Shakespeare Question: Okay, so I've been asking this question of a few different people, but I thought I'd ask it here, since I know a pretty intelligent bunch of people noses in here once in a while.

Reading some of the reviews for Orson Scott Card's new book Magic Street, it seemed a lot of it would be connected with Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream. Not being familiar with it, I rented the Michelle Pfieffer/Kevin Kline version.

I enjoyed it--particularly the last third. I'm a fan of Mr. Noodle and that guy from ALF, and thought they pulled off the bit parts great.

What I don't get, and the focus of my question, is what the last third of the movie/play had to do with the first two thirds. How does the final bit--a comi-tragic parody of Romeo and Juliet--have to do, thematically and story-wise, with the first two thirds?

Is it just meant to underscore that, even though everything turned out happy for our heroes, everything's really still up to the whims of fate, so they should enjoy it while they've got it, and count themselves blessed they ever had it?

Or is there something else?

Help is appreciated.

(Oh, and what does the picture have to do with this? Nothing. I was just seeing how the new Blogger image thing works.)