Act I, Scene 1
1. How is Hippolyta’s reasoning concerning how quickly the next four days will pass different from that of Theseus? Her attitude is pretty mellow over the fact that she thinks, the days are going to pass very quickly. Theseus is very irritated though, he thinks the next four days are going to take forever to pass by.
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 and two suitors to Theseus, so Theseus can either, convince Hermia to marry Demetrius or he should have the right or kill Hermia.
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 and Theseus, women/daughters were supposed to treat their fathers/husbands like gods.Theseus rules that, she can either marry Demetrius, her father could kill her, or she could join a nunnery.
4. How does Lysander’s comment about Demetrius’s previous love affair with Helena complicate things? It complicates things because, it works against Egeus and his case, because it shows that he could drop Hermia at anytime and have an affair with someone.
5. What do Lysander and Hermia plan to do about this seemingly impossible situation? Why do they tell Helena? They decide they will go and marry on Lysander's Aunt's, and since his Aunt's house is outside Athens, they won't be breaking the law. They tell Helena because she can then start trying to win Demetrius' love back.
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 of Hermia and Lysander's plans because she thinks that will sway him to love her more than Hermia.
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 basic dilemma was that she loved someone other than the man she had to marry. The outlines were, you marry Demetrius, you can join a nunnery, or your father can kill you. Lysander suggests Demetrius marry Egeus. And he marry Hermia. Podcast Assignment
Act 1 of A Midsummer Night’s Dream takes place in the daytime, but it contains many images of the moon that foreshadow the night to come. Using GarageBand record yourself reading the lines in Act 1 thatillustrate the imagery of night/moon. Share to iTunes and upload the mp3 to your wikispace.
Act I, Scene 2
8. Why does Nick Bottom wantto play all the parts? Nick Bottom wants to play all the parts of the play because, he thinks he is one of the greatest actors of all time, and he wants to show off his acting skill.
9. In what way is this scene funny? Why do you suppose Shakespeare included this scene? This scene is funny because, the director, Peter Quince, has to keep making up excuses for Nick Bottom to not be all the characters in the play. He probably included this seen in the play because, he probably had a person he traveled with that had the same type of attitude as Nick Bottom.
10. Where are the actors to meet the following night? Who else is meeting there at the same time? The actors are supposed to meet in the woods the following night to rehearse their lines. Lysander and Hermia are supposed to meet there as well. Demetrius and Helena follow them.
11. How would you describe Bottom’s acting ability? What is Bottom’s own opinion of his acting ability? I would say Bottom is a good well rounded actor, he could probably play 2 parts in the plays. Bottom thinks he is the best actor in the world, he seems almost cocky.
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? We learn that Oberon and Titania are not too fond of each other, and when they meet the consequences are very bad.
11. How have Oberon and Titania been involved in the past with Theseus and Hippolyta; why have they come to Athens? They have both had "affairs" with the opposite sex, Titania and Theseus, Hippolyta and Oberon. They have both come to Athens to celebrate Theseus and Hippolyta getting married.
12. What effect has their quarrel had on nature, on the seasons, on humans? It changes nature, all the animals become savage, the flowers die, the seasons rage between them it can be sunny and there could be a tornado going across the land, and humans become more rude and bestial.
13. Why won’t Titania give up the changeling to Oberon? They are fighing over the changeling because Oberon thinks Titania is spending way to much time with him, she brought him back from India and she has not had him out of her sight.
14. What does Oberon send Puck to find? The flower that has magical juices, that will make anyone fall in love with the first creature they see after the fluid touches their eyes.
15. What are Oberon’s plans for Titania? He plans to make her fall in love with a hideous creature.
16. How does Helena react to Demetrius’s verbal abuse? She reacts very sadly, but she clings to him for dear life!
17. What is her response to his threats of physical abuse? She responds to his threats of abuse, with almost no reaction, she is so deeply in love with Demetrius that she cannot be harmed by his verbal threats.
18. In what way is Helena’s behaviour inappropriate for Athenian women? She is not listening to a man, and she is disobeying his orders.
19. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about Demetrius and Helena? Oberon tells Puck to make Demetrius fall in love with Helena, by using the flower of love.
Act II, Scene 2
20. Why does Oberon want Titania to wake and fall in love with some vile thing? Oberon wants Titania to fall in love with a vile creature so she will not be Queen anymore and she will not have control over the little Indian boy.
21. Why does Hermia insist Lysander sleep a little ways from her? So that she can still be kept clean before marriage, as in not having sex before marriage.
22. Why does Puck anoint Lysander’s eyes? Because he is wearing Athenian clothes just like Demetrius, who Puck was actually supposed to pour the fluid on, Oberon only gave Puck a simple description of the man he wanted to have fall in love with!
23. How does Helena react to Lysander’s sudden love for her when he awakens? She reacts awkwardly and "weirded out" by Lysander's sudden love for her. Thinking that this is a joke by Lysander, because not two or three hours ago, Lysander was madly in love with Hermia, she runs away, and Lysander follows her.
24. How is Hermia’s dream a reflection of reality? In Hermia's dream,she is abandoned by Lysander,but she is betrayed by Lysander in real life.
Creating the Magical Mood and Atmosphere of Act 2
In pairs, use Garage Band to produce the introduction of Act 2 Scene 2.. Use sound effects to create the magical and mysterious mood of the opening. Record the text up to line 34. Create the music to go with the lyrics of the Fairies Song. Upload to your wiki.
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? The actors are going to write a prologue showing that Pyramus is actually Bottom the weaver and the lion will say his name to the ladies and request they not be afraid of him, before the play and part of his head shall show through the lion’s neck.
26. How are the actors going to manage the setting/scenery such as the moonlight and the wall? The wall is going to be a person in a suit that walks on stage and holds his hands out like a chink in the wall. They will also open the top of the theater to let the moonlight in to the theater.
27. Why do the rest of the actors run off when Bottom reappears? The rest of the actors run off when Bottom appears because, he has the head of a donkey, and it is not a mask.
28. What does Puck plan to do when he follows after the other actors? Puck plans to follow and lead Bottom through all types of weather. Sometimes he will be a horse, or a dog, or a boar etc.
29. How does Bottom react to Titania and the other fairies? He acts like this is a sick joke, he acts incredulous.
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 a very apt statement at that time in the story because it foreshadows that love is not as sacred as it used to be and someone will lose their love, sometime during the rest of the play.
Act III, Scene 2
31. What does Hermia accuse Demetrius of doing? Hermia accused Demetrius of killing Lysander in his sleep.
32. How are Puck and Oberon going to correct Puck’s earlier mistake? Puck and Oberon are going to bring all the people together and put the juice into Demetrius' eyes and make him look at Helena. Then they are going to seperate Demetrius and Helena so that they are close to each other, then they are going to seperate Lysander and Hermia so they are close to each other.
33. Why is Helena upset when Demetrius says he loves her? Isn’t this what she had wanted all along? Helena is upset when Demetrius says he loves her because, she heard him say how much he loved Hermia 20 minutes earlier, and he called threats to her when she followed him into the forest. But, that is what she wanted all along.
34. Of what does Helena accuse Hermia? Helena accuses Hermia of mocking her, and joining the other's mockery.
35. How close had Hermia and Helena been in the past? They had both been very close, because they used to always be together ever since childhood, and they never left each others side, including up until the time of them all meeting in the woods.
36. How does Lysander treat Hermia? Why can’t she believe what he says? Lysander treats Hermia horribly, she can not believe what he says, because not one hour earlier did he say he loved her so much, and he wanted to be with her forever.
37. Of what does Hermia accuse Helena? Hermia accuses Helena of stealing Lysander from her, with her height?
38. Why is Helena afraid of Hermia? Helena is afraid of Hermia because, even though Hermia is smaller than Helena, Helena is very skinny and she is not a very strong woman, but Hermia is probably a very strong young lady.
39. What are Lysander and Demetrius going off to do? They are going to fight to see who deserves to be with Helena.
40. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about the two young men? Oberon tells Puck to seperate the two men, then make them tired from chasing each other, even though it is actually Puck mimicking their voices.
41. What is Oberon going to do about Titania? Oberon is going to fix what happened between Titania and Bottom, basically he is going to make Titania not love Bottom.
42. Why doesn’t Oberon fear the coming of day? Oberon doesn't fear the coming of day because, he is going to change everything back to normal.
43. How well does Puck’s trickery work? Puck's tickery works so well that, nobody knows where anybody else is. So that means that, hopefully, Puck can set the love square back to normal.
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.
Podcast: Shakespeare plays with ideas of vision, of blindness, and of different ways of interpreting what one sees. Podcast, with music the lines in Act Three that deal with this imagery.
Act IV, Scene 1
44. How has Bottom adjusted to the attention of Titania and her fairies? He has adjusted his attention to the fairies and Titania by, becoming more comfortable with the fairies, almost bossing them around,by making them do things like scratch his head and such.
45. What is Oberon’s reaction to Titania’s infatuation with Bottom? He seems almost jealous of the ”love” between Bottom and Titania, he would like to have love like that, but real love, not infatuation.
46. What sort of explanation will Oberon make to Titania’s question about what happened to her? He will give her a fake explanation, because all he wants is for Titania to love him.
47. Why are Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and the others out in the woods so early in the morning? Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and the others are out in the woods so early in the morning because, the wedding for Hippolyta and Theseus is the next day, so they are having a hunt before the wedding.
48. What is Theseus’s first explanation of why the young people are asleep in the woods? Theseus’ first explanation of why the young people are asleep in the woods was that he thought they woke up early, because he thinks they woke up early for May Day.
49. What explanation does Demetrius make? Why does he compare his love for Hermia to an illness? Demetrius’ explanation was, he followed Hermia and Lysander to make sure they didn't fall in love, then he suddenly fell in love with Helena. He compared his love to Hermia like a sickness, when he was sick he did not love Helena, but since he got better and became healthy he then fell back in love with Helena.
50. What is Theseus’s decision concerning the four young people? He is happy over what has suddenly happened, then he does not have to worry about forcing anyone to do anything. Demetrius now loves Helena, and Lysander loves Hermia.
51. Why can’t the young people be sure whether they are awake or dreaming? They are not sure that they were awake or dreaming, because everything felt so real, and they woke up and everything was back to normal so, it was a very odd.
52. Bottom believes he too has had a dream. How is he going to use that to entertain the Duke? He is going to write a play called “Bottom’s Dream” and he is going to present it to the Duke.
Act IV, Scene 2
53. What opinion do the other artisans now have of Bottom since they think he is lost? They think he was the best actor ever, they think the play will be horrible without him.
54. What do they most regret losing by not being able to perform the play? They may die, but they also lose getting a triple salary for not doing the play.
55. Why must the artisans hurry to the Duke’s palace? They must hurry to the Duke's palace because, they are late for the play, and they need to rehearse.
Extending the thought process.
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? My opinion of Bottom's character is that, he is kind of stupid, and very full of himself, but he is an okay actor. He is might be the opposite o Theseus' character because, Theseus' is a very powerful man, while Bottom is poor, Theseus is understanding and kind, Bottom is not very understanding or kind.
b) How do most of the dreamers respond to the dream experience upon waking? Which character is changed permanently by the dream experience? They believe that it was all a dream, that none of the things they saw in their dreams was true. Bottom is permanently changed by the dream experience.
c) In this act, several characters look back at prior infatuations with disbelief. What do you think Shakespeare is saying about love and infatuation? Shakespeare is probably trying to say that, love is not regularly easy to find, but some people look for people to "love" so they can feel loved. The fact that some people "love" someone for 5 days is very wrong and rude, at least I think that.
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!
Act V
56. Why does Theseus dismiss the stories of the four young people? Theseus is prepared to dismiss the story as a fanciful story, because he thinks the 4 people are so in love that they can not give a god straight answer.
57. Why does Theseus choose to see the play about Pyramus and Thisbe rather than the other entertainments? Theseus decides to choose to see the play about Pyramus and Thisbe because, the opera about the battle of Centaurs he has already seen, the Thracian singer's song is too old, and the three Muses mourning for the death of learning, is too sad for such a nuptial occasion.
58. Why does Philostrate try to keep Theseus from seeing the play? What does he say is wrong with it? He thinks Theseus will not like the play at all, and he thinks that Theseus will be in a bad mood after watching it. He says, the actors are just hard-handed men with no experience in acting at all. The props are horrible. And the actors screw up the lines too often.
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? The women will not be afraid if the lion kills someone or roars very loudly, or when someone kills him/herself.
61. How does Shakespeare use comments from the audience to enhance the humour of the play that they are watching? He makes the actors come out of the play and explain their characters making the play even funnier.
62. What is Hippolyta’s reaction to the play? She believes the play is horrible, the actors are horrible, the props are horrible, basically she thinks everything is just awful.
63. In what way is Thisbe’s final speech humorous? He is so so so sincere and his Adieu, Adieu, Aideu line is funny.
64. What does Oberon tell the fairies to do? Bless the marriage beds?
65. What is the purpose of Puck’s final speech? He is trying to tell people, that he is trying to clean up the mess he has made, and if you don't want to believe anything that has happened, just pretend it was 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.
excessive alliteration Whereat, with blade, with bloody blameful blade, He bravely broach'd is boiling bloody breast;
breaking the play’s illusion of reality Pyramus: Cursed be thy stones for thus deceiving me! Theseus: The wall, methinks, being sensible, should curse again. Pyramus: No, in truth sir, he should not. "Decieving me" is Thisby's cue:she is to enter now, and I am to spy her through the wall.
using the wrong word or name "Not Shafalus to Procrus was so true."
repeating a word excessively "Now die, die, die, die, die."
ridiculous metaphor "To spy an I can hear my Thisby's face. Thisby!"
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?
COMPLETION 9/10 EFFORT 8/10 CONTENT 8/10 TOTAL 25/30
1. How is Hippolyta’s reasoning concerning how quickly the next four days will pass different from that of Theseus? Her attitude is pretty mellow over the fact that she thinks, the days are going to pass very quickly. Theseus is very irritated though, he thinks the next four days are going to take forever to pass by.
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 and two suitors to Theseus, so Theseus can either, convince Hermia to marry Demetrius or he should have the right or kill Hermia.
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 and Theseus, women/daughters were supposed to treat their fathers/husbands like gods.Theseus rules that, she can either marry Demetrius, her father could kill her, or she could join a nunnery.
4. How does Lysander’s comment about Demetrius’s previous love affair with Helena complicate things? It complicates things because, it works against Egeus and his case, because it shows that he could drop Hermia at anytime and have an affair with someone.
5. What do Lysander and Hermia plan to do about this seemingly impossible situation? Why do they tell Helena? They decide they will go and marry on Lysander's Aunt's, and since his Aunt's house is outside Athens, they won't be breaking the law. They tell Helena because she can then start trying to win Demetrius' love back.
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 of Hermia and Lysander's plans because she thinks that will sway him to love her more than Hermia.
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 basic dilemma was that she loved someone other than the man she had to marry. The outlines were, you marry Demetrius, you can join a nunnery, or your father can kill you. Lysander suggests Demetrius marry Egeus. And he marry Hermia.
Podcast Assignment
Act 1 of A Midsummer Night’s Dream takes place in the daytime, but it contains many images of the moon that foreshadow the night to come. Using GarageBand record yourself reading the lines in Act 1 thatillustrate the imagery of night/moon. Share to iTunes and upload the mp3 to your wikispace.
Act I, Scene 2
8. Why does Nick Bottom wantto play all the parts? Nick Bottom wants to play all the parts of the play because, he thinks he is one of the greatest actors of all time, and he wants to show off his acting skill.
9. In what way is this scene funny? Why do you suppose Shakespeare included this scene? This scene is funny because, the director, Peter Quince, has to keep making up excuses for Nick Bottom to not be all the characters in the play. He probably included this seen in the play because, he probably had a person he traveled with that had the same type of attitude as Nick Bottom.
10. Where are the actors to meet the following night? Who else is meeting there at the same time? The actors are supposed to meet in the woods the following night to rehearse their lines. Lysander and Hermia are supposed to meet there as well. Demetrius and Helena follow them.
11. How would you describe Bottom’s acting ability? What is Bottom’s own opinion of his acting ability? I would say Bottom is a good well rounded actor, he could probably play 2 parts in the plays. Bottom thinks he is the best actor in the world, he seems almost cocky.
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? We learn that Oberon and Titania are not too fond of each other, and when they meet the consequences are very bad.
11. How have Oberon and Titania been involved in the past with Theseus and Hippolyta; why have they come to Athens? They have both had "affairs" with the opposite sex, Titania and Theseus, Hippolyta and Oberon. They have both come to Athens to celebrate Theseus and Hippolyta getting married.
12. What effect has their quarrel had on nature, on the seasons, on humans? It changes nature, all the animals become savage, the flowers die, the seasons rage between them it can be sunny and there could be a tornado going across the land, and humans become more rude and bestial.
13. Why won’t Titania give up the changeling to Oberon? They are fighing over the changeling because Oberon thinks Titania is spending way to much time with him, she brought him back from India and she has not had him out of her sight.
14. What does Oberon send Puck to find? The flower that has magical juices, that will make anyone fall in love with the first creature they see after the fluid touches their eyes.
15. What are Oberon’s plans for Titania? He plans to make her fall in love with a hideous creature.
16. How does Helena react to Demetrius’s verbal abuse? She reacts very sadly, but she clings to him for dear life!
17. What is her response to his threats of physical abuse? She responds to his threats of abuse, with almost no reaction, she is so deeply in love with Demetrius that she cannot be harmed by his verbal threats.
18. In what way is Helena’s behaviour inappropriate for Athenian women? She is not listening to a man, and she is disobeying his orders.
19. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about Demetrius and Helena? Oberon tells Puck to make Demetrius fall in love with Helena, by using the flower of love.
Act II, Scene 2
20. Why does Oberon want Titania to wake and fall in love with some vile thing? Oberon wants Titania to fall in love with a vile creature so she will not be Queen anymore and she will not have control over the little Indian boy.
21. Why does Hermia insist Lysander sleep a little ways from her? So that she can still be kept clean before marriage, as in not having sex before marriage.
22. Why does Puck anoint Lysander’s eyes? Because he is wearing Athenian clothes just like Demetrius, who Puck was actually supposed to pour the fluid on, Oberon only gave Puck a simple description of the man he wanted to have fall in love with!
23. How does Helena react to Lysander’s sudden love for her when he awakens? She reacts awkwardly and "weirded out" by Lysander's sudden love for her. Thinking that this is a joke by Lysander, because not two or three hours ago, Lysander was madly in love with Hermia, she runs away, and Lysander follows her.
24. How is Hermia’s dream a reflection of reality? In Hermia's dream,she is abandoned by Lysander,but she is betrayed by Lysander in real life.
Creating the Magical Mood and Atmosphere of Act 2
In pairs, use Garage Band to produce the introduction of Act 2 Scene 2.. Use sound effects to create the magical and mysterious mood of the opening. Record the text up to line 34. Create the music to go with the lyrics of the Fairies Song. Upload to your wiki.
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? The actors are going to write a prologue showing that Pyramus is actually Bottom the weaver and the lion will say his name to the ladies and request they not be afraid of him, before the play and part of his head shall show through the lion’s neck.
26. How are the actors going to manage the setting/scenery such as the moonlight and the wall? The wall is going to be a person in a suit that walks on stage and holds his hands out like a chink in the wall. They will also open the top of the theater to let the moonlight in to the theater.
27. Why do the rest of the actors run off when Bottom reappears? The rest of the actors run off when Bottom appears because, he has the head of a donkey, and it is not a mask.
28. What does Puck plan to do when he follows after the other actors? Puck plans to follow and lead Bottom through all types of weather. Sometimes he will be a horse, or a dog, or a boar etc.
29. How does Bottom react to Titania and the other fairies? He acts like this is a sick joke, he acts incredulous.
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 a very apt statement at that time in the story because it foreshadows that love is not as sacred as it used to be and someone will lose their love, sometime during the rest of the play.
Act III, Scene 2
31. What does Hermia accuse Demetrius of doing? Hermia accused Demetrius of killing Lysander in his sleep.
32. How are Puck and Oberon going to correct Puck’s earlier mistake? Puck and Oberon are going to bring all the people together and put the juice into Demetrius' eyes and make him look at Helena. Then they are going to seperate Demetrius and Helena so that they are close to each other, then they are going to seperate Lysander and Hermia so they are close to each other.
33. Why is Helena upset when Demetrius says he loves her? Isn’t this what she had wanted all along? Helena is upset when Demetrius says he loves her because, she heard him say how much he loved Hermia 20 minutes earlier, and he called threats to her when she followed him into the forest. But, that is what she wanted all along.
34. Of what does Helena accuse Hermia? Helena accuses Hermia of mocking her, and joining the other's mockery.
35. How close had Hermia and Helena been in the past? They had both been very close, because they used to always be together ever since childhood, and they never left each others side, including up until the time of them all meeting in the woods.
36. How does Lysander treat Hermia? Why can’t she believe what he says? Lysander treats Hermia horribly, she can not believe what he says, because not one hour earlier did he say he loved her so much, and he wanted to be with her forever.
37. Of what does Hermia accuse Helena? Hermia accuses Helena of stealing Lysander from her, with her height?
38. Why is Helena afraid of Hermia? Helena is afraid of Hermia because, even though Hermia is smaller than Helena, Helena is very skinny and she is not a very strong woman, but Hermia is probably a very strong young lady.
39. What are Lysander and Demetrius going off to do? They are going to fight to see who deserves to be with Helena.
40. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about the two young men? Oberon tells Puck to seperate the two men, then make them tired from chasing each other, even though it is actually Puck mimicking their voices.
41. What is Oberon going to do about Titania? Oberon is going to fix what happened between Titania and Bottom, basically he is going to make Titania not love Bottom.
42. Why doesn’t Oberon fear the coming of day? Oberon doesn't fear the coming of day because, he is going to change everything back to normal.
43. How well does Puck’s trickery work? Puck's tickery works so well that, nobody knows where anybody else is. So that means that, hopefully, Puck can set the love square back to normal.
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.
Podcast: Shakespeare plays with ideas of vision, of blindness, and of different ways of interpreting what one sees. Podcast, with music the lines in Act Three that deal with this imagery.
Act IV, Scene 1
44. How has Bottom adjusted to the attention of Titania and her fairies? He has adjusted his attention to the fairies and Titania by, becoming more comfortable with the fairies, almost bossing them around,by making them do things like scratch his head and such.
45. What is Oberon’s reaction to Titania’s infatuation with Bottom? He seems almost jealous of the ”love” between Bottom and Titania, he would like to have love like that, but real love, not infatuation.
46. What sort of explanation will Oberon make to Titania’s question about what happened to her? He will give her a fake explanation, because all he wants is for Titania to love him.
47. Why are Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and the others out in the woods so early in the morning? Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and the others are out in the woods so early in the morning because, the wedding for Hippolyta and Theseus is the next day, so they are having a hunt before the wedding.
48. What is Theseus’s first explanation of why the young people are asleep in the woods? Theseus’ first explanation of why the young people are asleep in the woods was that he thought they woke up early, because he thinks they woke up early for May Day.
49. What explanation does Demetrius make? Why does he compare his love for Hermia to an illness? Demetrius’ explanation was, he followed Hermia and Lysander to make sure they didn't fall in love, then he suddenly fell in love with Helena. He compared his love to Hermia like a sickness, when he was sick he did not love Helena, but since he got better and became healthy he then fell back in love with Helena.
50. What is Theseus’s decision concerning the four young people? He is happy over what has suddenly happened, then he does not have to worry about forcing anyone to do anything. Demetrius now loves Helena, and Lysander loves Hermia.
51. Why can’t the young people be sure whether they are awake or dreaming? They are not sure that they were awake or dreaming, because everything felt so real, and they woke up and everything was back to normal so, it was a very odd.
52. Bottom believes he too has had a dream. How is he going to use that to entertain the Duke? He is going to write a play called “Bottom’s Dream” and he is going to present it to the Duke.
Act IV, Scene 2
53. What opinion do the other artisans now have of Bottom since they think he is lost? They think he was the best actor ever, they think the play will be horrible without him.
54. What do they most regret losing by not being able to perform the play? They may die, but they also lose getting a triple salary for not doing the play.
55. Why must the artisans hurry to the Duke’s palace? They must hurry to the Duke's palace because, they are late for the play, and they need to rehearse.
Extending the thought process.
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? My opinion of Bottom's character is that, he is kind of stupid, and very full of himself, but he is an okay actor. He is might be the opposite o Theseus' character because, Theseus' is a very powerful man, while Bottom is poor, Theseus is understanding and kind, Bottom is not very understanding or kind.
b) How do most of the dreamers respond to the dream experience upon waking? Which character is changed permanently by the dream experience? They believe that it was all a dream, that none of the things they saw in their dreams was true. Bottom is permanently changed by the dream experience.
c) In this act, several characters look back at prior infatuations with disbelief. What do you think Shakespeare is saying about love and infatuation? Shakespeare is probably trying to say that, love is not regularly easy to find, but some people look for people to "love" so they can feel loved. The fact that some people "love" someone for 5 days is very wrong and rude, at least I think that.
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!
Act V
56. Why does Theseus dismiss the stories of the four young people? Theseus is prepared to dismiss the story as a fanciful story, because he thinks the 4 people are so in love that they can not give a god straight answer.
57. Why does Theseus choose to see the play about Pyramus and Thisbe rather than the other entertainments? Theseus decides to choose to see the play about Pyramus and Thisbe because, the opera about the battle of Centaurs he has already seen, the Thracian singer's song is too old, and the three Muses mourning for the death of learning, is too sad for such a nuptial occasion.
58. Why does Philostrate try to keep Theseus from seeing the play? What does he say is wrong with it? He thinks Theseus will not like the play at all, and he thinks that Theseus will be in a bad mood after watching it. He says, the actors are just hard-handed men with no experience in acting at all. The props are horrible. And the actors screw up the lines too often.
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? The women will not be afraid if the lion kills someone or roars very loudly, or when someone kills him/herself.
61. How does Shakespeare use comments from the audience to enhance the humour of the play that they are watching? He makes the actors come out of the play and explain their characters making the play even funnier.
62. What is Hippolyta’s reaction to the play? She believes the play is horrible, the actors are horrible, the props are horrible, basically she thinks everything is just awful.
63. In what way is Thisbe’s final speech humorous? He is so so so sincere and his Adieu, Adieu, Aideu line is funny.
64. What does Oberon tell the fairies to do? Bless the marriage beds?
65. What is the purpose of Puck’s final speech? He is trying to tell people, that he is trying to clean up the mess he has made, and if you don't want to believe anything that has happened, just pretend it was 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.
excessive alliteration Whereat, with blade, with bloody blameful blade, He bravely broach'd is boiling bloody breast;
breaking the play’s illusion of reality Pyramus: Cursed be thy stones for thus deceiving me! Theseus: The wall, methinks, being sensible, should curse again. Pyramus: No, in truth sir, he should not. "Decieving me" is Thisby's cue:she is to enter now, and I am to spy her through the wall.
using the wrong word or name "Not Shafalus to Procrus was so true."
repeating a word excessively "Now die, die, die, die, die."
ridiculous metaphor "To spy an I can hear my Thisby's face. Thisby!"
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?
COMPLETION 9/10
EFFORT 8/10
CONTENT 8/10
TOTAL 25/30