A+Midsummer+Night's+Dream


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“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

Act I, Scene 1 1. How is Hippolyta’s reasoning concerning how quickly the next four days will pass different from that of Theseus?
 * She is more nervous because she still is very sensitive about their love. She feels like the four days are going by too fast.** **But Theseus is more excited and is saying that the four days are going by too slow.**

2. Why has Egeus brought his daughter and her two suitors to Theseus? What does Egeus expect him to do?
 * Egues brought his daughter and her two suitors to Theseus, the Duke of Athens becuase his daughter, Hermia is in love with Lysander who he doesn't like. He wants her to be with Demetrius. He goes to Theseus because he wants him to give him the power to kill his own daughter.**

3. What was the proper role for women/daughters in Athenian society according to Egeus and Theseus? What is Theseus’s ruling concerning Hermia?
 * Daughters were supposed to listen to everything their father said or their husbands. They had no power over them or choice. Theseus gave Hermia the choice of either death by her own father, marrying Demetrius, or going to a nunnery.**

4. How does Lysander’s comment about Demetrius’s previous love affair with Helena complicate things?
 * He says that Demetrius was in love with Helena just two days ago and is now in love with Hermia. He does this to make Egues and Theuseus think that he is a player and might hopefully make them think a little bit more about making Hermia marry him.**

5. What do Lysander and Hermia plan to do about this seemingly impossible situation? Why do they tell Helena?
 * They plan to elope in the woods at his aunts house where the Athenian law can't touch them. They tell Helena this plan so that she can get a chance with Demetrius.**

6. Even though Helena loves Demetrius and is Hermia’s best friend, why does she decide to tell Demetrius of Hermia and Lysander’s plans?
 * Because she thinks that by telling him that they ran away to elope, he might give up and he'll go for her.**

=
7. Identify Hermia’s basic dilemma. What are the choices outlined for her by Theseus and her father? What other choice does Lysander suggest? =====

=

 * Hermia is in love with Lysander and wants to marry him. But her father Egues, wants her to marry Demetruis who is also in love with her, though she does not feel the same way. So her father goes toTheseus to get the power to kill her if she doesn't marry Demetrius. But Theuses gives out another option, which is sending her to a nunery. Later, Lysander suggest that they elop in the woods at his aunts house which she agrees with. **=====

Act I, Scene 2 8. Why does Nick Bottom want to play all the parts?
 * Because he loves acting and he thinks he is the best and would also be great at all the parts.**

9. In what way is this scene funny? Why do you suppose Shakespeare included this scene?
 * It's funny how desperate he is to get all the parts. He audition's right on the spot! I think Shakespeare put it there so that the story isn't all about love and unfairness.**

10. Where are the actors to meet the following night? Who else is meeting there at the same time?
 * The actors are meeting in the woods to rehearse so that no one will steal their ideas for the play. Hermia and Lysander are supposed to meet there to elope though Demetrius might possibly be there as well.**

11. How would you describe Bottom’s acting ability? What is Bottom’s own opinion of his acting ability?
 * Bottom doesn't even know what the play is about. All he did was read the script but his acting was still very good. I think he knows he good. He's confident and isn't shy.**

**ACT 1 Night Images By Vicky Mock**
media type="file" key="A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 1 podcast.mp3" width="240" height="20"

Act II, Scene 1

10. What does the reader find out about the current relationship between Oberon, King of the Fairies, and Titania, Queen of the Fairies, from Puck and the first fairy?
 * They are married, tough they hate each other and fight all the time.**

11. How have Oberon and Titania been involved in the past with Theseus and Hippolyta; why have they come to Athens?
 * Oberon was once in love with Hippolyta and Titania was once in love with Theseus. They have come to Athens to attend their wedding.**

12. What effect has their quarrel had on nature, on the seasons, on humans?
 * Whenever they get in a fight, their anger controls the whether. For example they might create a storm, tsunami, or a hurricane.**

13. Why won’t Titania give up the changeling to Oberon?
 * Titania's past servant told her to take care of her child, the changeling before she died. So Titania doesn't want to give the changeling up to Oberon because of that promise.**

14. What does Oberon send Puck to find?
 * A type of flower that was change by cupid that has a special juice in it. If the juice gets put onto the eyes of someone asleep, when they awake, they fall in love with the first living thing they see.**

15. What are Oberon’s plans for Titania?
 * His plans are for Puck to put the juice on her eyes and make her fall in love with a nasty animal of some kind for revenge.**

16. How does Helena react to Demetrius’s verbal abuse?
 * She feels more in love with him. She doesn't give up, instead she comes up with more comebacks saying that she doesn't care and agrees.**

17. What is her response to his threats of physical abuse?
 * She ays that she doesn't mind if he hits her. She wants him to treat her like his dog in order to get his love.**

18. In what way is Helena’s behaviour inappropriate for Athenian women?
 * Usually the man is supposed to get a woman's love and fight for it, but she is doing to opposite.**

19. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about Demetrius and Helena?
 * He tells him to put the flowers juice on Demetrius eyes to make him fall in love with Helena. But all he says to describe him is a man wearing Athenian type clothes so Puck chooses the wrong man.**

Act II, Scene 2 20. Why does Oberon want Titania to wake and fall in love with some vile thing?
 * Because he's mad that Titania won't give him the changeling so he plans that for revenge.**

21. Why does Hermia insist Lysander sleep a little ways from her?
 * Because they are not married yet and she wants to keep her modesty.**

22. Why does Puck anoint Lysander’s eyes?
 * Because he was the first man he saw in Athenian clothes so he thought he was Demetrius, also he saw Hermia lying further away from him which made him think that was Helena.**

23. How does Helena react to Lysander’s sudden love for her when he awakens?
 * Lysander was in love with Hermia, her best friend, so when he says he's in love with her, she thinks he is mocking her and runs away mad.**

24. How is Hermia’s dream a reflection of reality?
 * She dreamt that a serpent was eating her heart out, and it's ironic because Lysander left her alone to follow Helena because he is now in love with her. So its kind of like Lysander is eating Hermia's heart out.**

Act III, Scene 1 25. How are the actors going to keep from scaring the ladies when Pyramus kills himself or when the lion roars?
 * They are making a prologue and taking the killing out. As for the lion, Snug is going to make half his face into a lion and leave the other half. Then he is going to speak to the ladies telling them not to worry or be scared.**

26. How are the actors going to manage the setting/scenery such as the moonlight and the wall?
 * For the moonlight, the moon is supposed to shine that night, so their leaving a casement of the great chamber window open where the moon will shine. For the wall, their getting a man dressing up as a wall and his hand will make the little hole where Pyramus and Thisbe can talk.**

27. Why do the rest of the actors run off when Bottom reappears?
 * Because his head has turned into an asses head and they run off because they are disgusted and scared.**

28. What does Puck plan to do when he follows after the other actors?
 * He plans to make Bottom have a donkey's face.**

29. How does Bottom react to Titania and the other fairies?
 * He likes how he is being treated. The fairies are doing everything for him and he's taking advantage of it.**

30. Bottom says, "…reason and love keep little company together nowadays." Why is this such an apt statement at this point in the play?
 * Because in this story, some of the relationships don't make sense. For example, Lysander and Helena. He only loves her because of the potion so it's not true love. Also Hippolyta and Thesues, he didn't woo her, he conquered her. So I think that line is saying that during that time, a lot of people's love didn't make sense and weren't real.**

Act III, Scene 2 31. What does Hermia accuse Demetrius of doing?
 * Hermia accuses Demetrius of killing Lysander because she can't think of any other reason of why he would just leave her.**

32. How are Puck and Oberon going to correct Puck’s earlier mistake?
 * Oberon puts the juice into Demetrius's eyes. But later, Oberon tells Puck to send them on a wild goose chase till they get tired and fall asleep and then put the pansy juice back into Lysander's eyes but this time, make him wake up to Hermia.**

33. Why is Helena upset when Demetrius says he loves her? Isn’t this what she had wanted all along?
 * Helena is upset because she thinks Demetrius is playing some kind of game and is mocking her because just the day before, he was telling her to go away, and that he hates her.**

34. Of what does Helena accuse Hermia?
 * Helena accuses Hermia of mocking her with the boys.**

35. How close had Hermia and Helena been in the past?
 * They were really close in the past, like sisters. They shared secrets and did everything together.**

36. How does Lysander treat Hermia? Why can’t she believe what he says?
 * Lysander treats Hermia very badly. He calls her names like acorn, dwarf, and a serpent. He even tells her that he hates her. Hermia doesn't believe this because just the day before, they were going to elope and they had gone through so much already.**

37. Of what does Hermia accuse Helena?
 * Hermia accuses Helena of being the thief of love because she thinks she stole Lysander from her.**

38. Why is Helena afraid of Hermia?
 * Helena is afraid of Hermia because she believes that she is pretty strong even though she's small. She also remembers Hermia of being really scornful when she was a school girl.**

39. What are Lysander and Demetrius going off to do?
 * They are going off to fight one another for Helena.**

40. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about the two young men?
 * Oberon tells Puck to send the two young men onto a wild goose chase so that they get tired and fall asleep and then Puck can put the juice back into Lysander's eyes so that he falls back in love with Hermia.**

41. What is Oberon going to do about Titania?
 * First he is going to take the Indian boy, he then feels bad about her falling in love with bottom so decides to change her back later.**

42. Why doesn’t Oberon fear the coming of day?
 * Because he is confident in his work and he isn't scared.**

43. How well does Puck’s trickery work?
 * It works out perfectly, he got both men asleep, and the women near. He then put the juice into Lysander's eyes.**

Act IV, Scene 1 44. How has Bottom adjusted to the attention of Titania and her fairies?
 * He is glad that he is the center of attention and he's ordering her fairies around to get him things. He is taking advantage of the attention.**

45. What is Oberon’s reaction to Titania’s infatuation with Bottom?
 * He starts to feel bad for her and maybe a bit jealous.**

46. What sort of explanation will Oberon make to Titania’s question about what happened to her?
 * He doesn't lie to her about it or tell her what happened. Instead he invites her to the wedding to go and dance to get her mind off what happened.**

47. Why are Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and the others out in the woods so early in the morning?
 * Theseus, Hippolyta, and Egeus are in the woods so early because they are celebrating the May morning with hunting hounds in preparation of the day's ceremonies.**

48. What is Theseus’s first explanation of why the young people are asleep in the woods?
 * I think that Theseus thinks that they are there early to celebrate the May morning with hunting hounds.**

49. What explanation does Demetrius make? Why does he compare his love for Hermia to an illness?
 * He explains that he now loves Helena again. He compares Hermia to an illness because the juice is making him this way.**

50. What is Theseus’s decision concerning the four young people?
 * He decides to do three marriages. Including his, Hermia's, and Helena's.**

51. Why can’t the young people be sure whether they are awake or dreaming?
 * Because it was so vivid yet the story was so unbelievable.**

52. Bottom believes he too has had a dream. How is he going to use that to entertain the Duke?
 * During the performance of Pyramus and Thisbe, he is going to perform a ballad of his "dream" right when Thisbe kills herself.**

Act IV, Scene 2 53. What opinion do the other artisans now have of Bottom since they think he is lost?
 * They think that they can't perform the play without him because no one else can play Pyramus as well as him.**

54. What do they most regret losing by not being able to perform the play?
 * The money they would get if they performed.**

55. Why must the artisans hurry to the Duke’s palace?
 * Because Bottom comes back saying there is still is time to perform the play at the wedding, so they run before it's to late.**

Extending the thought process.
==== a) The fourth act opens and ends with Bottom at center stage. What is your opinion of Bottom’s character? How might he be the antithesis, or opposite, of Theseus’s character? ====
 * I think Bottom is more about himself. He wants to be the center of attention. But Theseus cares about others, he helps and fixes other people's problems.**

==== b) How do most of the dreamers respond to the dream experience upon waking? Which character is changed permanently by the dream experience? ====
 * When they awake, they can't tell whether they dreamed that whole experience or not because it was so vivid yet unreal. I think the character that is permanently change is Bottom because he seems to be the only one out of the dreamers where he believes it was real life.**

==== c) In this act, several characters look back at prior infatuations with disbelief. What do you think Shakespeare is saying about love and infatuation? ====
 * He is saying that they are two very different things and that you shouldn't mess with true love.**

media type="file" key="bottoms dream.mp3" width="240" height="20"
 * Bottom's Dream**

We entered the dark green woods And as we started to rehearse the play I got told to wait for my cue So I walked far back away

Next thing I know Everyone had ran away scared From what or whom I wonder When I realized it's me! In despair

I sang in sad solemnity Thinking I was alone But a magical queen saw me And spoke of love in such a beautiful tone

She told me to ask for anything Her fairires free for any use I wondered it his were all real Or if it was all for someone's abuse

I awoke and all alone again I was But to think maybe this was all a dream Or maybe it was truly a reality Thinking of others foolish minds and what all would seem

I decided to create this twilight of my vision

Act V

56. Why does Theseus dismiss the stories of the four young people?
 * He has a reason to object to all of them except Pyramus and Thisbe. He also thought it was good to have a love story at a wedding.**

57. Why does Theseus choose to see the play about Pyramus and Thisby rather than the other entertainments?
 * Because he likes how its a tragedy but a mirth and he thinks it's different than the others.**

58. Why does Philostrate try to keep Theseus from seeing the play? What does he say is wrong with it?
 * He try to keep it from Theseus because the actors are amateurs and there are lots of mistakes and references. He says the rehearsal was so bad, it made him laugh and cry.**

59. What does Theseus mean by the lines, "For never anything can be amiss, when simpleness and duty tender it"?
 * He means that nothing can be a failure when hard work is put into it.**

60. What is accomplished by having the Prologue tell the whole story that the actors are then going to enact?
 * Nothing really, it's kind of pointless but I guess it gives an idea of what the play is going to be about.**

61. How does Shakespeare use comments from the audience to enhance the humour of the play that they are watching?
 * The comments add more humour to the play and they get to see the actors reaction to their comments which enhances the humour even more.**

62. What is Hippolyta’s reaction to the play?
 * She thinks its silly and doesn't like it.**

63. In what way is Thisby’s final speech humorous?
 * It's funny because even though she's dying she makes this speech saying goodbye and starts talking in French.**

64. What does Oberon tell the fairies to do?
 * He tells the fairies to sing and dance.**

65. What is the purpose of Puck’s final speech?
 * He's asking for forgiveness from the audience for what he did with the lovers.**

Extending the thought process: FInd at least one example of each of the following that occurs during the play within the play. Write down the quote that illustrates example. excessive alliteration- ** "Whereat, with blade, with bloody blameful blade, he bravely broached his boiling bloody breast." **  breaking the play’s illusion of reality- ** Bottom: "No, in truth, sir, he should not. 'Decieving me' is Thisbe's cue. She is to enter now, and I am to spy her through the wall. You shall see, it will fall past as I told you. Yonder she comes. "  **  using the wrong word or name- ** "Wilt thou at Ninny's tomb meet me straightaway?" **  repeating a word excessively- ** "Alack, alack, alack." **  ridiculous metaphor- **"Those lilly lips."** ===a) In reading the play-within-a-play, we become the audience for the drama played out by Theseus, Hippolyta, and the others. These performers, in turn, form the audience for the reenactment of Pyramus and Thisbe. How does observing another audience help you understand the relationship between audience and performers?=== You get to view a performance from an different audience and see what they think. It helps me understand that they connect more than I thought.

===b) Modern television shows often create comic effects by having a silly, innocent, or “clueless” character and a sarcastic, knowing, clever character play off of each other. What examples can you think of?=== Modern Family, where Phil the father has abosolutely no clue about whats going on most of the time and Claire his wife has complete control over him.

===c) Identify ways in which Pyramus and Thisbe might be unsuitable for a wedding celebration. Are there any ways in which the play might be appropriate? In what ways is the play-within-a-play an ironic commentary on what the two pairs of young lovers (Demetrius and Helena, Lysander and Hermia) have gone through earlier?=== It might be unsuitable because there are deaths involved amongst the two lovers and the audience themselves are in love. But it might appropriate because it shows how strong Pyramus and Thisbe's love was and how they went to the ends of the earth for each other. So it might help connect the lovers even more with each other. It was ironic because Demetruis and Lysander were going to fight to their deaths for Helena at one point and Thisbe killed herself to be with Pyramus in the afterlife. So these to situations show how much their love means to them.