A+Midsummer+Night's+Dream

Act 1

1. How is Hippolyta’s reasoning concerning how quickly the next four days will pass different from that of Theseus? 2. Why has Egeus brought his daughter and her two suitors to Theseus? What does Egeus expect him to do? 3. What was the proper role for women/daughters in Athenian society according to Egeus and Theseus? What is Theseus’s ruling concerning Hermia? 4. How does Lysander’s comment about Demetrius’s previous love affair with Helena complicate things? 5. What do Lysander and Hermia plan to do about this seemingly impossible situation? Why do they tell Helena? 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? 7. Identify Hermia’s basic dilemma. What are the choices outlined for her by Theseus and her father? What other choice does Lysander suggest? Act I, Scene 2 8. Why does Nick Bottom want to play all the parts? 9. In what way is this scene funny? Why do you suppose Shakespeare included this scene? 10. Where are the actors to meet the following night? Who else is meeting there at the same time? 11. How would you describe Bottom’s acting ability? What is Bottom’s own opinion of his acting ability?
 * Theseus thinks it is passing slowly, Hippolyta assures him that time will pass quickly.**
 * So Theseus gives him the right to kill his dauter unless she will marry Demertrius.**
 * They should marry who ever their father tells them to.**
 * Beacues it could mean that he is unfaithful or undeserving.**
 * They decide to run away. Hermia and helena are good friends.**
 * Because she think that somehow it will help him in loving her.**
 * She is forbidden to the thing she wants to do. She could become a nun, she could marry Demetrius, she could die by her fathers hand. Lysander offers to run away with her.**
 * Because he has a large ego.**
 * Because seeing people complaining (sometimes) and showing off their ego is funny. So that we know that they may meet with the lovers.**
 * In the forest. The lovers are also going there.**
 * His acting ability is quite good. He thinks it is out of this world.**

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

Act 2

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? 11. How have Oberon and Titania been involved in the past with Theseus and Hippolyta; why have they come to Athens? 12. What effect has their quarrel had on nature, on the seasons, on humans? 13. Why won’t Titania give up the changeling to Oberon? 14. What does Oberon send Puck to find? 15. What are Oberon’s plans for Titania? 16. How does Helena react to Demetrius’s verbal abuse? 17. What is her response to his threats of physical abuse? 18. In what way is Helena’s behaviour inappropriate for Athenian women? 19. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about Demetrius and Helena? Act II, Scene 2 20. Why does Oberon want Titania to wake and fall in love with some vile thing? 21. Why does Hermia insist Lysander sleep a little ways from her? 22. Why does Puck anoint Lysander’s eyes? 23. How does Helena react to Lysander’s sudden love for her when he awakens? 24. How is Hermia’s dream a reflection of reality?
 * That they don't get along together. "Take heed the queen come not within his sight"**
 * They have fallen in love with these mortals, to bless their weddings.**
 * Their anger causes natural disasters and change the seasons. It all adds up to bad thing for humans.**
 * Because its mothers worked with titania.**
 * The flowers where cupid's arrow fell.**
 * To use the flowers to make her fall in love with something ugly.**
 * She pouts a bit and gets more determined to follow him.**
 * That it wouldn't matter as long as it was him.**
 * Because she only marries who her father tell her to not who she wants to**
 * To make Demetrius fall back in love with Helena.**
 * Because he is mad with her. And wants attention.**
 * Because they are not supposed to sleep together until they are married.**
 * Because he mistakes Lysander for Demetrius.**
 * She thinks he is playing a cruel joke.**
 * Because lysander leaves her (Metaphorically) ripping out her heart. **

Act 3

25. How are the actors going to keep from scaring the ladies when Pyramus kills himself or when the lion roars? 26. How are the actors going to manage the setting/scenery such as the moonlight and the wall? 27. Why do the rest of the actors run off when Bottom reappears? 28. What does Puck plan to do when he follows after the other actors? 29. How does Bottom react to Titania and the other fairies? 30. Bottom says, "…reason and love keep little company together nowadays." Why is this such an apt statement at this point in the play?
 * They are righting a prolog describing everything.**
 * They shall open a window for the moonlight because it is a full moon that night. A person shall play the wall.**
 * Because he has the head of a donkey (witch is scary).**
 * Chase them around in different forums to scare them.**
 * He is a bit confused but going with it.**
 * Because in the play love is always mettled with by the fairies and the fairies are not within "reason" by human standards.**

Act III, Scene 2 31. What does Hermia accuse Demetrius of doing? 32. How are Puck and Oberon going to correct Puck’s earlier mistake? 33. Why is Helena upset when Demetrius says he loves her? Isn’t this what she had wanted all along? 34. Of what does Helena accuse Hermia? 35. How close had Hermia and Helena been in the past? 36. How does Lysander treat Hermia? Why can’t she believe what he says? 37. Of what does Hermia accuse Helena? 38. Why is Helena afraid of Hermia? 39. What are Lysander and Demetrius going off to do? 40. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about the two young men? 41. What is Oberon going to do about Titania? 42. Why doesn’t Oberon fear the coming of day? 43. How well does Puck’s trickery work? ==== Review Question: The climax, or turning point, of //A Midsummer Night’s Dream// comes at the end of Act 3. In point form describe the major plot points of Act Three starting from when Titania falls in love with Bottom leading to the climax or turning point of the play near the end of act three. ====
 * That he has killed Lysander.**
 * By making Lysander fall back in love with Hermia with the same strategy.**
 * Because she knows that love just does not change instantly, so she assumes that this is just a cruel joke.**
 * Of telling the boys to torment her.**
 * Quite close! **
 * He says that he hates her. Though he loved her just before they slept.**
 * Of seducing lysander.**
 * Because she thinks that the men are still in love Hermia.**
 * Kill each other.**
 * Too lead them away from each other then cure Lysander.**
 * To make her fall in love with something ugly.**
 * Because (i assume) he is a king faerie he is not affected by the day.**
 * Very well.**


 * Puck tells oberon about his queen, the lovers wander the forest, puck uses the juice on lysander. **

Act 4

44. How has Bottom adjusted to the attention of Titania and her fairies? 45. What is Oberon’s reaction to Titania’s infatuation with Bottom? 46. What sort of explanation will Oberon make to Titania’s question about what happened to her? 47. Why are Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and the others out in the woods so early in the morning? 48. What is Theseus’s first explanation of why the young people are asleep in the woods? 49. What explanation does Demetrius make? Why does he compare his love for Hermia to an illness? 50. What is Theseus’s decision concerning the four young people? 51. Why can’t the young people be sure whether they are awake or dreaming? 52. Bottom believes he too has had a dream. How is he going to use that to entertain the Duke? Act IV, Scene 2
 * He is enjoying the attention.**
 * Pity "Her dotage now I begin to pity"**
 * In the story he just constantly changes the subject.**
 * They are on a fox hunt.**
 * "No doubt they rose up early to observe the rite of May, and Hearing our intent came here, in grace of our solemnity."**
 * That he is no longer in love with Hermia. When he was in love with Hermia he was "sick" and in the woods he "recovered" and so he loves Helena. He does this so he can compare it to a phase of his life.**
 * That they shall all get married in a three way wedding with him.**
 * Because they "know" that faeries are not real but the memories are so life like.**
 * He his going to get Quince to wright a balled called Bottom's dream that he will use to entertain the duke.**

53. What opinion do the other artisans now have of Bottom since they think he is lost? 54. What do they most regret losing by not being able to perform the play? 55. Why must the artisans hurry to the Duke’s palace?
 * They think that he is amazing!**
 * That they did not get to see the performance of Bottom?**
 * Because the wedding is finished.**

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? ====

**Bottom always wants to be center stage in the lives of everyone, where as (i am guessing) that Theseus wants out of this attention beacuse then he could have his marriage whenever he wants.**
==== b) How do most of the dreamers respond to the dream experience upon waking? Which character is changed permanently by the dream experience? ====

**They seem slightly confused, and Demetrius has (or has been force to) fallen in love with Helena.**
==== c) In this act, several characters look back at prior infatuations with disbelief. What do you think Shakespeare is saying about love and infatuation? ====

**That there is a difference between love and passion. And that love is a very (very) delicate balance.**
== Act 4 Podcast: Bottom decides to commission Peter Quince to write a ballad called “Bottom’s Dream.” On your own or with a partner, imagine that you have been asked to write the lyrics and compose the musical accompaniment. Remember that at the beginning of act 4, Bottom told the fairies that he likes to listen to the “tongs and bones” (act 4, scene 1, line 30). Tongs were pieces of metal struck against each other and bones were actual bones. These instruments were used in comical or in less sophisticated musical performances. Write the poetry for the ballad ( a minimum of 2 stanzas, 4 lines each), then put it to music! ==

media type="file" key="BOTTOM'SDREAM!.mp3" width="240" height="20" By: Maria and Joss

The lines we were practicing till all was right, When the men, they were caught by some terrible fright, I asked the dear actors: 'Oh what is your plight?' But they fled, in a hurry so it seemed. I sat down alone, confused by their flight, When I met a fairy Queen, oh what a sight, In her magical garden we slept till daylight, But when I woke, oh silly me, I must have dreamed.

Act 5

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


 * He thinks that people in love are crazy! "Lovers and Madmen have such seething brains,"**

57. Why does Theseus choose to see the play about Pyramus and Thisby rather than the other entertainments?


 * Beacuse it is done by people who just want their lord to be happy not non-feeling professionals.**

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


 * Because he thinks that such a bad performance is not fit for the duke. They are unprofessional (literary and figuratively) and so bad its silly.**

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


 * That they preform not for money but for that fact that the duke may enjoy it!**

60. What is accomplished by having the Prologue tell the whole story that the actors are then going to enact?


 * That is Shakespeare making fun of other theater production that assume that the audience is stupid.**

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


 * By illustrating that the audience thinks that the play is funny will make you think the play is funny even the it is badly acted and supposed to be a tragedy.**

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


 * She thinks that it is silly.**

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


 * That without emotion alot of the lines are quite ridiculous.**

64. What does Oberon tell the fairies to do?


 * To bless to couples and the house.**

65. What is the purpose of Puck’s final speech?


 * To tell the audience that if they enjoyed the play then good, but if they did not then disregard it. It could also make you question if you are truly awake or if this is just another big dream.**

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,** breaking the play’s illusion of reality **No, in truth, sir, he should not. 'Deceiving me'** using the wrong word or name **Since lion vile hath here deflower'd my dear:** repeating a word excessively **Now die, die, die, die, die.** ridiculous metaphor **To spy an I can hear my Thisby's face.**
 * He bravely broach'd is boiling bloody breast;**
 * is Thisby's cue: she is to enter now, and I am to**
 * spy her through the wall. You shall see, it will**
 * fall pat as I told you. Yonder she comes.**

=== 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? ===

It helps you understand that without the audience the show wouldn't happen in the fist place, and so the audience is very much part of the show.

=== 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? ===

The bugs bunny and tweety sow, bugs and daffy.

=== 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 is unsuitable because Pyramus and Thisbe is supposedly a tragedy wear as weddings are happy events. But the play is also about love, like a wedding. Because Hermia might have chosen death over leaving lysander.

Completion 25/25 Effort 18/25 Content 19/25 total 62/75 Podcast 1 - 20/20 Podcast 2 - 20/20