Almost completely opposite the young, handsome, serious and lovelorn Athenian nobles are the awkward, ridiculous and deeply confused Mechanics, around whom much of A Midsummer Night's Le Dream's most comical scenes are centered. They are first introduced to the audience in Act 1, Scene 2, immediately following the presentation of the Athenian nobles. Where the young lovers are elegant and well-spoken – quite appropriate given their roles as melodramatically passionate young men – the Mechanics often slur their words and couldn't be less suited to acting. Shakespeare uses this disparity between their roles and abilities to maximize their comedic value in the next scene. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay At the beginning of the scene, the difference that would be immediately noticed by the audience would be the Mechanics' use of prose language. It is obviously in contrast to the use of verse in the Athenian court, thus making it an immediate change from the previous scene. The stark contrast is further supported by the fact that the characters introduced clearly belong to Shakespeare's time and place, and it may be Shakespeare's way of representing the majority of his audience (the common people) on stage. Practical language allows these audience members to not only relate and identify with the characters, but also emotionally invest in them. Thus, the playwright can ensure that their interest in the play is maintained. The director might choose to make the identity of the Mechanics even clearer by setting the scene in a shed, with props (acting as tools) representing their various occupations. The director may also choose to establish the social status of these characters by having the Mechanics wear baggy, disheveled clothing. However, it should be noted that although physicality plays an important role, most of the characterization of the Mechanics relies heavily on the language used by Shakespeare. For example, Bottom's ignorance is also on display in his first line of the play when he contradicts himself by saying that Peter Quince should introduce the players "in general, man for man." The word Bottom should have used instead was "several," and by this point in the show, the audience would have gotten a hint of Bottom's growing overconfidence. Bottom's tendency to use incorrect words is once again demonstrated by his use of the word "scrip" instead of "script". This malapropism assures the audience that the misuse of the word "generally" was not a slip of the tongue and that Bottom is actually stupid. It is worth noting that, although this joke would have amused Elizabethan audiences, it may not be seen by modern audiences due to the reduced use of the word in recent times. However, Bottom is not the only character among the Mechanics whose spirit can be considered questionable. When Peter Quince states that these actors are the people "deemed fit" to play the characters in their next play, it sets the audience's expectations. Audience members who were naive about the plot might have sincerely expected a well-adapted work, which is why when the cast is announced, audiences would find the irony of the situation hilarious. This particular scene of the opera sees not only the introduction of the Mechanics. , but also the introduction of a metatheatrical element. This element is consolidated when Peter Quince reveals that the title of their work is "The most deplorable comedy and the cruelest death of Pyramus andThisbe". A modern audience would find the oxymoronic title ridiculous, however an audience of Shakespeare's time might have found the joke funny for more reasons than that. This is because it is very likely that Shakespeare was parodying the elaborate titles of past plays such as A new tragic comedy by Apio and Virginia. The fact that the Mechanics chose to stage the story of Pyramus and Thisbe only accentuates the comedy since the story itself is highly dramatic, involving suicides and tragically wasted love. audience members familiar with the plot of Pyramus and Thisbe would have recognized that the Mechanics have created a recipe for disaster In addition to having a company of horribly inexperienced and inexperienced (though infinitely well-intentioned) actors, the Mechanics have cast. a play that couldn't be less suitable for them and for a wedding. Bottom even goes so far as to characterize the play as a "happy" play, which provides further evidence of his ignorance. This would naturally elicit both sympathy and laughter from the audience. Shakespeare then takes the roll call as an opportunity to formally introduce the Mechanics individually to the audience. The characters were mentioned by their name, followed by their profession, and at the end they were told the part they had been assigned. Interestingly, their names refer to their professions, their appearance or their personality. For example, Bottom might suggest a thread fund, which is related to his work as a weaver. After Bottom is told that he has been cast as the lead, he declares that he will "stir storms" with his performance. His hyperbolic tone is effective in creating dramatic irony, as the audience is painfully aware of Bottom's inadequacy as an actor, yet Bottom seems oblivious to this fact. The situation is exacerbated by Bottom's selfish tendencies, as can be seen from his repeated use of the pronoun "I". Indeed, Bottom is so carried away with himself that he begins to demonstrate his acting skills. However, this display only makes him look more pathetic in the eyes of the public. The lines of iambic dimeter recited by Bottom create the sense of lack of sophistication, especially when compared to the original verse of Seneca's Hercules Oetaeus, and the simple rhythm amplifies how simple Bottom is as a person. Once Bottom's "performance" was finished, he declared that the text was "elevated", which again produces dramatic irony because (if the audience had known the original text) they would have known that the original still was moreover. Thus, the audience may experience vicarious embarrassment due to Bottom's humiliating behavior. The audience finally gets temporary relief from Bottom through the introduction of another Mechanic named Francis Flute. "Flute" may refer to the character's shrill voice, which makes him suitable for the role of Thisbe. If the director chose to have an actor with a high-pitched voice play Flute, Flute's assumption about his role as a "knight errant" would be even more comical since the term carries with it the connotation of masculinity and heroism, which is the exact opposite. of the features of Thisbe. At this point, the audience laughs with glee at Flute's expense as he desperately begs Quince to change his mind so he doesn't have to "play a woman". Bottom conveniently reappears, eagerly offering himself to play the part to which Flute is unhappily stuck. Audiences might find Bottom's overflowing enthusiasm slightly overwhelming, which would perhaps allow them to empathize with Quince, the Mechanic who has to deal with all of Bottom's antics. At this point in the scene they come.