In a Mid Summer Night's Dream the character Nick Bottom is given a rather prominent role in the several scenes that he appears in, although he is not a lead character in the play. Bottom is unique from all other characters in the play because of the considerable contribution his character brings to the comedic value of the play and he is the only character able to enter fully in to both the human world and the world of the fairy's. The initial mannerism that the audience notices about Nick Bottom is his enthusiasm for acting. From the introduction of the Mechanicals (1.2) when Peter Quince is assigning the roles of the play (The Most Lamentable Comedy and Most Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisbe) to each of the characters, Bottom enthusiastically volunteers to play every role as it is being assigned to the other characters. This eagerness is clearly demonstrated when the second and third characters of their play (Thisbe and the Lion) are assigned.
Rochdale Canal - view including Steanor Bottom Tol...
Bottom Bracket Soaked
Pyramus and ThisbeBottom jumps in to each conversation saying, "An I may hide my face, let me play Thisbe too." (1.2. 45), and "Let me play the Lion too." (1.2. 63) Bottoms' eagerness to play each of the roles sets him up as the central figure of the mechanicals play, however because he has already been cast as Pyramus, the lead role in their play his self-centeredness begins to become more apparent. Bottom exhibits true passion for theatre and truly believes that whichever role he plays he will perform without flaw. J. B. Priestly describes Bottom as, "a man with a passion for the drama itself...the creative artist is stirring in the soul of Bottom'." (81). The problem with Bottoms imagination is that it is almost too big. The characters he describes are so exaggerated...