students and individuals that are considered underdogs. Perhaps the next time that students see an underdog amongst their peers, its important for them to think “what if he or she were in the shoes of Nick Bottom? Maybe I should show my support to him or her.”
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Rupert Everett and Michelle Pfeiffer (who is hot as hell) as Oberon and Titania in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (1999)
Next, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” also gives us some of us our first look at marriage problems in the form of the fairy king and queen, Oberon and Titania. Although it is comical and they do get together, Oberon and Titania display discord towards each other over a changeling (no, not that type of changeling from “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” that you are probably thinking)
To this end, Titania also displays signs of being a playgirl and infidelity when she develops a short-lived relationship with Nick Bottom. It’s short lived, yes, but there are some short-lived relationships involving a married man or a married woman, in this case, that can become long-term, and students need to know that not all these kinds of relationships have happy endings.
In Titania’s case, it was probably therapeutic to have a brief affair with Nick Bottom, but it should be a reminder to never forget who you are and where you come from.
If you want a visual example of a short-term relationship, check out 1:03:10 to 1:08:32 from the 1966 film “Grand Prix” starring James Garner, Jessica Walter, Yves Montand and Eva Marie Saint.
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Mickey Rooney as Puck in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (1935)
Finally, let’s take a look at the character of Puck, who is tasked by Oberon to be that sort of behind-the-scenes kind of guy with repairing not only his relationship with Titania, but also getting the four Athenians to confess their love for one another and defy the rules of the law regarding their marriages.
I can relate a personal connection to Puck in the sense that I have always been viewed as a behind the scenes kind of person during some of my schooling and employment, given my autism.
My day job as a porter/operations specialist requires me to go behind the scenes if something is wrong and fix it either for the customer or colleague. Puck has a similar role here and special education students can learn that all roles are important, no matter how big or small.
I also believe that Puck could also be on the autism spectrum given his impish nature and his devote loyalty to Oberon. Although, I may not be impish, I can be very resourceful as what Puck displays here in the story.
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I believe that if Freshmen Special Education or General Education students don’t want to be bogged down by “Romeo and Juliet,” then “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” can serve as a healthy alternative. It’s got humor and really important life lessons that students can learn from more so than from any other of Shakespeare’s works.
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For film versions of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” there are only two versions to choose from.
A. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (1935) was the first major Hollywood production that I saw and while it is slow at some points, it does make up for it with its characters played some of the best known actors of Early Hollywood such as Mickey Rooney, Victor Jory, Anita Louise, Joe E. Brown and James Cagney.
B. The other version is the 1999 version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” starring Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ruper Everett and Stanley Tucci. This is one is not as familiar to me, but it’s the version that a lot of schools show their students. It’s not a bad version, but again I’ve yet to see it.
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Catch you all later!!
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