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's reasoning is that the days will go quickly these next few days, but Theseus thinks they will go quite slowly and drag out, since he cannot wait.

2. Why has Egeus brought his daughter and her two suitors to Theseus? What does Egeus expect him to do? He has brought them before the king to decide who will get the hand of his daughter, but he refuses to give her hand to Lysander. So Egeus will let only three things happen, Hermia will marry Demitrius, he will kill Hermia himself, or Hermia can revert to a nun and never love again.

3. What was the proper role for women/daughters in Athenian society according to Egeus and Theseus? What is Theseus’s ruling concerning Hermia? Their beliefs for women were very prejudice, they thought that they could only marry the ones their owners approved of. For example, Egeus believes that Hermia is his to own, so he wants his possession to be with Demitrius. So Theseus rules for Hermia to marry Demitrius.

4. How does Lysander’s comment about Demetrius’s previous love affair with Helena complicate things? After leaving Helena, people started to believe that Demitrius could be unfaithful, so Demitrius could leave Hermia after they had been wed. Helena still loves Demitrius, so she could do evil things to foil Hermia and Lysander's plans.

5. What do Lysander and Hermia plan to do about this seemingly impossible situation? Why do they tell Helena? Lysander and Hermia decide to run away to Lysander's Aunt's cottage in the woods and be wed there. They tell Helena because she seems happy for them, and they don't look at her as a threat, and it clears the way for Helena to marry Demitrius.

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 thinks if she tells Demitrius, he will be so grateful to her for telling, he will fall in love with 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 has to make a choice to marry Demitrius, get killed by her father or convert to a nun. Lysander's option was to run away and be wed secretly.

Act I, Scene 2 8. Why does Nick Bottom want to play all the parts? He believes he is such a great actor that he can manage all the parts and play them all perfectly.

9. In what way is this scene funny? Why do you suppose Shakespeare included this scene? It is funny because it shows how big a fool Bottom is, and how he thinks he's so cool. He included this scene because it shows Bottom's character, and in the just of it, A Midsummers Night's Dream is a comedy.

10. Where are the actors to meet the following night? Who else is meeting there at the same time? They are to meet a mile without the town, in the palace wood. Lysander and Hermia are to meet there as well.

11. How would you describe Bottom’s acting ability? What is Bottom’s own opinion of his acting ability? It's hard to determine with only words for description, but it seems a very energetic, overconfident actor. In his opinion, Bottom most definitely thinks he is the best actor in the world, but he is ignorant to his arrogant behavior.

__//Night/Moon Quotes//__ media type="file" key="A Midsummers Night's Dream Night_Moon.mp3" width="240" height="20"

//__Act 2 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? __// // We find out that they are fighting over a baby. //

//__ 11. How have Oberon and Titania been involved in the past with Theseus and Hippolyta; why have they come to Athens? __// // They are both accused by their spouse of cheating on them with Theseus and Hippolyta. They are in Athens for the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. //

//__ 12. What effect has their quarrel had on nature, on the seasons, on humans? __// // Their fighting has messed up the seasons, for example, it now snows in summer, it is hot in the winter. Humans are dying of famine and flooding because of this. //

//__ 13. Why won’t Titania give up the changeling to Oberon? __// // She made a promise to her recently deceased friend that she would look after her baby, no matter what happens. //

//__ 14. What does Oberon send Puck to find? __// // He sends Puck to find the love flower, which is said that if you squirt it's juices in another's eyes, they will fall in love with the first animate object they see. //

//__ 15. What are Oberon’s plans for Titania? __// // He plans to squirt the juices of the flower into her eyes and make her fall in love with the first thing she sees, which he hopes is something ugly. //

//__ 16. How does Helena react to Demetrius’s verbal abuse? __// // She always finds a way to turn it around into something good, like when he says you are alone, she says that he is the world to her, and she is alone with the world. // //__ 17. What is her response to his threats of physical abuse? __// // She does the same thing as above, ignores what he says, then turns it around. // //__ 18. In what way is Helena’s behaviour inappropriate for Athenian women? __// // She disobeys the man which has power over her, which, looking back at the case with Egeus and his daughter, Hermia had to somewhat obey her father. //

//__ 19. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about Demetrius and Helena? __// // He tells puck to squirt the love juices in the athenian boy's eyes, so that he may 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? __// // One, so he can enjoy watching her love some gruesome thing, second so he can steal the child away for himself and third, so she can embarrass herself in front of all the fairies.So it's basically an act of revenge. //

//__ 21. Why does Hermia insist Lysander sleep a little ways from her? __// // So that they can keep the modesty in their relationship, and keep true until they are married. //

//__ 22. Why does Puck anoint Lysander’s eyes? __// // He anoints Lysander's eyes because he thinks that Lysander is the Athenian boy told by Oberon. Lysander and Hermia are also sleeping apart, so Puck presumes that they don't love each other. //

//__ 23. How does Helena react to Lysander’s sudden love for her when he awakens? __// // She is insulted because she thinks that Lysander is mocking her by changing his love so quickly from Hermia to her. //

//__ 24. How is Hermia’s dream a reflection of reality? __// // There is actually a snake that eats her heart, in the form of the love flower's juices going into the eyes of Lysander. //

media type="file" key="MSND Act 2.mp3" width="240" height="20"

// 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 going to write a prologue stating that Pyramus is really Bottom, and that he doesn't really die, and for Snout the lion, they will tell that he is not a Lion and have half his face showing. //

// 26. How are the actors going to manage the setting/scenery such as the moonlight and the wall? For the moonlight, they will either have a window open letting the moonlight shine through, or someone to play the moon and walk in with a lantern. For the wall, they will decorate another person in plaster and he will be the wall. //

// 27. Why do the rest of the actors run off when Bottom reappears? They run off because Bottom's head has been turned into the head of an ass. //

// 28. What does Puck plan to do when he follows after the other actors? He plans to keep them in the woods and scare them with his different transformations. //

// 29. How does Bottom react to Titania and the other fairies? He makes fun of the different fairies names, but he he's oblivious to Titania's gestures of love. //

// 30. Bottom says, "…reason and love keep little company together nowadays." Why is this such an apt statement at this point in the play? It is apt because you see all these examples of people not loving who they want, instead, logic has been altered with the love juices, causing a lot of conflict. //

// 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? // // THeir plan is to make Demitrius fall in love with Helena with the love juices. //

// 33. Why is Helena upset when Demetrius says he loves her? Isn’t this what she had wanted all along? // // She thinks that for Demitrius to turn his love so quickly, and for Lysander to love her too, she thinks that he is just mocking her. //

// 34. Of what does Helena accuse Hermia? // // She thinks that all three of them are in on a plot to make fun of her, and Hermia is in on it too. //

// 35. How close had Hermia and Helena been in the past? // // They have been as close as two cherries connected by one stem. //

// 36. How does Lysander treat Hermia? Why can’t she believe what he says? // // He treats her like trash, since he has been hypnotized into loving Helena. She doesn't believe him because she is too madly in love with him. Sort of like the situation when they entered the woods. //

// 37. Of what does Hermia accuse Helena? // // She accuses her of stealing Lysander's heart away, knowing that she loves him. //

// 38. Why is Helena afraid of Hermia? // // When she was young, Hermia was a vixen, and Helena believes that she still has that fury. //

// 39. What are Lysander and Demetrius going off to do? // // They are going to duel to the death for Helena's heart. //

// 40. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about the two young men? // // He tells him to lead them away from each other until they both fall asleep, then annoint the eyes of Lysander with the love flower's juices. //

// 41. What is Oberon going to do about Titania? He is going to see if he can steal the halfling away from Titania. //

// 42. Why doesn’t Oberon fear the coming of day? He is immune to the daylight, unlike all the other fairies. //

// 43. How well does Puck’s trickery work? Very well, he leads Demitrius and Lysander to their sleeps, and then Helena and Hermia sleep beside them, so all is well. //

media type="file" key="MSND - Act 3 2.mp3" width="240" height="20"

By Ryley and Maasa

Act IV, Scene 1 44. How has Bottom adjusted to the attention of Titania and her fairies? He now accepts that he has the head of an ass, and orders the fairies around like slaves, telling them to scratch his head and stuff. Titania still loves him, so he now likes her back.

45. What is Oberon’s reaction to Titania’s infatuation with Bottom? He realizes that he was being a jerk for asking for the Changeling child when all Titania asked for was his patience.

46. What sort of explanation will Oberon make to Titania’s question about what happened to her? He will most likely lie and say that he watched her fall in love with the Ass right before his eyes, and he was powerless to her love for him.

47. Why are Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and the others out in the woods so early in the morning? THey are going hunting as a celebration for the wedding of Hippolyta and Egeus.

48. What is Theseus’s first explanation of why the young people are asleep in the woods? He thinks that they are here to celebrate the wedding by going hunting with them.

49. What explanation does Demetrius make? Why does he compare his love for Hermia to an illness? He says that he followed Hermia into the woods because he was in love with her. He compares his love for Hermia to a sickness because a sickness comes up quickly, stays with you for a while, then goes away.

50. What is Theseus’s decision concerning the four young people? They are to all be wed at the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta, it will be a triple wedding.

51. Why can’t the young people be sure whether they are awake or dreaming? They woke up with vague memories of the events that had surpassed. Since they woke up, then telling Theseus about what happened, they can't be sure if they were dreaming or not.

52. Bottom believes he too has had a dream. How is he going to use that to entertain the Duke? He will write a song about his dream, then perform to the duke at the end of the play.

Act IV, Scene 2 53. What opinion do the other artisans now have of Bottom since they think he is lost? With Bottom gone, they believe that they cannot perform the play, since they believe he is the best actor now.

54. What do they most regret losing by not being able to perform the play? They most regret leaving Bottom in the woods and for him to miss the play.

55. Why must the artisans hurry to the Duke’s palace? They must arrive in time for the wedding.

**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 of Bottom's character to be a nice, giddy sight in this tale of heartbreak and woe. He is arrogant, I admit, but that contributes to his courage and aloofness. I believe he could be the opposite of Theseus because Bottom is always loud and fidgety, and Theseus is always calm. Their opinions of love can also be weighed, Bottom has a wandering eye and will take what he can get, but Theseus is madly in love with Hippolyta, true love so to say. So with these examples it is a fair guess to say that Theseus is the antithesis of Bottom. ==== ====b) How do most of the dreamers respond to the dream experience upon waking? Which character is changed permanently by the dream experience? ==== ====Almost all of them are in disbelief of what happened, they cannot tell if it was reality or just a dream. Demitrius is changed permanently from this experience because after he had gone through all the events in the dream, he realizes that he loves Helena, not Hermia. He proves this by making a lovely metaphor of his love to Hermia was a sickness, and his love for Helena was like a strange taste, you hate it at first, but it grows on you over time. ==== ====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's trying to say that true love is hard to come by these days, most of love is just infatuation. Sometimes you're not meant to be with your true love, but with the magic of the flower, which is the symbol for pure love, he is able to create a metaphor for how peoples adoration can change so quickly. The course of true love never runs smoothly, which is true, because not all romances are not simple and easy. ====

"Bottom's Dream" By Ryley and Maasa media type="file" key="_Bottom's Dream_.mp3" width="240" height="20" **Of a maiden who fell for me,**  **Now I can't figure out love, it seems.**
 * Today in the forest green **
 * I had a peculiar dream. **

 **I realized I had the head of an ass,**  **I couldn't comprehend how such an event could surpass,**  **But she loved me anyways** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> **All through the night -- but was gone in day.**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> **Alas a I woke in the morn,** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> **All was gone, but she left her scorn.** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> **But in the middle of a field, I was reborn.** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> **I've recovered, but my heart shall always be forlorn.**

====|| ||~ Details || last edit by [|bjanzen-mtdouglas] [|May 16, 2010 8:22 pm] - [|2 revisions] || || ||~ Tags || * none Act V 56. Why does Theseus dismiss the stories of the four young people? He dismisses it because he thinks it's impossible for 4 people to have the same dream. 57. Why does Theseus choose to see the play about Pyramus and Thisby rather than the other entertainments? He chooses it because he says that "For never anything can be amiss, when simpleness and duty tender it". 58. Why does Philostrate try to keep Theseus from seeing the play? What does he say is wrong with it? He tries to stop Theseus because he says it was really bad. He says that they have mistooken names and made so many flukes that he cried from laughter. 59. What does Theseus mean by the lines, "For never anything can be amiss, when simpleness and duty tender it"? He means that simple things are most important in life, which is like Bottom's play, which is very simple and straightforward, prologue and all. 60. What is accomplished by having the Prologue tell the whole story that the actors are then going to enact? It clears the way for noone to be scared or frightened by the characters or the death scenes, they want to make it very clear that it is just a story. 61. How does Shakespeare use comments from the audience to enhance the humour of the play that they are watching? It is amusing because you are watching the play inside a play, which would mean some of the characters of the play would be watching the play. So they poke fun at the obvious mistakes and make clever comments about it, giving you the sense that it is so bad, it's funny. 62. What is Hippolyta’s reaction to the play? She thinks it is very silly and stupid. 63. In what way is Thisbe’s final speech humorous? As she is dying she says fare well to the audience, almost in a comedic manner. 64. What does Oberon tell the fairies to do? He tells them to bless the lovers in the house so they may live a happy life. 65. What is the purpose of Puck’s final speech? He says that if you liked the play, clap for them, if you didn't like it, it was all a 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. <span style="color: #1a1a18; font-family: Times,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">excessive alliteration - when Bottom says his opening lines - " O grim looked night! O night with hue so black! O night, which ever art when day is not! O night O night! Alack, Alack, Alack!" <span style="color: #1a1a18; font-family: Times,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">breaking the play’s illusion of reality - When Bottom talks to the audience: "No, in truth sir, he should not. 'Deceiving Me' is Thisbe's queue." <span style="color: #1a1a18; font-family: Times,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">using the wrong word or name - Ninny's tomb instead of ninus's tomb repeating a word excessively - " O grim looked night! O night with hue so black! O night, which ever art when day is not! O night O night! Alack, Alack, Alack!" <span style="color: #1a1a18; font-family: Times,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"> ridiculous metaphor - "No I assure you; the wall is down that parted their fathers." ===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 can show if the audience thinks poorly or well of the performers, giving you a deeper understanding, from a sophisticated point of view, what you should think of them. It is kind of like a review you read in the newspaper.
 * [[image:http://c1.wikicdn.com/i/edit_nopermission.png width="128" height="37" caption="Protected"]]

===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?=== Velma and Shaggy in Scooby - Doo, Pinky and The Brain and Louise and Peter on Family Guy are all play offs like above. || ====

|| ===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 not appropriate because it shows the two lovers dieing, which is not a good mood for a wedding. It could be appropriate because the bond the two share is so great that they die for each other. It is Ironic because Pyramus and Thisbe are destined to be lovers, nothing can tear them apart, but with the four younguns their loves were thrown around, causing destiny to get thrown off course. || ====

||  || Completion 10/10 Effort 8/10 Content8/10

total: 26/30