Friday, October 1, 2010

In Act 4, scene one, although Titania is obsessed with Bottom, in whom does Bottom seem most interested?

In this scene, Bottom shows an interest in Peaseblossom, Titania's fairy servant. While Titania fawns over Bottom, sticking musk roses in his "sleek, smooth head," he asks her, "Where's Peasblossom?" While Titania wants to stroke Bottom, he tells Peaseblossom, "scratch my head." Later, when Titania says she will send a fairy to seek a "squirrel's hoard" and bring back nuts for Bottom to eat (although he has asked for hay), he says he would prefer "a handful or two of dried peas," a typically Shakespearean punning/bawdy allusion to Bottom's interest in Peasblossom. At this point, Bottom has fully settled into his new role as the queen's love interest and has realized that the fairies are at his beck and call. Although a lower-class person or "clown," as Shakespeare refers to him, he adapts easily to being in charge and ordering the fairies to his bidding. 

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