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Cover Letter

My thought process throughout this whole thing went from one thing to another. I first

started out with an whole entirely different thesis, then brainstormed with my teacher about

possibly better choices. There was this one question that she asked us one day considering tone

and bardyness then everything clicked. I decided to write my final essay on that. It all felt like it

flowed since I was so into the question that I was tackling.

A challenge that came up for me was learning how to cite poems and play poems. I

eventually found out how though. I got stuck with how to write some of my sentences, so I had

to really think deeply and thoroughly to make sure I could find a successful way to convey my

thoughts and my general argument.

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Zach Burns

Bard

4 December 2022

Holt

How tone affects the bardyness of a text

There are three main components that make something bardy. Does it tell a story? Does it

rhyme, and has the story been given down and has spread across countries. Shakespeare would

be known as a bard, and his work, like Romeo and Juliet for example would be a bard text. The

reason that Romeo and Juliet is so bardy is because the original copy is poetic, and conveys a

story about extreme love. As reference, it would probably be an eight on a BDI scale (Bard index

scale). Something that is not bardy for example would be an ESPN magazine or a Vogue

magazine. There isn’t any story told or any poetic rthyme, putting stuff like this at a 1 on the

BDI. The question is, does tone affect hese stories BDI placement that shakespeare told. Does

the tone being romantic and dramatic in Romeo and Juliet change its bardyness and relating to

the book in question, Midsummer’s night dream. Despite the tone changing from comedic to

serious back and forth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream’s tone does not take away from the fact it

has poetic rhythm and conveys a story making it an authentic bard text.

A Midsummer Night’s dream is a story of athenians, young love, bad actors, and fairies.

It is your typical shakespearean work, teen romance, plays within a plays, and a little touch of
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fiction. The tone of this story changes throughout the whole entire story. There are two major

turns in tone in this story. The first one being when Lysander and Hermia enter the wood. This is

when the story becomes more fictional with the fairies and a little bit more serious. Since the

four young athenian lovers become one big love circle because of the eye ointment, it cause

friction between the four and the two girls who use to be close friends become annoyed with

each other. This tone shift is a more serious shift because of also the looming threat from

Hermia’s father to marry Demetrius. The second shift is when they all reunite with the older

crowd and watch the play within a play. The play within a play adds a more comedic tone, and

the serious tone dies down because of everything going back to how it is supposed to be.

Like many of Shakespeares work, they’re written as plays, so they’re performed. There is

a modern day version of the play that was held in England. It is the same but yet very different

form it’s original counterpart. The play’s tone is very different from the book. You could even

make an argument saying that the play is more comedic then the book. There are instances where

you get distracted too much by the chaos rather than the actual story line that is MSND. There

isn’t many tone shifts in the play. There is a sarcastic tone throughout the whole play, with

people not being taken seriously, especially Nick Bottom and his fellow actors. There is one shift

in the play and it doesn’t even happen until the end. Puck gives his speech which is a little more

joyful and serious instead of the sarcastic, non-chalant tone of the play.

There are many instances in the play where tone changes, whether if it is someone’s tone,

or just the whole vibe to the play and book itself. Lets start with the book first. The book is very

precise in delivering the tone of each character, scene, act, and part. The book helps lead the
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reader with metaphors, rhetorical devices, and similes to teach the tone. Even with all of these

keys in play, it still doesn’t take away from the fact that this work is indeed a bard text. “O spite!

O hell! I see you all are bent to set against me for your merriment. If you were civil and knew

courtesy, you would not do me thus much injury. ” (Shakespeare 3.2 149-152) & “Lo, she is one

of this confederacy! Now I percieve they have conjoined all three to fashion this false sport in

spite of me.” (Shakespeare 3.2 197-199). These quotes are examples of how tone doesn’t affect

the poetic rthyme that is Shakespeare which adds to the bardyness of this work. The first quote

conveys anger but still maintains the rhyming factor, so does the second quote. The fact that this

shakespearean work also conveys a story is added points to its bardyness. “No more yielding but

a dream, gentles, do not reprehend. If you pardon, we will mend.” (Shakespeare 5.1 445-448).

With these two going hand in hand, it makes the book a certified bard text.

Lets finish off with the play. The modern day play’s tone is a lot different than the book’s

tone. You’ll find that there is little seriousness and that it is basically a pure comedy. The

sarcastic gestures and teasinng easily gives away the tone and whole narrative to the play yet

they still convey poetic rthyme throughout the play. “For, by thy gracious, golden, glimmering

gleams I trust to take of truest Thisbe sight. Agh! No! But stay. O spite!” (Shakespeare 5.1

2:18:05- 2:18:11) As the rude mechanicals are continueing to use non serious tones, the wording

and flow yet still is poetic. You can even hear the audience laugh along with his words and lines.

Like the book, the play also conveys the same story that adds to the BDI rating for a Midsunmer

Night’s Dream. “Now it is the time of night, that the graves, all gaping wide everyone is for their

sprite, in the church-way paths glide/following darkness like a dream.” (Shakespeare 5.2 2:28:32

- 2:29:15) Puck at the end of the play breaks the fourth wall by questioning if what had
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conceived in the play was even real or not. By asking this, it brings across the point that there

was a story being told.

From fourth wall breaks to poetic rhythm, this story touches every point to make it a bard

text, even with the constant change in tone. I’d say a Midsummer Night’s Dream would land on a

nine or eight on the BDI scale. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a true bard text that helps spread

shakespearean culture and bard culture, while entertaining people on stage or on paper.