A+Mid+Summer's+Night+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? Hippolyta thinks the four day's until her wedding will pass by quickly, they will quickly steep themselves in night, whereas, Theseus believes four days bring in another moon, how slow this old moon wanes, long withering out a young man's revenue.

2. Why has Egeus brought his daughter and her two suitors to Theseus? What does Egeus expect him to do? Egeus comes with complaint against his daughter, Hermia. He says Lysander the man she loves filched his daughter's heart with cunning hast and he would like Hermia to marry Demetrius. He expects Egeus to give the ancient privilege of Athens, that he may dispose of her, either to marry Demetrius or to her death.

3. What was the proper role for women/daughters in Athenian society according to Egeus and Theseus? What is Theseus’s ruling concerning Hermia? The proper role of women in Athenian society is to treat your father as a god, one that composed your beauties, yea and one, to whom you are but as a form in wax, By him imprinted, and within his power, to leave the figure, or disfigure it. Theseus rules Hermia three options, to die the death, marry Demetrius, or to endure the livery of a nun.

4. How does Lysander’s comment about Demetrius’s previous love affair with Helena complicate things? Lysander calls Demetrius an inconstant man, because he says he loves Hermia but he also made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena, won her soul and she, dotes, devoutly dotes in idolatry.

5. What do Lysander and Hermia plan to do about this seemingly impossible situation? Why do they tell Helena? Lysander creates the option to go to his widowed aunt, seven leagues away from Athens, where they can get married. They tell Helena the plan because she is in love with Demetrius and she is jealous of Hermia because Demetrius loves her, so they tell her that they are leaving tomorrow night and from then she can be 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? She decides to tell Demetrius because she thinks he'll be grateful that she told him this intelligence that he will love 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's dilemma is that she either has to marry a man she doesn't love, die or live a terrible life in a nunnery. Lysander suggests that they may marry each other in a town seven leagues away from Athens where Theseus and her father would not be able to enforce the law on her and kill her.

Act I, Scene 2 8. Why does Nick Bottom want to play all the parts? Nick Bottom thinks he knows everything and can do everything better than anyone else so he thinks he should have all the parts.

9. In what way is this scene funny? Why do you suppose Shakespeare included this scene? This scene is considered funny because it shows new characters including Nick Bottom who is humorous because he is unaware of how everyone else thinks of him and knows he is not what he tries to be.

10. Where are the actors to meet the following night? Who else is meeting there at the same time? There meeting in the forest the following night, where Lysander and Hermia are also meeting.

11. How would you describe Bottom’s acting ability? What is Bottom’s own opinion of his acting ability? Bottom is not a good actor, he doesn't get the proper information and he's very arrogant. "I will move storms, I will condole in some measure. To the rest: yet my chief humour is for a tyrant: I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a cat in, to make all split." He believes he can play any part and that he will be it amazingly.

media type="file" key="MSND Act 1 Night.mp3" width="240" height="20"

By: Angela and Moss

** 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? Their current relationships are how Oberon and Titania are fighting over an orphaned boy, they both accuse each other of having affairs with different people and that their fighting is causing the world to go crazy. Between Puck and the first fairy is that she figures out he's the fairy that has been causing mischievous around town.

11. How have Oberon and Titania been involved in the past with Theseus and Hippolyta; why have they come to Athens? They both accuse each other of supposably having affairs with Oberon and Titania. Titania says Oberon's only reason for leaving India was to come to Athens and see Hippolyta.

12. What effect has their quarrel had on nature, on the seasons, on humans? Their quarreling has resulted in the seasons changing place and the weather mixing up, the rivers flooding and people dying from famine.

13. Why won’t Titania give up the changeling to Oberon? The changeling was her duty to take care of after her friend died and she is loyal to it and doesn't want to give it away.

14. What does Oberon send Puck to find? A purple flower that has been shot by cupid's arrow.

15. What are Oberon’s plans for Titania? He plans to put the flower juice unto her eyes so that when she wakes up she'll fall in love with an animal or beast that's around her.

16. How does Helena react to Demetrius’s verbal abuse? Helena doesn't fight back she endures whatever he says to her and switches his words around, when he says she makes him sick, she says she's sick without him.

17. What is her response to his threats of physical abuse? She keeps switching it around, ignores him and keeps following.

18. In what way is Helena’s behaviour inappropriate for Athenian women? She does not listen to men she ignores them and does what her heart tells her.

19. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about Demetrius and Helena? He tells Puck to put the love juice on the Athenian man who is wearing Athenian clothing, while he is around Helena.

Act II, Scene 2 20. Why does Oberon want Titania to wake and fall in love with some vile thing? So before he changes her back he can take the changeling from her.

21. Why does Hermia insist Lysander sleep a little ways from her? She wants to protect her modesty and they are not yet married so she wants to behave properly.

22. Why does Puck anoint Lysander’s eyes? He thinks Lysander's the Athenian man Oberon was talking about.

23. How does Helena react to Lysander’s sudden love for her when he awakens? She thinks he's taughting her and playing a cruel joke.

24. How is Hermia’s dream a reflection of reality? The snake eating her heart is reflecting reality because of Lysander's sudden change in love.

media type="file" key="MSND Act 2 scene 2.mp3" width="240" height="20" By: Moss & Angela :)


 * **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? First of all, they plan to make a prologue saying that Pyramus is actually Bottom, and that the lion is actually snout and half his head will be showing through his mask.

26. How are the actors going to manage the setting/scenery such as the moonlight and the wall? They're looking at a almanac to see if the moon is shining on the day of the play, if not they'll use a man holding a lantern to represent the moon. For the wall they will use a man standing in between Pyramus and Thisbe's houses and his hands will be open to represent the crack in the wall. 27. Why do the rest of the actors run off when Bottom reappears? They are scared of him because he has an ass' head. 28. What does Puck plan to do when he follows after the other actors? Puck plans to follow them through everything, harsh things, ex: bog, brush, brake and briar and he'll continue to change animals and make different noises to frighten them. 29. How does Bottom react to Titania and the other fairies? He tells Titania that she shouldn't have a reason for loving him. He also makes fun of all the fairy's names with humor. 30. Bottom says, "…reason and love keep little company together nowadays." Why is this such an apt statement at this point in the play? The obvious statement would be the way Lysander fell for Helena instantly because of the flower's juice rather than reason. It is also demonstrated when in the past, Demetrius was in love with Helena, and then for no apparent reason changed his mind and fell for Hermia.

By : Mossy and Angie :) 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? First of all, they plan to make a prologue saying that Pyramus is actually Bottom, and that the lion is actually snout and half his head will be showing through his mask.

 26. How are the actors going to manage the setting/scenery such as the moonlight and the wall? They're looking at a almanac to see if the moon is shining on the day of the play, if not they'll use a man holding a lantern to represent the moon. For the wall they will use a man standing in between Pyramus and Thisbe's houses and his hands will be open to represent the crack in the wall.

 27. Why do the rest of the actors run off when Bottom reappears? They are scared of him because he has an ass' head.

 28. What does Puck plan to do when he follows after the other actors? Puck plans to follow them through everything, harsh things, ex: bog, brush, brake and briar and he'll continue to change animals and make different noises to frighten them.

 29. How does Bottom react to Titania and the other fairies? He is not too surprised, his ego makes him feel used to the attention but he tells Titania that she shouldn't have a reason for loving him in the beginning. He also makes fun of all the fairy's names with humor.  30. Bottom says, "…reason and love keep little company together nowadays." Why is this such an apt statement at this point in the play? The obvious statement would be the way Lysander fell for Helena instantly because of the flower's juice rather than reason. It is also demonstrated when in the past, Demetrius was in love with Helena, and then for no apparent reason changed his mind and fell for Hermia.

<span style="color: #0057ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Act III, Scene 2 <span style="color: #0057ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 31. What does Hermia accuse Demetrius of doing? Hermia accuses Demetrius of killing Lysander.

<span style="color: #0057ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 32. How are Puck and Oberon going to correct Puck’s earlier mistake? They plan on sliiping more "love juice" in Lysander's eyes and having Hermia close by so when he awakes, he will love Hermia once again.

<span style="color: #0057ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 33. Why is Helena upset when Demetrius says he loves her? Isn’t this what she had wanted all along? She thinks they are all being cruel to her for she sees no reason explaining their love to her. She doesn't beleive that Demetrius loves her, she thinks hes simply mocking her.

<span style="color: #0057ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 34. Of what does Helena accuse Hermia? For also going along with the young mens' plan to further hurt her.

<span style="color: #0057ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 35. How close had Hermia and Helena been in the past? They were close like sisters and shared everything, like two lovely berries moulded on one stem, so, wit htwo seeming bodies, but onne heart.

<span style="color: #0057ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 36. How does Lysander treat Hermia? Why can’t she believe what he says? He isn't acting so sweet, the way he used to act towards her. Insted, he is saying that she was a waste of his time and he's treating her very rudely.

<span style="color: #0057ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 37. Of what does Hermia accuse Helena? She accuses her of stealing away Lysander's heart when she knew so well that Hermia loved him.

<span style="color: #0057ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 38. Why is Helena afraid of Hermia? When they we younger, hermia was a vixen and Helena still thinks sstill might be the same.

<span style="color: #0057ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 39. What are Lysander and Demetrius going off to do? Battle over helena

<span style="color: #0057ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 40. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about the two young men? Lead them appart by impersonating their voices so they will stop fighting and they can slip the juice in to lysander's eyes.

<span style="color: #0057ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 41. What is Oberon going to do about Titania? Ask one more time for the changling boy. He feels slightly guilty for making her fall in love with Bottom.

<span style="color: #0057ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 42. Why doesn’t Oberon fear the coming of day? Unlike most fairies, he is still around and powerfull in the day time.

<span style="color: #0057ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 43. How well does Puck’s trickery work? It works very well because he leads the two men appart and the two right girls beside them.

====<span style="color: #0057ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">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. ====

<span style="color: #155ae0; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> - The rustics and artisans make alterations for the play <span style="color: #155ae0; font-family: Georgia,serif;">- Puck gives Bottom an ass' head while they are rehearsing <span style="color: #155ae0; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> - Titania sees Bottom when she wakes up and falls in love with him from the flower juice in her eyes <span style="color: #155ae0; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> - Lysander and Demetruis both fall in love with Helena with the love juice, she thinks they are all mocking her and making fun. <span style="color: #155ae0; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> - Puck separates the two men by tricking them so he can get them asleep and put the juice in Lysander's eyes so he loves Hermia again

<span style="color: #0057ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">media type="file" key="MSND Act III Perception.mp3" width="240" height="20" <span style="color: #0057ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">By: Mossy and Angie! ||

<span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;">﻿**Act IV Scene 1** <span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;">

<span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 44. How has Bottom adjusted to the attention of Titania and her fairies? Bottom takes advantage of the fairies and ask them to do this and that for him.

<span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 45. What is Oberon’s reaction to Titania’s infatuation with Bottom? He enjoyed it at first and thought it was better than his original plan but now he starts to feel a bit guilty.

<span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 46. What sort of explanation will Oberon make to Titania’s question about what happened to her? Oberon avoided the topic when she brought it up and changed the subject so he wouldn't have to tell her it was his fault she loved a beast.

<span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 47. Why are Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and the others out in the woods so early in the morning? They all fell asleep there the night before, when Puck switched everything so the four young people would love the right person.

<span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 48. What is Theseus’s first explanation of why the young people are asleep in the woods? He believes they are in the woods to celebrate the May morning with hunting hounds in preparation of the day's ceremonies.

<span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 49. What explanation does Demetrius make? Why does he compare his love for Hermia to an illness? Demetrius says his love for Hermia melted like snow and is in love with Helena again, He compares his love for Hermia as an illness because he is saying how a sick person hates the food he normally loves and when he gets his natural taste back he recovers and goes back to his food (comparing Helena and Hermia).

<span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 50. What is Theseus’s decision concerning the four young people? Theseus decides that the two young couples will get married tomorrow at his wedding with Hippolyta.

<span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 51. Why can’t the young people be sure whether they are awake or dreaming? It feels like they are dreaming because what happened last night was unbelievable how Helena just won Demetrius' love and the events of the night seem small and hard to remember.

<span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 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 Peter Quice to make a ballad of his dream and name it "Bottom's Dream" and sing it for the Duke.

<span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Act IV, Scene 2 <span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 53. What opinion do the other artisans now have of Bottom since they think he is lost? They think he is the smartest- working man in Athens and best looking and can sing beautifully.

<span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 54. What do they most regret losing by not being able to perform the play? sixpence (money)

<span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 55. Why must the artisans hurry to the Duke’s palace? He has already eaten dinner and then need to perform the play for him.

<span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Extending the thought process.
====<span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;">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 the type of guy who can be smart at a lot of things but is very arrogant about it at the same time. He seems like he has some good ideas and the others ask him for advice but he is also not surprised when he get all this attention for no reason all of a sudden, he thinks he deserves it. ====

====<span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;">b) How do most of the dreamers respond to the dream experience upon waking? Which character is changed permanently by the dream experience? I'd say dreams are easily forgotten once awake, but some certain dreams are unforgettable and can effect your life dramatically. Bottom was changed permanently from his dream of his luxury time with Titania. ====

====<span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;">c) In this act, several characters look back at prior infatuations with disbelief. What do you think Shakespeare is saying about love and infatuation? "The course of true love never did run smooth" is one of the most commonly used quotes from this play, this play shows true love can be very problematic at times. The love of Hermia and Lysander was broken from the love juice and got complicated between four people who all love someone. In the middle of the act, all four become back with their original partner and think when they weren't with them it was a mistake. Shakespeare is trying to say that love is not logical. There are times where you would find yourself falling for someone with no explanation. Even when you are not under a spell, it has no reason. You can't decide who you love or why you love them because reason is not relevant. Love is a car on a high way with no driver, undirected and unpredictable. ====

<span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;">media type="file" key="MSND Bottom's Dream.mp3" width="240" height="20" <span style="color: #ff5300; font-family: Georgia,serif;">By: Mossy and Angie!

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Act V <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 56. Why does Theseus dismiss the stories of the four young people? Because Hippolyta said how is it possible they all had the same dream.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 57. Why does Theseus choose to see the play about Pyramus and Thisby rather than the other entertainments? Theseus chose their play despite what Philostrate says, because he thinks that never anything can be amiss, when simpleness and duty tender it.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 58. Why does Philostrate try to keep Theseus from seeing the play? What does he say is wrong with it? <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> He says that the play is only ten minutes long but it's too long as if too say it is tedious and boring. He says there is not one word apt, one player fitted, and tragical, my lord, it is. He is basicly saying that the play is not for Theseus unless he can find sport in their intents (finds that the bad job on preforming their play is funny).

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 59. What does Theseus mean by the lines, "For never anything can be amiss, when simpleness and duty tender it"? <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> he means nothing can be bad as long as it is simple and done for a good reason. He is saying that the men preforming are just ordinary citizens but they are doing good by trying to create a play and they are doing it with heart.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 60. What is accomplished by having the Prologue tell the whole story that the actors are then going to enact? <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> The audience knows exactly what will happen in the play and gets to see the level of acting the actors are at.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 61. How does Shakespeare use comments from the audience to enhance the humour of the play that they are watching? <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Because we get to see how another audience is viewing the play, we can then make relations to their comments and have a better realization on what is going wrong in the play. By hearing others' comments we can laugh more at the play.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 62. What is Hippolyta’s reaction to the play? <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> She thinks that it is the silliest stuff that ever she heard, unlike Theseus who is standing up for the play against her insults.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 63. In what way is Thisby’s final speech humorous? <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> When Thisby asks Pyramus if he is asleep while he has a sword through his chest.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 64. What does Oberon tell the fairies to do? <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> He mostly tells them to go bless the newly married, but he also says to sing and dance trippingly. :)

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 65. What is the purpose of Puck’s final speech? <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> He is saying that if you did not enjoy the play, it was all just a dream so you should just forget that it ever happened. <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> If you enjoyed the play, give a round of applause.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Extending the thought process:

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 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: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> excessive alliteration <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> "...Quail, crush, conclude, and quell!"

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> breaking the play’s illusion of reality <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> When the lion forgets to roar, and says "Oh....." before he roars

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> using the wrong word or name <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> When Pyramus says "I see a voice..." "...I can hear my Thisbe's face..."

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> repeating a word excessively <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> "O grim-looked night! O night with hue so black! O night, which ever art when day is not! O night, O night!

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> ridiculous metaphor <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> "My soul is in the sky" </3

===<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 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? We see that the audience relates to the actors and imagines what it would be like for them if their new lover died, they wonder if they would have the courage to keep living or kill themselves just as Pyramus and Thisby did. ===

===<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 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? === <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> In the show friends Joey is a clueless character and he always get taunted or made fun of from Chandler the sarcastic one. Also in Glee Will Shuester is always being tormented in many different ways by Sue Sylvester.

===<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 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? The play Pyramus and Thisbe might be unsuitable for a wedding, because it's a tragedy and weddings are suppose to be a joyous time. It is suitable because the play shows how strong love is and how some would kill themselves if they couldn't be with their one love. The play inside a play is ironic because Pyramus and Thisbe love only each other and kill themselves if they cannot be together when for the for young lovers, with the love potion, they changed their minds frequently about love and did not give it a second thought. ===

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> COMPLETION 10/10 <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> EFFORT 9/10 <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> CONTENT 9/10

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> TOTAL 28/30