42 L. A. Sherman 



does not consult Hippolyta. But, as she will later learn, her 

 preferences and opinings are not to weigh greatly in court affairs. 

 The title, A Tedious Brief Scene of Young Pyramus and His 

 Love Thishe, catches the eye of Theseus. Warned as to its char- 

 acters, he replies, — 



I will hear that play! 



Hippotyta (11. 85, 88) demurs, and (11. 212, 255, 323) is plainly 

 bored throughout. Theseus, not unaccordant with Ruskin's 

 pleasing conception (Praeterita, paragraphs 4 and 5 at opening) 

 of a King, consoles, persuades, excuses, and ordains. Thus is the 

 ' consummation ' that we conceived for the issue of our play not 

 greatly defeated — as it must not be in a comedy — after all. 



Is there need to summarize? The 'crew of patches, rude 

 mechanicals that work for bread,' have been brought into rela- 

 tions with the great, and by a splendid charity, have been credited 

 with success. They have withdrawn in conscious pride as having 

 furnished artistic entertainment' to the court. The Athenian 

 lovers, because of their miraculous deliverance from outlawry 

 and despair, are lodged, even as the royal bridegroom and Hip- 

 polyta, in great rooms of the palace. And the fairies, who 

 have wrought blessing without bane or mishap, keep sentinel 

 through the night watches in the halls and chambers. So the 

 play, out of jarring and incongruous and seemingly impossible 

 materials, has been made into a consummate unity, with the 

 fairies holding throughout and closingly protagonistic roles. 



IV 



Professor Quiller-Couch next discusses The Merchant of 

 Venice, and not unsatisfyingly. The organization of this play is 

 not so intricate, by Shakespeare's scheme, as A Midsummer- 

 Night's Dream, though the problem of interlacing its two main 

 threads is by no means simple. It has been observed (p. 35) 

 already that the part of Shylock is principal, but treated, in the 

 construction, as secondary and incidental. Shakespeare, for the 

 first thing, sets about supplying the need of some one to put in 

 Shylock's power, and furnishing a reason and an occasion for 

 the step. He feels that he cannot do better than present two 



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