Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

gently as any suckling dove” with his hands flying as such, support the humorous image of Bottom that
Grindley has provided (1.2.79-80). This laughable image is further created when Bottom is refused the
parts of the play; he reacts by gently sobbing and digging his head into his friend Peter Quince’s chest.
Because Grindley directs Bottom to have no restraint for his emotions he is seen as the opposite of
structured, rational society. Instead of being stiff and proper like the Duke or other Athenians, his motions
are fluid, and he shows his emotions without thinking.
Later in the play, the portrayal of the Pyramus and Thisbe makes Bottom and his fellow
artisans appear as complete fools in Grindley’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Here,
any respect for the artisans the other Athenians had held is lost. While Peter Quince, the director of the
production, introduces the actors he also introduces his friends as fools; the actors dive out from behind the
curtain and quickly run back for cover. This stage business, directed by Grindley, shows their pure
excitement and their inability to control it. Even their costumes suggest their sloppy nature; Snug the joiner
is a lion dressed in long underwear, and Flute, who plays Thisbe, wears a makeshift dress that is held up by a
belt. Once the artisans begin to act, they only appear more foolish as the men are anxious, with the
exception of Bottom, and they stutter their lines wrong. Their appearance is only made worse when their
props prove they use do not always think things through; Snout the tinker was made to be a wall in the play
with a hole through costume in which Bottom and Flute were suppose to kiss. The actors had not previously
noticed the hole was placed between Snout’s legs. Grindley’s vision of the silly men materializes as actors
remain true to their roles and awkwardly approached the hole to make the kiss. Just as Quince had
suggested in his prologue, the artisans came “to show (their) simple skill” but the “delight” the experienced
was fueled by mockery (5.1.116).
Bottom, as the most outspoken and confident of the actors, is showcased by Grindley as the
leading fool in the performance. In the beginning of their performance of Pyramus and Thisbe Bottom is
seen without his pants as he exits the cover of curtain proudly. His heroic role has now diminished into a
416