Shakespeare uses the mechanicals to show how ambition can
distort reality, making one believe in an illusion of reality rather than what is truly real. The
mechanicals are a group of menial laborers from Athens. They are uneducated and have never
performed before in their lives; yet, they feel a driving desire to perform a play before Duke
Theseus that they have written themselves in honor of his wedding day. Their ambition makes them
visualize performing a grand play, when the reality is that they simply do not have the knowledge
and skills to perform at the level they are envisioning. The reason why they are so disappointed
when it looks like they will not be able to perform their play is that, due to their ambition,
they all have visions of grandeur.
The mechanicals begin to doubt that they
will be able to perform the play when they cannot find Bottom, whom they see as the star of their
show, the only one capable of making their performance a grand one. Quince determines that if
Bottom does not show up, it will be impossible for them to perform the play, for he believes that
Bottom is the only man in Athens who can play the part of Pyramus because he is the best looking
and has the best voice, as we see in Quince's line, "Yeah, and the best person too; and he is the
very paramour for a sweet voice" (IV.ii.11-12). By "paramour," Quince means to say "paragon,"
meaning model. The mechanicals' view that Bottom is their star is actually influenced by Bottom's
own conceited and unjustified opinion of himself, as we see him declare, "If I do it, let the
audience look to their eyes; I will move storms" (I.ii.22-23). Hence, we see that the
mechanicals' vision of grandeur is influenced by Bottom's own vision. Therefore, the mechanicals
are disappointing when they think they will not be able to perform the play because their
ambition has lead them to believe that they can give a splendid performance, but not without
Bottom.
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