The characters of A Midsummer Nights Dream exist on three different levels: the fairies appear in the supernatural sphere, the lovers wander through the labyrinths of a dream world, and Bottom and his companions belong to everyday reality. Since the lovers, although human, seem vague and undefined, and assume certain qualities of the spectral world, critics have traditionally concentrated on Bottom, praising this earthy, resourceful, and multi-faceted figure as one of Shakespeare's greatest comical creations. Unpredictable, witty, a master ironist, and the only mortal capable of communicating directly with the fairy-world, Bottom embodies the dramatist himself. who introduces his fellow mortals to the rich world of fantasy, using his pen to capture the essence of a dream. In comparison with Bottom, the four protagonists Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius, and Helena-seem, as critics have remarked, pale and undefined, akin to puppets at the mercy of higher powers. Commenting...