After reviewing the dramatic and literary concerns of A Midsummer Night's Dream, this casebook sheds lights on historical, social, and political contexts of the play during its time, and examines modern performance issues and contemporary applications. Each chapter includes numerous full and excerpted documents from sources ranging from Elizabethan marriage conduct books to Harry Potter, plus in-depth questions for written and oral discussion. Nostbakken has taught at the University of Alberta, Canada. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)