A+MidSummer+Night's+Dream


 * Act I, Scene 1 **

Hippolyta is calm about them getting married and is very patient. Theseus, however, is in quite a rush and is impatient. Egeus has brought his daughter and two suitors to Theseus because she refuses to marry Demetrius, who is one of the suitors that Egneus wants his daughter to marry. Hermia, however, wants to marry Lysander because she actually loves him. Egeus expects Theseus to tell his daughter that Demetrius is the better choice and that she should marry him instead of Lysander. The proper role for women in Athenian society was to basically do whatever the men wanted them to. They had no free will at all. They would marry whomever their father's wanted them to marry, and after marriage they would do whatever their husbands wanted them to do. This complicated things because Demetrius loved two women and not just one. It would be unfair to Lysander if Demetrius got a choice from both of them because he loved them both, while Lysander only loved Hermia and wouldn't get her because Demetrius got her. Lysander and Hermia plan to run away from Athens to Lysander's aunts house so they can get married and the Athenian Law can do nothing about it. They tell Hermia because she is madly in love with Demetrius. They tell her that she can have Demetrius all to herself after they leave to get married. Helena wants to tell Demetrius about Hermia and Lysander's plan because she believes if she tells him (Demetrius) about their plan, he will love her for telling him their (Lysander and Hermia's) plan. Hermia's basic dilemma is that she wants to marry Lysander but her father won't let her. He thinks that Hermia should marry Demetrius because he is the "better man". Then, Egeus takes Hermia to Theseus who gives him two choices: to become a nun or to be killed by her father. Lysander suggests that the two of them run away and get married outside of Athens at his aunt's house.
 * 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 **

Nick Bottom wants to play all the parts because he thinks that he is such a good actor and he could play all of them. This scene is funny because all of the characters that Bottom wants to play have different personalities. Also, he could never be at two places at once so even if he could do all the parts, it would mean that he'd be running around everwhere. I think that Shakespeare included this scene so the readers could get to know all of the characters. The actors are to meet at the palace wood, which is also the same time that Lysander and Hermia are meeting. Bottom's acting abilities are decent, but Bottom thinks that he's an absolutely amazing actor. He's is very confident in himself.
 * 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? **

PODCAST!! By: Lindsay and Manmeet XD media type="file" key="A Midsummer Night's Dream- Act 1 4.mp3" width="240" height="20"


 * Act II, Scene 1 **

They are fighting over a changeling child. Oberon is jealous of the boy and wants to take him away from Titania. He wants to teach him how to fight so he can train him to fight in the army. Oberon's had an affair with Hippolyta and Titania's had an affair with Theseus. They came to Athens for the wedding of Titania and Oberon. There are floods, rotting crops, many diseases spreading, and wacky weather patterns that occur. The hard work of the people and animals are all wasted. Titania refuses to give Oberon the child because he is the child of one of her maids and she promised her that she'd take good care of him. He is also a changeling boy which means that he is half human and half fairy. Oberon tells Puck to go and find a little purple western flower. This is because if you squeeze the juice from the flower onto the eyes of someone, they'll fall in love with the first person they see when they wake up. Oberon plans to squeeze the juice onto Titania's eyes and have her fall in love with some hideous creature. Helena takes everything that Demetrius says and turns it around to make it positive. Ex. Demetrius: For I am sick when I look on thee. Helena: And I am sick when I look not on you. She says that she's not at all alone because he is her world and, therefore, everyone is there with her. Helena's behavior is inappropriate because she's not listening to Demetrius who is a man. =O What a rebel. He tells Puck to go and anoint the eyes of an Athenian man so he would fall in love with the Athenian woman. Oberon did not clarify exactly who the Athenian man was, so Puck accidentally puts it into the eyes of the wrong Athenian man.
 * 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 **

Oberon wants this to happen because Titania has embarrassed him and will not give him the changeling boy. Hermia insists that Lysander sleeps a little bit away from her because they aren't married yet and it wouldn't be appropriate. Puck anoints Lysander's eyes because he was also an Athenian man. Oberon did not clarify how the Athenian man looked like. So in Pucks case, he was the one. Helena thinks that Lysander is mocking her. She thought that Lysander was a better person. Hermia's dream is a reflection of reality because now Lysander's in love with Helena and totally hates Hermia. In her dream, she says that her heart is being ripped out and stuff.
 * 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? **

PODCAST!! By: Lindsay & Manmeet media type="file" key="A Midsummer Night's Dream- Act 2, scene 2.mp3" width="240" height="20"

The actors will write a prologue that'll state that the lion is not real and that Pyramus does not really kill himself. It will also tell you who the actors are. They will open a window or have someone carry in a lantern to represent the moonlight and will have a person play the wall. The wall would be covered in plaster (maybe) ad will have a crevice through which Pyramus and Thisbe will speak. Bottom tries to talk to them and asks them why they're running away. After he sees that this is not working, he tells them that he's not afraid if they're trying to scare him. He then paces up and down the stage singing. Puck plans to follow them around and scare them at every corner. He could be a horse, a hound, a hog or a headless bear, and even a fire. Bottom is surprised that Titania loves him because everyone else is running away from him. He is very nice about everything and is also very thankful. This is such an apt statement at this point in the play because nothing is very logical and everything is very very messed up.
 * 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? **
 * 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? **

Hermia accuses Demetrius of killing Lysander. Puck and Oberone are going to correct pUck's earlier misktake by annointing Lysander's eyes with the love juice and making him fall back in love with Hermia. Helena thinks that he is mocking her because just earlier Lysander was telling her the same thing. Helena accuses Hermia of being in on the plan. The plan being pretending to have both guys love her and mock her. Hermia and Helena have been very close in the past. Lysander tells Hermia that he doesn't love her at all and to get away from him. She can't believe this because before she fell asleep she had to force him to sleep away from her. Hermia accuses Helena of stealing her lovers heart. This is because Lysander told Hermia that he doesn't love her, but that he loves Helena. Even though Helena is taller than Hermia, she says that she (Helena) is a coward. She doesn't want to fight Hermia. Lysander and Demetrius are going off to fight for the love of Helena. Oberon tells Puck to go and tire both Demetrius and Lysander out. He tells him to make sure that they are sleeping a ways away so that he can anoint Lysander's eyes with the juice so could fall back in love with Hermia. Oberon goes to Titania and puts the juice in her eyes so then she would fall back in love with him. Oberon doesn't fear the coming of day because he still has his powers in the day unlike the other fairies. His trickery works very very well. Pucks ends up fixing everything that he screwed up.
 * 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. **====

~ Lysander and Demetrius go and fight for the love of Helena.
==== ~ Oberon tells Puck to tire Lysander and Demetrius out. They have to sleep away from each other so that when Lysander's eyes are annointed with the love juice, he sees Hermia and falls back in love with her. ====

PODCAST!! By: Lindsay and Manmeet. XD
media type="file" key="A Midsummer Night's Dream- Act 3, all scenes 3.mp3" width="240" height="20"

** 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 Bottoms character is someone that believes in himself a lot. Bottom is a nice guy but ends up embarassing himself quite a bit. He is also quite loud, makes a fool of himself, and doesn't really have a good job. Theseus, however, is calm, quite, and is the Duke of Athens.

** b) How do most of the dreamers respond to the dream experience upon waking? Which character is changed permanently by the dream experience? **
==== They're not sure if they're awke or not because everything turns out to be right. Demetrius is the permenantly changed character by this dream experience because before it he loved Hermia, and now he loves 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? **
I think that Shakespeare is trying to say that love has many ups and downs, but if you hold on everything will be alright.

Podcast: By Manmeet and Lindsay
media type="file" key="Bottom's Dream Ballad.mp3" width="240" height="20"

He dismisses the story of the young people because he thinks that it's only a dream. Theseus choses to see the play about Pyramus and Thisbe because he thinks that if someone works hard on something it could be worth seeing. Philostrate tries to keep Theseus from seeing the play because he says it's not good at all. They actors are just mere workers in Athens and aren't talented at all. It would be a waste of time to watch it. It means that nothing can be wrong if you worked hard for it/ on it. Nothing is really accomplished with the prologue because Quince just told the whole story in it so there's no real point in seeing the play. The audience now, however, knows that no one really died. He used the audience to point out the flaws of the play within the play and the errors that the actors had made in a humorous manner. At first she was like " Oh my gosh! This play sucks!" and closer to the end she was crying and was like " This play isn't that bad! It's quite touching!" . Thisbe's final speech is humorous because she says (to the dead Pyramus) "Are you sleeping my love?" when he is clearly dead. We know this because he has a big sword sticking out of him. Oberon tells the faries to bless the newly wed lovers. The purpose of Puck's final speech is to basically attract more people to come and watch the play. He also talks to the audience and says, "If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended, That you have but slumbered here, While these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme, No more yielding but a dream, Gentles, do not reprehend.". This basically means that if you thought that this play was bad, then it was only a dream.
 * Act V **
 * 56. Why does Theseus dismiss the stories of the four young people? **
 * 57. Why does Theseus choose to see the play about Pyramus and Thisbe 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? **
 * 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 Thisbe’s final speech humorous? **
 * 64. What does Oberon tell the fairies to do? **
 * 65. What is the purpose of Puck’s final speech? **
 * 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. **

"Whereat, with blade, with bloody blameful blade, he bravely broached his boiling bloody breast." "No, in truth, sir, he should not. "Deceiving 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 pat as I told you. Yonder she comes" Bottom says this directly to the audience. Pyramus: "Wilt thou at Ninny's tomb meet me straightway?" Pyramus: "Now die, die, die, die, die." " ... That is the true beginning of our end."
 * excessive alliteration **
 * breaking the play’s illusion of reality **
 * using the wrong word or name **
 * repeating a word excessively **
 * ridiculous metaphor **

===** 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 one understand what the audience thinks of the play while it is being presented. It also points out the humorous, or not so humorous, parts of the play as well.

===** 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? **=== Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Donald Duck; Rabbit and Tigger. =)

===** 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 the lovers DIE at the end. It's a wedding and the two lovers shouldn't die. It's suitable because it's a wonderful story full of emotions and about two lovers (like the married couple). The play within the play relates to what happened with Demetrius, Lysander, Helena, and Hermia because they know what it feels like to loose their love.

Completion 10/10 Effort 7/10 Content 7/10

total: 24/30