A+Midsummer+Night's+Dream

“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? Hyppolyta is very calm about the marriage and can wait for she wants it not to be rushed. Theseus, however, is very impatient and wishes for the wedding to begin immediately for he wants to be married to the queen right away.

2. Why has Egeus brought his daughter and her two suitors to Theseus? What does Egeus expect him to do? Egeus has brought his daughter to Theseus because he wants her to marry a man who she does not want to marry. Because of this Egeus thinks that he can follow the ancient Athenian right to execute his daughter, and wishes for consent of the king to do so. Egeus expects for the king to allow him to execute his daughter, but because he is understanding he gives her the choice of joining a nunnery.

3. What was the proper role for women/daughters in Athenian society according to Egeus and Theseus? What is Theseus’s ruling concerning Hermia? According to Egeus, Athenian women are meant to obey men and listen to what they want. Theseus, being nice, decides to give Hermia the choice of either marrying Demetrius or joining a nunnery.

4. How does Lysander’s comment about Demetrius’s previous love affair with Helena complicate things? It complicates things because it shows that Demetrius is very intrust worthy and a cheater. This statement has a possibility to change the opinion of some of the people.

5. What do Lysander and Hermia plan to do about this seemingly impossible situation? Why do they tell Helena? They plan to run away so the law can not affect their decision. They tell Helena because she loves the man that Hermia is being forced to marry.

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? She decides to tell Demetrius to see if she can get him to love her all over again.

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's dilemma is she loves a man that her father dislikes, Lysander. Her father wants her to marry a man that she dislikes, Demetrius. Hermia chooses to neglect marrying Demetrius and to love Lysander, with which her father becomes furious. She gives her the decision to either marry Demetrius or to be killed. Lysander tells her that they can run away from Athens and get married at his aunt's house were the law can not follow them.

Act I, Scene 2 8. Why does Nick Bottom want to play all the parts? Nick wants to play all the parts because he is very arrogant and egotistical, so thinks he is better for all the parts.

9. In what way is this scene funny? Why do you suppose Shakespeare included this scene? It is funny because he is really bad and he thinks he is really good. it is a very ironic scene.

10. Where are the actors to meet the following night? Who else is meeting there at the same time? They are supposed to meet the following night in the woods. Lysander and Hermia are also supposed to meet there at the same time.

11. How would you describe Bottom’s acting ability? What is Bottom’s own opinion of his acting ability? I would describe him as a decent actor but he thinks he is much better than he actually is which makes him look worse.

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? The reader finds out that they are having a bad relationship and that bad things happen when they are together.

11. How have Oberon and Titania been involved in the past with Theseus and Hippolyta; why have they come to Athens? Oberon and Titania have both had affairs with other people; Oberon with Hippolyta and Titania with Theseus. They have come to Athens because Oberon wishes to attend the wedding that Theseus and Hippolyta are about to have.

12. What effect has their quarrel had on nature, on the seasons, on humans? Titania controls the seasons so when they quarrel she gets mad and causes natural disasters to happen, which affects everyone.

13. Why won’t Titania give up the changeling to Oberon? She won't give up the changeling because she loves the child and Oberon does not and just wants more attention.

14. What does Oberon send Puck to find? Oberon sends Puck to find the pansies that were struck by cupid's arrow.

15. What are Oberon’s plans for Titania? He plans to squeeze the juice of the pansy in Titania's eyes, because the juice of said pansies has the power to make whoever the person with the flower's juice in their eyes to fall in love with the first living creature they see.

16. How does Helena react to Demetrius’s verbal abuse? She backfires all that Demetrius has to say about her.

17. What is her response to his threats of physical abuse? She loves him very much and I am guessing that she would enjoy if Demetrius were to do things to her.

18. In what way is Helena’s behaviour inappropriate for Athenian women? Because women where supposed to obey men but she is forcing Demetrius to like her.

19. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about Demetrius and Helena? He tells Puck to squeeze the pansy juice in Demetrius's eyes so that he would fall in love with Helena.

Act II, Scene 2 20. Why does Oberon want Titania to wake and fall in love with some vile thing? Because he is mad that Titania is giving more love to the changeling than to him.

21. Why does Hermia insist Lysander sleep a little ways from her? So they do not interact in coitus before they are married.

22. Why does Puck anoint Lysander’s eyes? Because Oberon told him to find the man in Athenian garb, and Puck did not see Demetrius so he mistook him for Lysander.

23. How does Helena react to Lysander’s sudden love for her when he awakens? She is very surprised but she is a little "up for" Demetrius's "love".

24. How is Hermia’s dream a reflection of reality? Because her heart was eaten by the snake in her dream and her heart was litterally broken.

26. How are the actors going to manage the setting/scenery such as the moonlight and the wall? They used a lantern for the moonlight and a person for the wall. 27. Why do the rest of the actors run off when Bottom reappears? Because Puck transformed his head into the head of an ass. 28. What does Puck plan to do when he follows after the other actors? He plans to have them run around in circles because he wants to have a little fun with them. 29. How does Bottom react to Titania and the other fairies? He is very surprised and confused, because he does not know what is going on and is thinking that this is probably all a dream. 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 the play the four lovers are not satisfied with their love lives, and Hermia is being forced to marry someone she does not love. Act III, Scene 2 31. What does Hermia accuse Demetrius of doing? She accuses him of killing Lysander. 32. How are Puck and Oberon going to correct Puck’s earlier mistake? They are going to get all the lovers in one spot, put them to sleep, and put the juice in the right persons eyes. 33. Why is Helena upset when Demetrius says he loves her? Isn’t this what she had wanted all along? She is upset because she still believes that Demetrius is mocking her. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">34. Of what does Helena accuse Hermia? <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">She accuses Hermia of helping to convince Lysander to mock her. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">35. How close had Hermia and Helena been in the past? <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">They had been very close friends in the past. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">36. How does Lysander treat Hermia? Why can’t she believe what he says? <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Lysander treats her like trash. She can not believe it because just and hour ago he was madly in love with her. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">37. Of what does Hermia accuse Helena? <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hermia accuses Helena of stealing Lysander. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">38. Why is Helena afraid of Hermia? <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">She is afraid of Hermia because she is prettier and fiercer. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">39. What are Lysander and Demetrius going off to do? <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">They are going of to fight each other. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">40. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about the two young men? <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Oberon tells Puck to tire the both of them out by having them run around the woods so they do not fight. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">41. What is Oberon going to do about Titania? <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">He is going to reverse the spell on Titania so she loves him again. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">42. Why doesn’t Oberon fear the coming of day? <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Because Titania will awaken and will return to be in love with him again. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">43. How well does Puck’s trickery work? <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">His trickery works very well for the men believe he his the other.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Act III, Scene 1 <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">25. How are the actors going to keep from scaring the ladies when Pyramus kills himself or when the lion roars? <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">They are going to write and epilogue to explain that it is just the actors pretending to be the lion and Pyramus.

<span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Act IV, Scene 1 <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">44. How has Bottom adjusted to the attention of Titania and her fairies? He now thinks that he is truly a ruler of the fairies and attempts to sound sophisticated. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">45. What is Oberon’s reaction to Titania’s infatuation with Bottom? He is very pleased that she has fallen in love with something so hideous. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">46. What sort of explanation will Oberon make to Titania’s question about what happened to her? Oberon does not quite answer what happened to her, so she believes that it was dream, although she still wonders for Bottom still lays next to them with his ass's head. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">47. Why are Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and the others out in the woods so early in the morning? Because they are celebrating the May morning with hunting hounds. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">48. What is Theseus’s first explanation of why the young people are asleep in the woods? That they all slept with eachother by hate. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">49. What explanation does Demetrius make? Why does he compare his love for Hermia to an illness? He explains that he came to the woods to see what Hermia and Lysander were going to do. He compares his love for Hermia to an illness, for when he loved her he was sick, and now he has recovered from that illness and is now in love with Helena. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">50. What is Theseus’s decision concerning the four young people? He decides to overbear Egeus's will, and to have all the lovers married with him back in Athens. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">51. Why can’t the young people be sure whether they are awake or dreaming? Because they can hardly remember what happened last night and a lot of things have suddenly changed. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">52. Bottom believes he too has had a dream. How is he going to use that to entertain the Duke? He is going to get Quince to write a ballad called Bottom's Dream for the actors to perform after the play. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> Act IV, Scene 2 53. What opinion do the other artisans now have of Bottom since they think he is lost? They now think that maybe they really do need him after all. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">54. What do they most regret losing by not being able to perform the play? They most regret losing the money that they could have received from performing the play. <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">55. Why must the artisans hurry to the Duke’s palace? Because the wedding has already occured, but there is still enough time for them to perform their play.

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.3em;">Extending the thought process.
====<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.06em;">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 that Bottom is a very arrogant and egotistical. He is the opposite of Theseus because Theseus does not try to show off or be better than anyone else.
====<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.06em;">b) How do most of the dreamers respond to the dream experience upon waking? Which character is changed permanently by the dream experience? ==== ====Most of the dreamers awaken wondering wether it was actually a dream that occured or an actual real life occurance. Demetrius is the changed permanently because the pnasy juice causes him to fall in love with Helena.====

====<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.06em;">c) In this act, several characters look back at prior infatuations with disbelief. What do you think Shakespeare is saying about love and infatuation? ====

Act V 56. Why does Theseus dismiss the stories of the four young people?

Because it is his wedding day and he does not need excuses for love.
57. Why does Theseus choose to see the play about Pyramus and Thisby rather than the other entertainments?

58. Why does Philostrate try to keep Theseus from seeing the play? What does he say is wrong with it?

59. What does Theseus mean by the lines, "For never anything can be amiss, when simpleness and duty tender it"?

60. What is accomplished by having the Prologue tell the whole story that the actors are then going to enact? ====<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.06em;">Nothing is really accomplished, it just shows that it is going to be a really bad play for the punctuation is horrible and there is no real flow to the play. ====

61. How does Shakespeare use comments from the audience to enhance the humour of the play that they are watching?

62. What is Hippolyta’s reaction to the play?

63. In what way is Thisby’s final speech humorous?

64. What does Oberon tell the fairies to do?

He tells the fairies to bless the beds of the newly weds.
65. What is the purpose of Puck’s final speech?

The purpose of the speech is to basically end the play and as an "excuse" for the people who may not have liked it.
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. <span style="color: #1a1a18; font-family: Times,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">excessive alliteration breaking the play’s illusion of reality using the wrong word or name repeating a word excessively ridiculous metaphor

Gentles, perchance you wonder at this show; But wonder on, till truth make all things plain. This man is Pyramus, if you would know; This beauteous lady Thisby is certain. This man, with lime and rough-cast, doth present Wall, that vile Wall which did these lovers sunder; And through Wall's chink, poor souls, they are content To whisper. At the which let no man wonder. This man, with lanthorn, dog, and bush of thorn, Presenteth Moonshine; for, if you will know, By moonshine did these lovers think no scorn To meet at Ninus' tomb, there, there to woo. This grisly beast, which Lion hight by name, The trusty Thisby, coming first by night, Did scare away, or rather did affright; And, as she fled, her mantle she did fall, Which Lion vile with bloody mouth did stain. Anon comes Pyramus, sweet youth and tall, And finds his trusty Thisby's mantle slain: Whereat, with blade, with bloody blameful blade, He bravely broach'd is boiling bloody breast; And Thisby, tarrying in mulberry shade, His dagger drew, and died. For all the rest, Let Lion, Moonshine, Wall, and lovers twain At large discourse, while here they do remain.

=== 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? ===

=== 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? ===

=== 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? ===

|| media type="file" key="USA.mp3" width="240" height="20"

media type="file" key="Bottom's Dream.mp3" width="240" height="20"Bottom's Dream: by Ethan Getty and Ray Wu

Completion 22/25 Effort 17/25 Content 19/20 total 58/75

Podcast 1 - 20/20 Podcast 2 - 18/20