PRELIMINARY REMARKS. THIS play was entered at Stationers' Hall, Oct 8, 1600, by Thomas Fisher. It is probable that the hint for it was received from Chaucer's Knight's Tale. There is an old black letter pamphlet by W. Bettie, called Titana and Theseus, entered at Stationers' Hall, in 1608; but Shakspeare has taken no hints from it. Titania is also the name of the Queen of the Fairies in Decker's Whore of Babylon, 1607. STEEVENS. The Midsummer-Night's Dream I suppose to have been written in 1594. See An Attempt to ascertain the Order of Shakspeare's Plays. MALONE. There are two quarto editions of this play in 1600; one by Thomas Fisher, the other by James Roberts. They are referred to in the margin by the initials quarto F. and quarto R. BOSWELL. THESEUS, Duke of Athens. EGEUS, Father to Hermia. LYSANDER, in love with Hermia. DEMETRIUS, PHILOSTRATE, Master of the Revels to Theseus. QUINCE, the Carpenter. SNUG, the Joiner. BOTTOм, the Weaver. FLUTE, the Bellows-mender. STARVELING, the Tailor. HIPPOLYTA, Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus. HERMIA, Daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander. HELENA, in love with Demetrius. OBERON, King of the Fairies. TITANIA, Queen of the Fairies. PUCK, or Robin-goodfellow, a Fairy. Other Fairies attending their King and Queen. Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta. SCENE, Athens, and a Wood not far from it. The enumeration of persons was first made by Mr. Rowe. STEEVENS |