Mid+summer+nights+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 next four days will go by fast and theseus thinks it will take a long time 2. Why has Egeus brought his daughter and her two suitors to Theseus? What does Egeus expect him to do? he expects theseus to tell hermia she will die if she doesnt obey 3. What was the proper role for women/daughters in Athenian society according to Egeus and Theseus? What is Theseus’s ruling concerning Hermia? A woman is basicly her husband or fathers slave and if she doesnt do what they say he has he right to kill her 4. How does Lysander’s comment about Demetrius’s previous love affair with Helena complicate things? because he said that he doesnt really love her because you can not fall out of and in love that soon 5. What do Lysander and Hermia plan to do about this seemingly impossible situation? Why do they tell Helena? they plan to flee to lysanders aunts house in the woods because it is out of reach of athenian law and they will get married 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 can either marry demetrius, join a nunnary or die. lysander suggests another option of running away Act I, Scene 2 8. Why does Nick Bottom want to play all the parts? because he thinks he is the greatest actor ever 9. In what way is this scene funny? Why do you suppose Shakespeare included this scene? because everyone is trying to shut Bottom uo and shakespear wanted to add some comedy to lighten the mood 10. Where are the actors to meet the following night? Who else is meeting there at the same time? they are meeting in the woods along with lysander and hermia

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 they are married, but every time they see each other they argue. 11. How have Oberon and Titania been involved in the past with Theseus and Hippolyta; why have they come to Athens? Oberon had a previous relationship with Hippolyta and Titania had one with Theseus. 12. What effect has their quarrel had on nature, on the seasons, on humans? When ever they fight big storms and natural disasters happen and nothing goes right. 13. Why won’t Titania give up the changeling to Oberon? she wil not give up the child because she promised her friend she would take care of it when she died. 14. What does Oberon send Puck to find? The pansies because of the love potion in it. 15. What are Oberon’s plans for Titania? To put some of the love potion in her eyes when she is sleeping so she will fall in love with the first animate object she sees in the morning. Hoping it will be an ugly beast. 16. How does Helena react to Demetrius’s verbal abuse? She says the more he does it the more she will come back for more. 17. What is her response to his threats of physical abuse? Every time he strikes her she will take it as love. 18. In what way is Helena’s behaviour inappropriate for Athenian women? Because she loves a man who is getting married and she wont lave him alone 19. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about Demetrius and Helena? To put the pansy juice in his eyes so they will fall in love and be a very happy couple Act II, Scene 2 20. Why does Oberon want Titania to wake and fall in love with some vile thing? To mess with her because they are fighting right now. 21. Why does Hermia insist Lysander sleep a little ways from her? So she can be respectful and have patience. 22. Why does Puck anoint Lysander’s eyes? He thinks he is the athenian boy. 23. How does Helena react to Lysander’s sudden love for her when he awakens? She thinks its mockery and is offended. 24. How is Hermia’s dream a reflection of reality? Because Lysander has broken her heart for falling in love with another woman

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 t explain that it is fake at the start of the play. 26. How are the actors going to manage the setting/scenery such as the moonlight and the wall? They are going to do the play on a specific moonlight night, for the whole in the wall they are going to have a person making a circle with their fingers. 27. Why do the rest of the actors run off when Bottom reappears? He has an asses head. 28. What does Puck plan to do when he follows after the other actors? He wants to take bottom to Titania because she has the love potion and who ever she sees in the morning when she wakes up she will fall in love with them. 29. How does Bottom react to Titania and the other fairies? Bottom is happy with all of the attention and love he's getting. 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 Killing Lysander. 32. How are Puck and Oberon going to correct Puck’s earlier mistake? They are going to put the love potion in their eyes again and make Lysander wake up next to Hermia. 33. Why is Helena upset when Demetrius says he loves her? Isn’t this what she had wanted all along? She thinks he is doing it to mock her. 34. Of what does Helena accuse Hermia? That she is in on the plan to humiliate her. 35. How close had Hermia and Helena been in the past? They were best friends. 36. How does Lysander treat Hermia? Why can’t she believe what he says? He says that he never loved her and hated every moment with her. 37. Of what does Hermia accuse Helena? She thinks Helena stole her man. 38. Why is Helena afraid of Hermia? Because she has more strength because she is mad. 39. What are Lysander and Demetrius going off to do? Fight to the death for Helena. 40. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about the two young men? Break them apart so they don't kill each other. 41. What is Oberon going to do about Titania? End the prank and make her stop loving bottom. 42. Why doesn’t Oberon fear the coming of day? He doesn't fear the coming day because he is going to make Titania stop loving bottom 43. How well does Puck’s trickery work? Very well because he mixed up the whole situation. **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.**
 * Bottom gets a donkeys head
 * Titania was awing over Bottom because of the love potion
 * They decide to make a Prologue warning the audience that it is not real lion in the ply and it is not a real death.
 * Oberon realizes Pucks mistake with the love potions.
 * Lysander is falling over Helena because of the love potion, he is poring his heart out and saying anything to make her love him.
 * Lysander tells Hermia that he never loved her.
 * Oberon spazzes at Puck telling him to fix this whole mess.
 * Helena and Hermia have a huge fight accusing each other of terrible things niether of them actualy did.

Act IV, Scene 1 44. How has Bottom adjusted to the attention of Titania and her fairies? He loves the attention and he is milking it. 45. What is Oberon’s reaction to Titania’s infatuation with Bottom? He is happy because she fell in love with a hideous creature 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? They wanted to come out early to join the fox hunt. 49. What explanation does Demetrius make? Why does he compare his love for Hermia to an illness? He says his love for Hermia has melted like snow and said "like a sickness, i do loath this food" about his love toward Hermia. 50. What is Theseus’s decision concerning the four young people? Because he is the person who choses their fait. 51. Why can’t the young people be sure whether they are awake or dreaming? Because they all ended up in the same situation as they were before the start of the play, and because what happened was very far fetched. 52. Bottom believes he too has had a dream. How is he going to use that to entertain the Duke? He will do a monologue in the middle in the middle of the play about his dream They need time to rehearse. Act IV, Scene 2 53. What opinion do the other artisans now have of Bottom since they think he is lost? Now that he is gone they value him more and think he is amazing. 54. What do they most regret losing by not being able to perform the play? They think they will be hung. 55. Why must the artisans hurry to the Duke’s palace? so they can perform there play so they can get paid.

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? ====

Bottom is under appreciated and no one gives him the attention he deserves.
==== b) How do most of the dreamers respond to the dream experience upon waking? Which character is changed permanently by the dream experience? ====

They are still unsure if it was all a dream and the person who changed the most was demetrius.
==== 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 was saying that true love never runs smoothly.
Act V 56. Why does Theseus dismiss the stories of the four young people? He doesnt want to have to kill anyone on his wedding day. 57. Why does Theseus choose to see the play about Pyramus and Thisby rather than the other entertainments?

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?

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 breaking the play’s illusion of reality 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? ===