Profs and Pints Online presents: “Shakespeare’s Fairies,” a discussion of the folklore and fairy legends underlying William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with Central Connecticut State University professors of English Kara Russell and Kelly Jarvis.

[This talk will remain available in recorded form at the link given here for tickets and access.]

Midsummer has long been associated with fairy mischief and romance, and there is plenty of each to be found in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Join Kara Russell, Shakespearean scholar, and Kelly Jarvis, lecturer on writing, literature, and fairy tales, for an exploration of the midsummer festivals and British fairy legends which inspired Shakespeare to create his masterpiece.

The two professors will explore the beloved play’s setting against a backdrop of May Day and Midsummer’s Eve celebrations. They’ll also discuss how religious shifts from Catholic to Protestant ideology opened a space for the benevolent portrayal of fairies on stage.

We’ll become familiar with Shakespeare’s blend of literary and folkloric fairy source material, and we’ll contemplate how his beautiful language and unique characters helped to change the popular perception and artistic expression of the fairy world.

You’ll gain a deeper appreciation of Shakespeare’s poetry and its interaction with the imaginative and liminal realm of our dreams. Whether you have recently seen a production of the play, or if you haven’t encountered the bard since your school days, you’ll have a midsummer night to remember.

Profs & Pints Online: Shakespeare's Fairies