A+Midsummer+Night's+Dream

media type="file" key="Shakespeare Project.m4a" width="300" height="50"“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” media type="file" key="bottoms dream.mp3" width="240" height="20" Bottoms Dream-Kate,Catherine,layma

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 that the four days will pass very quickly because when you really want to be somewhere then time will fly fast. However, Theseus doesn't share her opinion and can't wait to get married.

2. Why has Egeus brought his daughter and her two suitors to Theseus? What does Egeus expect him to do?

Egeus brought his daughter and her two suitors to Theseus because he wants Theseus to make Hermia pick the man he likes. Egeus wants Hermia to marry Demetrius, but Hermia loves Lysander. He wants Theseus' permission to kill his daughter if she doesn't go by his will.

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 for women and daughters was to listen to the men in their lives like their father and husband.

4. How does Lysander’s comment about Demetrius’s previous love affair with Helena complicate things?

It brings dought about demetrius' character into their minds.

5. What do Lysander and Hermia plan to do about this seemingly impossible situation? Why do they tell Helena?

They are planning to run away beyond the boundaries of Athens so that they can get married. They tell Helena their whole plan.

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?

Because in her twisted mind she somehow comes up with the fact that Demetrius had changed his mind once and if she tells him of Hermia's plans then he will love her once more.

====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 is either marry Demetrius or die. Theseus also adds the choice of becoming a nun. Lysander suggests that they run away.

Act I, Scene 2 8. Why does Nick Bottom want to play all the parts?

Nick Bottom wants to play all the parts because he thinks he can do the best job out of every one.

9. In what way is this scene funny? Why do you suppose Shakespeare included this scene?

This scene is funny because he is like the person who wants to sit on both chairs and ends up falling. However in his case, Quince is very nice to Bottom and lets him have "one chair".

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 woods the following night. Hermia and Lysander are also meeting there at the same time.

11. How would you describe Bottom’s acting ability? What is Bottom’s own opinion of his acting ability?
Bottom's acting ability is not nearly as good as he thinks he is. Clearly he has some skill because Quince wanted him in his play, but I do not think he is great. Bottom thinks that he is a wonderful actor and I don't think anything can make him change his opinion.

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?

They try not to spend time together because whenever they are, they fight. When they fight, natural disasters happen and it harms humans. They always fight, they can never get along, and they do not have a very good marriage.

11. How have Oberon and Titania been involved in the past with Theseus and Hippolyta; why have they come to Athens?

In the past, Oberon has been in a relationship with Hyppolyta, and Titania has been in love with Theseus. They came to athens because Theseus and Hyppolyta are getting married.

12. What effect has their quarrel had on nature, on the seasons, on humans?

Their quarrel brings natural disasters, which messes up the seasons, and it harms humans because they suffer from tsunamis and hurricanes, and earthquakes, and others.

13. Why won’t Titania give up the changeling to Oberon?

Titania wouldn't give up the changeling boy because he was her maid's son. The maid died and Titania had been taking care of the boy ever since as a thank you to her maid.

14. What does Oberon send Puck to find?

Oberon sends Puck to find a pansy that had been hit with cupid's arrow.

15. What are Oberon’s plans for Titania?

Oberon's plans for Titania are to place some pansy juice on her eyelids which makes her fall in love with the first living thing she sees.

16. How does Helena react to Demetrius’s verbal abuse?

Helena doesn't react the way Demetrius wanted her to. She doesn't leave or get upset. Instead, she speaks of her love for him.

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

She doesn't take them seriously.

18. In what way is Helena’s behaviour inappropriate for Athenian women?

Helena's behaviour is inappropriate because she follows a man when he tells her not to and does not listen to the man. In athens, the women always listen and do what the men say. Thus her behaviour is not acceptable.

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

Oberon tells Puck to make Demetrius 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?

Oberon wants Titania to learn her lesson by causing her unwanted love to an animal.

21. Why does Hermia insist Lysander sleep a little ways from her?

Hermia is a modest and proper type girl. She doesn't want to do anything before they get married.

22. Why does Puck anoint Lysander’s eyes?

Puck mistakes Lysander for Demetrius because they are both wearing the same clothing that Oberon described, and he never actually saw their faces.

23. How does Helena react to Lysander’s sudden love for her when he awakens?

Helena gets deeply offended because she feels Lysander is in an agreement with Demetrius to make fun of her. She is upset since she thought Lysander was better than that.

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

Hermia's dream is a reflection of reality because the serpent eating her heart is a metaphor for Lysander breaking her heart by falling in love with Helena.

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 saying that these events are not really going to happen.

26. How are the actors going to manage the setting/scenery such as the moonlight and the wall?

For the moonlight, the actors are going to open a window to let real moonshine shine through into the room. as for the wall, they will have an actor playing the part of wall.

27. Why do the rest of the actors run off when Bottom reappears?

They run off because Bottom comes back with the head of a donkey.

28. What does Puck plan to do when he follows after the other actors?

Puck plans to make some mischief happen and mess with them.

29. How does Bottom react to Titania and the other fairies?

Bottom is at first surprised, but later decides to just go with it.

30. Bottom says, "…reason and love keep little company together nowadays." Why is this such an apt statement at this point in the play?

This statement is very important as the whole play is about people doing crazy things and acting in the most ridiculous ways because of love. Here, Bottom is saying that love doesn't make sense, and I think that this one quote sums up the whole play very well.

Act III, Scene 2 31. What does Hermia accuse Demetrius of doing?

Hermia accuses Demetrius of killing Lysander.

32. How are Puck and Oberon going to correct Puck’s earlier mistake?

Puck and Oberon plan to re-annoint the lovers' eyes to set things right.

33. Why is Helena upset when Demetrius says he loves her? Isn’t this what she had wanted all along?

Helena is upset because she thinks that Demetrius is just making fun of her as she doesn't believe he could change his mind so quickly.

34. Of what does Helena accuse Hermia?

Helena accuses Hermia of joining in on the joke that she believes Lysander and Demetrius are playing on her.

35. How close had Hermia and Helena been in the past?

Hermia and Helena had been best friends in the past, as close as friends could be, they were like sisters.

36. How does Lysander treat Hermia? Why can’t she believe what he says?

Lysander is in love with Hermia because of the pansy juice. However, she doesn't believe anything he says as she knows that Lysander is in love with Hermia.

37. Of what does Hermia accuse Helena?

Hermia accuses Helena of stealing her husband to be.

38. Why is Helena afraid of Hermia?

Helena is afraid of Hermia because she knows that even though she is small, she is feisty and could blow up at any minute at which point she could really hurt her.

39. What are Lysander and Demetrius going off to do?

Lysander and Demetrius are going off to the forest to fight over Helena.

40. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about the two young men?

Oberon tells Puck to tire out the men by making them run in the wrong directions to supposedly chase after one another.

41. What is Oberon going to do about Titania?

Oberon is going to lift the spell off of Titania.

42. Why doesn’t Oberon fear the coming of day?

Oberon thinks that he is a fairy that is powerful both day and night.

43. How well does Puck’s trickery work?

Puck's trickery works extremely well as the two men end up in completely different parts of the woods.

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's character is very interesting and in some ways, he might actually be the focus of the play. He is very different from Theseus because Theseus is wise, and Bottom only believes that he himself is wise also. ====

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

Demetrius is changed because he is now in love with someone else. Most of the characters respond by not knowing if what happened was really true.
==== 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 saying that "love and reason keep little company nowadays...", in other words, Shakespeare thinks love makes no sense but we could not be human without it.

Act V 56. Why does Theseus dismiss the stories of the four young people?

Theseus dismisses the stories because it all sounds like a fairy tale, and he is a very practical man who doesn't believe in such things.

57. Why does Theseus choose to see the play about Pyramus and Thisby rather than the other entertainments?

He chooses this play because he thinks it will be rather interesting, and when his servant advises him against it, he says that even if they are very bad, it will be entertaining to laugh at the actors.

58. Why does Philostrate try to keep Theseus from seeing the play? What does he say is wrong with it?

Philostrate attempts to keep Theseus away from the play as he has seen the actors rehearse, and he knows how awful they are. He says that the play is very brief, yet it is too long; that it is a comical tragedy.

59. What does Theseus mean by the lines, "For never anything can be amiss, when simpleness and duty tender it"?

Theseus means that no matter how bad something is, if comes from the heart then it should be appreciated and thanked for.

60. What is accomplished by having the Prologue tell the whole story that the actors are then going to enact?

This accomplishes the play not being taken seriously becuase it is basically saying, this is not real.

61. How does Shakespeare use comments from the audience to enhance the humour of the play that they are watching?

Shakespeare uses comments to show that the audience is enjoying the play for all the wrong reasons which makes the play seem more humorous.

62. What is Hippolyta’s reaction to the play?

Hippolyta thinks it is very funny.

63. In what way is Thisby’s final speech humorous?

Thisbe's speech is funny because after such an awful play, a good act seems very out of place.

64. What does Oberon tell the fairies to do?

Oberon tells the fairies to make sure the newlyweds have a good night.

65. What is the purpose of Puck’s final speech?

Puck's final speech was meant to prevent anyone from getting offended and also to give a nice finale to the whole play.

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

**"For, by thy gracious, golden, glittering gleams..."**
breaking the play’s illusion of reality using the wrong word or name
 * When bottom decides to talk to the audience from the stage. **

repeating a word excessively ridiculous metaphor
 * Meet me at Ninny's tomb.**
 * Audieu, Audieu, Audieu, Audieu, **

=== 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? === This helps greatly because you can see the way they are reacting, and you can understand what is going through their mind at the moment. You can really feel the mocking atmosphere that is in the theatre and you undersatnd a lot better. === 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? ===

Pyramus and Thisbe is not a good choice for a wedding because it is a tragedy, and a wedding should be a happy, joyful celebration. However it is still about love so, in that way, it could be considered appropriate. It is ironic that it had been chosen as it is all about the troubles faced by lovers and after all that our couples have gone through, it seems funny.

Act 3,4,5???

Completion 25/25 Effort 18/25 Content 21/25 revised total 69/75 Podcast 1 - 20/20 Podcast 2 - 18/20