Undoubtedly one of Shakespeare’s most acclaimed comedic plays, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a humorous and gratifying read, in which the reader’s enjoyment is further enhanced through the ‘play within the play’ in Act 5.1. Evidently a hilarious parody, with its irrational rhymes, absurd accents, and comic performances of the mechanicals, “Pyramus and Thisbe” greatly enhances our enjoyment of the play, by its parallels with the play as a whole and the fact it turns what might have been a tragic play into a comedic one.

The bizarre performance of ‘Pyramus and Thisbe’ is compelling and utterly whimsical, and allows the reader to evoke a new-found enjoyment on the play as a whole. Moreover, the elegant and polished flow of language and verse used by the courtiers in the play is truly appreciated when the mechanicals unsatisfactorily attempt to play a tragedy in verse, with Theseus ridiculing Quince’s meagre attempt; “His speech was like a tangled chain” (5.1.124). Additionally, the mechanicals misuse the English language; “If we offend, it is with our good will” (5.1.108); use exaggeration, “die die die die die” (5.1.290); and display an excessively literal approach and attempt to destroy dramatic illusion, with Bottom (as Pyramus) breaking character to explain what is occurring: “You shall see it will fall pat as I told you” (5.1.183). Ultimately, the mechanicals display that they are unsuited to this craft, and highlight their lack of grace with the English language, compared