Love Throughout the Ages

Love Throughout the Ages

Love has been a force of not only happiness and beauty, but also chaos and destruction since the dawn of man kind. So it should not be surprising that a play written in the late 1500's would contain a story of a chaotic entanglement of a “love-web” spun by young lovers who are rebelling against the establishment in order to follow their heart. Indeed, Shakespeare’s “A Midnight Summer's Dream” contains a very relatable plot, though the setting and dialog are almost foreign to most modern day readers. This is probably what inspired Ed Fraiman to direct a film version of this story, only place it in a modern setting with more relatable situations. But how does taking the same plot and converting it to a modern remix change the overall feel of a story? The general differences between film and plays, the time era that a story takes place in, and any changes done by someone writing a remix can dramatically make a story easier to relate to.

Before one starts to see the differences in the actual story, one must understand the differences between the stories mediums. In this case, it is important to understand the differences between plays and films. The main difference being that a play is live and a film is not. In plays, there is not an option to stop and go as the director pleases like in the making of a movie. If an actor in a play messes up a line or an entrance, it could possibly destroy a crucial moment of the play, so every time you see a play, it will be different. It takes a very skilled actor or actress in order to make the role believable. They have to carry on in role for sometimes hours, and absolutely can not break character until it is over. Movie actors and actresses work one scene at a time, and have multiple tries at it until it is perfect. They also have months to complete a movie usually. In a movie, you can edit out mistakes, and have complete control over what is shown to an audience because it is not shown live. Special effects are also easier and better achieved in movies because they can be added by a computer easily and because of this films also have a huge range of effects they can add to their creations. According to University of Wisconsin - Green Bay, “Theater, like all performing arts, takes place in time as well as space” meaning plays are usually performed on a stage at a certain place and time. Movies, however, are not as limited can be filmed in numerous places.

The setting and time era are major factors in the relatablity of Fraiman's Film. Shakespeare's play took place in a time of takes place in a modern setting where as Shakespeare's play takes play in the Elizabethan Era. Kings, Queens, and Nobles ruled over the working and middle class. Women were below men, and there were many laws keeping women there. The struggles and culture of this time are centuries old, and have now become almost foreign to the modern day reader. Fraiman's film is easier to relate to for most modern day people. It has a modern day class system, dialog, and culture. The setting does not take place near palaces and mythical forest like in Shakespeare's version, but instead in rental villas and cabins in the woods. The dialog used in the Elizabethan era is very hard to understand now, though it was easily understood in its time. According to Linda Alchin, “Many words used in the Elizabethan language are no longer in use. Other words have replaced them or the original meaning and use of the words are no longer required”. Even though they spoke English during the Elizabethan Era, it would be like a foreign language to people of the 21st century. It is easier to understand and analysis a story when it is written or spoken in modern day language, as compared to the poetic, lyrical language of Shakespeare.

To make a remix, Fraiman had to obviously make some changes in order to create his own original version of it. The most obvious differences between the two plays are the settings, the change of characters names, and also the change of roles in some characters. Theseus, Hippolyta, Lysander, and Demetrius become Theo, Polly, Zander, and James respectively in Fraiman's film. The changes of the names is Fraiman attempt to make it more modern because not a whole lot of people know anyone named Hippolyta or Lysander. Also by cutting out smaller roles, it become easier to keep up with the relationships and plots in the story. In the original play, Theseus is a noblemen, and Hermia is daughter of Egeus. Egeus had to go to Theseus to try and force his daughter to marry Demetrius. In the modern day film version, there is not a law where daughters have to obey there fathers, and there are also no nobles to uphold such laws, so there would have to be obvious changes to the film in order to make the plot more modern. Theo becomes the father of Hermia in the film, and it is through anger, rage, and guilt that he tries to control his daughters choice of husband, not through law, like Egeus tried. Other minor changes occur in the film such as some characters are completely cut out of the story who had very minor roles in the play, the workers put together a talent show rather than a play, and Theo and Polly are already married and renew their vows at the end instead of being engaged then get married. These small changes, along with many others, are what gives the film its relatable modern style. Even through all the obvious changes though, the main plot stays the same. Puck causes chaos with his love potion, a twisted confusing love triangle is formed, but everyone ends up happy and in love in the end.

Love is a beautiful muse that has inspired authors to write countless stories and tales throughout the ages. Love has been the heart of legends and the centerpiece in modern day blockbusters. Shakespeare recognized though that love is not always easy, and that it always has complications. He knew that lovers sometimes have to fight to be together, or that just because you love someone does not mean that they will love you back. Though the setting and language is not easy to relate to the story is. Fraiman does not simply take the Shakespeare's story and put it in the the 2000's. He alters it so that non of the Shakespeare's story is lost in translation and makes every necessary change to make it completely relatable. It is amazing that even after almost five centuries, a story of a young lovers going through a crazy love filled adventure could still be so easy to understand. It proves that no matter how the years pass, no matter what the culture, love will continue to inspire, throughout the ages.

Work Cited

“THEATRE AND FILM ” University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

“Elizabethan Language ” Elizabethan-Era - Linda Alchin