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 says that the next four days will quickly turn into nights.

2. Why has Egeus brought his daughter and her two suitors to Theseus? What does Egeus expect him to do? Egeus brings them to Theseus and explains how his daughter is in love with a man who he does not want her to marry. He asks Theseus for the ancient athenian right to kill his daughter if she will to marry his preferred suitor.

3. What was the proper role for women/daughters in Athenian society according to Egeus and Theseus? What is Theseus’s ruling concerning Hermia? Theseus offers Hermia 3 options: marry Demetrius, be killed, or join a nunnery.

4. How does Lysander’s comment about Demetrius’s previous love affair with Helena complicate things? It shows us that Demetrius may be an unfaithful and irresponsible lover.

5. What do Lysander and Hermia plan to do about this seemingly impossible situation? Why do they tell Helena? Lysander and Hermia plan to sneak away and get married outside of city limits, where Athenian law won't affect them.

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 tells Demetrius of their plans because she thinks it will make him 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 is in love with Lysander, but her father wants her to marry but her father wants to marry Demitrius.

Act I, Scene 2 8. Why does Nick Bottom want to play all the parts? He wants to play all the parts because he is full of himself.

9. In what way is this scene funny? Why do you suppose Shakespeare included this scene? This scene is funny because one male actor has to play the part of a woman. I think Shakespeare included this scene to mock the Elizabethan-era theatre, which did not allow women to act.

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

11. How would you describe Bottom’s acting ability? What is Bottom’s own opinion of his acting ability? Bottom's acting ability is medicore at best, but he thinks that he is a great actor.

media type="file" key="MSND Act1 Final.mp3" width="240" height="20"

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? Oberon and Titania do not like each other, and argue often.

11. How have Oberon and Titania been involved in the past with Theseus and Hippolyta; why have they come to Athens? It is revealed that Oberon had once had a romantic affair with Hippolyta.

12. What effect has their quarrel had on nature, on the seasons, on humans? When the two fight, it negatively affects the world around them by causing crops to go bad, and creating bad weather.

13. Why won’t Titania give up the changeling to Oberon? She won't give Oberon the changeling because she feels it is her duty to protect him and raise him as her own.

14. What does Oberon send Puck to find? Oberon sends puck to find a magical flower that can cause someone to fall in love with the first animal they see. The flower gained this power when Cupid shot it with one of his arrows.

15. What are Oberon’s plans for Titania? He plans to put juice from a magical flower in her eye, which will cause her to fall in love with the first living thing she sees.

16. How does Helena react to Demetrius’s verbal abuse? Instead of taking offense at his insults, Helena acts as if Demetrius is talking romantically towards her. After each insult, she uses his words to compliment him.

17. What is her response to his threats of physical abuse?

18. In what way is Helena’s behaviour inappropriate for Athenian women? In Athenian society, it was usually the men who perused the women.

19. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about Demetrius and Helena?

Act II, Scene 2 20. Why does Oberon want Titania to wake and fall in love with some vile thing? He wants her to fall in love with a vile being as an act of revenge.

21. Why does Hermia insist Lysander sleep a little ways from her? Hermia insists this because they are not yet married, and she doesn't want to spoil the concept of remaining romantically inactive until marriage.

22. Why does Puck anoint Lysander’s eyes? Puck accidentally puts the flower juice in Lysander's eyes after he was told by Oberon to put it into the eyes of an Athenian man (Demetrius), but mistook Lysander for the mentioned man.

23. How does Helena react to Lysander’s sudden love for her when he awakens? Helena thinks that Lysander is playing a cruel joke on her.

24. How is Hermia’s dream a reflection of reality?

= **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? ** They will inform the audience beforehand that the suicide scene is only acting, not real. They also mention that the lion is only an actor.

**26. How are the actors going to manage the setting/scenery such as the moonlight and the wall? ** The actors are going to use an actor as the wall, and will open a window to let the moonlight in.

27. Why do the rest of the actors run off when Bottom reappears? They run off because Bottom's head has turned into that of a donkey.

28. What does Puck plan to do when he follows after the other actors? Puck intends to pose as many different animals, and scare the 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?

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? Lysander treats Hermia very meanly. She finds this hard to believe, because just hours ago he was her lover.

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.** ====

=== **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? ** ** Bottom has gotten used to the idea of being treated well by the fairies, and often asks them for food or to scratch his chin. **

** 45. What is Oberon’s reaction to Titania’s infatuation with Bottom? **

** 46. What sort of explanation will Oberon make to Titania’s question about what happened to her? **

** 47. Why are Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and the others out in the woods so early in the morning? **

** 48. What is Theseus’s first explanation of why the young people are asleep in the woods? **

** 49. What explanation does Demetrius make? Why does he compare his love for Hermia to an illness? **

** 50. What is Theseus’s decision concerning the four young people? **

** 51. Why can’t the young people be sure whether they are awake or dreaming? **

** 52. Bottom believes he too has had a dream. How is he going to use that to entertain the Duke? ** ** He is going to write a ballad about his dream, and preform it 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? ** ** They all miss him very much, and regard him as the best actor in the group. **

54. What do they most regret losing by not being able to perform the play? The regret not being able to be paid for their preformance, as they would be paid six pence a day (which doesn't make sense because the currency of ancient Athens was the tetradrachm).

** 55. Why must the artisans hurry to the Duke’s palace? ** ** They must hurry in order to reherse and preform the play in time. **

**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? ====

==== b) How do most of the dreamers respond to the dream experience upon waking? Which character is changed permanently 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? ====

I think that Shakespeare is saying that those emotions change on a regular basis, and we will often regret what they have done to us.

== **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 thinks that love makes people crazy, and that the for of them have just gone temporarily ** crazy with love.

** 57. Why does Theseus choose to see the play about Pyramus and Thisby rather than the other entertainments? ** He says that if the peasants put all their time and hard work into the play, it must be good.

** 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 Thisby’s final speech humorous? **

** 64. What does Oberon tell the fairies to do? **

** 65. What is the purpose of Puck’s final speech? ** To give a close to the story, and clean up the mess which was left behind by the other chareters (this is represented by him sweeping with a broom).

** 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 each 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: No, in truth, sir, he should not. 'Deceiving me' is Thisby's cue: she is to enter now, and I am to spy her through the wall. You shall see, it will fall pat as I told you. Yonder she comes.

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?** ===

=== **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 6/10 EFFORT 5/10 CONTENT 5/10 TOTAL 16/30 **