A+Midsummer+Nights+Dream

__**Act 1 Podcast: Night Images**__ Kate LeBere and Eehjoe Kwan media type="file" key="Midsummer Nights Dream.mp3" width="240" height="20" __**Act 4 Podcast: Bottomless Dream**__ Kate LeBere and Eehjoe Kwan media type="file" key="Bottomless Dream.mp3" width="240" height="20" I had a dream, a glorious dream, Where the fairies sang and danced. For I had a fair queen, in this dream, Who loved me as the stars did prance.
 * A Midsummer Night’s Dream **

I had a dream, a precous dream, Where my privilege hit the peak. For I was like a king in this dream, Thus my love started to leak. __** Act I, Scene 1 **__ ** 1. How is Hippolyta’s reasoning concerning how quickly the next four days will pass different from that of Theseus? ** Theseus is unpatient, and is becomeing angry that he has to wait four more days until he marries Hippolyta. Hippolyta says that the day will come soon enough. She is in no rush to become married. Egeus brought Hermia, Lysander, and Demetrius to Theseus because Hermia does not want to marry Demetrius, and wishes to marry Lysander. Egeus epects Theseus to make Hermia marry Demetrius. Egeus also expects Theseus to give him the permission to kill Hermia if she denies the marriage. Theseus and Egeus both believe that Hermia should be grateful to her father because he is the one who created her and "molded her from wax." It complicatse things because Theseus and Egeus realize that Demetrius is not faithful and as kind as they originally thought. Lysander and Hermia decide to sneak away into the woods and get married outside of Athens at Lysander's Aunt's house. They tell Helena to cheer her up. It gives Helena hope that Demetrius might fall back in love with her. Helena thinks that Demetrius will begin to love her again if he finds out. Hermia has to marry Demetrius, become a nun, or die. Lysander said that they should run away to the forest and get married.
 * 2. Why has Egeus brought his daughter and her two suitors to Theseus? What does Egeus expect him to do **
 * 3. What was the proper role for women/daughters in Athenian society according to Egeus and Theseus? What is Theseus’s ruling concerning Hermia? **
 * 4 **** . How does Lysander’s comment about Demetrius’s previous love affair with Helena complicate things? **
 * 5. What do Lysander and Hermia plan to do about this seemingly impossible situation? Why do they tell Helena? **
 * 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? **
 * 7. Identify Hermia’s basic dilemma. What are the choices outlined for her by Theseus and her father? What other choice does Lysander suggest? **

__** Act I, Scene 2 **__ ** 8. Why does Nick Bottom want to play all the parts? ** Nick wants to play all of the parts because he thinks he can do the best at them. He is arrogant, and thinks he knows everything. The scene is funny because Shakespeare is mocking plays. The boys don’t want to play girls roles and Nick thinks he knows everything when he doesn’t. The actors are supposed to meet in the woods which is the same place Hermia and Lysander are meeting the following night. Bottom is arrogant and thinks he is the best actor in the world. He thinks he can play everyone’s parts better then themselves. He is very loud and controlling.
 * 9. In what way is this scene funny? Why do you suppose Shakespeare included this scene? **
 * 10. Where are the actors to meet the following night? Who else is 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? **

** 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? ** You find out that Oberon and Titania are not getting along because Titania has stolen an Indian baby that Oberon wants to as Knight of his train. Titania instead crowns him with flowers and withholds him for herself. Both Titania and Theseus and Oberon and Hippolyta all used to love eachother. They have come to Athens to celebrate the wedding. It has become windy, foggy, rivers have overflowed, people have become sad because their fields have flooded and the crops have rotted. Nights have become scary and dangerous, and rheumatic diseases spread. The seasons also alter; there is frost in summer, and the winters are harsher than before. Titania loves the changeling as her own son. The changelings mother was Titania’s friend. The mother died, and Titania wanted to do anything to protect her son. Oberon sent Puck to retrieve a flower that makes people fall in love. ** 15. What are Oberon’s plans for Titania? ** Oberon wants to use the flower on Titania and have her fall in love with some kind of animal because he thinks it would be funny. He also thinks it might help him get the changeling. Helena still loves Demetrius even though he hates he. She even says “The more you beat me, I will fawn on you” Helena’s response was “Your virtue is my privilege: for that it is not night when I do see your face, therefore I think I am not in the night; nor doth this wood lack worlds of company, for you in my respect are all the world: then how can it be said I am alone, when all the world is here to look on me?” Helena does not care what punishment she may have to endure so she can be with Demetrius. In the first act, Theseus and Egues explain how the women does not have a choice in who she marries. Helena is trying desperately to convince Demetrius of his love. 1**9. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about Demetrius and Helena?** Oberon tells Puck to use the flower on Demetrius so he will fall in love with Helena.
 * __ Act II, Scene 1 __**
 * 11. How have Oberon and Titania been involved in the past with Theseus and Hippolyta; why have they come to Athens? **
 * 12. What effect has their quarrel had on nature, on the seasons, on humans? **
 * 13. Why won’t Titania give up the changeling to Oberon? **
 * 14. What does Oberon send Puck to find? **
 * 16. How does Helena react to Demetrius’s verbal abuse? **
 * 17. What is her response to his threats of physical abuse? **
 * 18. In what way is Helena’s behavior inappropriate for Athenian women? **

Oberon thinks that Titania deserves it. It would be funny and would be embarrassing for her. He also thinks it might help him get the changeling. She might forget about the boy if she’s in deep enough love. Hermia insists that Lysander sleeps a little ways from her because they are not married, and she doesn’t want anything to happen. Puck anointed Lysanders eyes because he thought that Lysander was the Athenian man Oberon was talking about. Helena thinks that Lysander is playing a cruel joke on her and is extremely upset. Hermia’s dream is about her heart being eaten by a serpent, and Lysander not helping her. When she wakes up, Lysander is gone, in love with Helena, and hates Hermia.
 * __ Act II, Scene 2 __**
 * 20. Why does Oberon want Titania to wake and fall in love with some vile thing? **
 * 21. Why does Hermia insist Lysander sleep a little ways from her? **
 * 22. Why does Puck anoint Lysander’s eyes? **
 * 2 **** 3. How does Helena react to Lysander’s sudden love for her when he awakens? **
 * 24. How is Hermia’s dream a reflection of reality? **

__** Act III, Scene 1 **__ The actors are going to write a prologue saying that Pyramus is just Bottom the weaver and that he does not actually kill himself, and that the lion is just Snug the joiner and half his face must be seen through the lion's neck. The actors find out that the moon will shine on the night of the play, so they are just going to have a hole so the moon can shine through. For the wall, they are dressing one of them up in a plaster costume that will represent “Wall”. “Wall” will hold his fingers in a way that it looks like a crack in the wall. The actors run away because Bottom’s head has been changed into a donkey’s head. Puck decides to chase the other actors as creatures and things such as a horse, a hound, a hog, a headless bear, and fire. At first, Bottom is confused and shocked, but then he warms up to the idea. The point of the quote is that love does not make sense. At this point in the play, Bottom is confused why Titania suddenly falls in love with him.
 * 25. How are the actors going to keep from scaring the ladies when Pyramus kills himself or when the lion roars? **
 * 2 **** 6. How are the actors going to manage the setting/scenery such as the moonlight and the wall? **
 * 27. Why do the rest of the actors run off when Bottom reappears? **
 * 28. What does Puck plan to do when he follows after the other 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?** Hermia accuses Demetrius of murdering Lysander. Puck is going to make Demetruis fall in love with Helena. Helena is upset because she thinks that Demetrius is playing a rude joke on her. She did not believe that he was sincere. Helena accuses Hermia about being a part of the rude joke the whole time. Hermia and Helena were best friends in the past. They used to tell each other everything. Lysander hates Hermia and she does not believe that he actually does. Just an hour ago, he was deeply in love with her. Hermia accuses Helena of stealing her Lysander away from her. Helena is afraid of Hermia because even though she is small, she is fierce. Lysander and Demetrius are going off to fight over Helena. Oberon tells Puck to lead the two men into different parts of the woods so they are not near each other. Oberon is going to return Titania back to normal. Oberon does not fear the coming day because he knows that everything will work out. Puck's trickery worked well and the two men were separated. Puck was able to anoint Lysander’s eyes once more. ** 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. ** -Titania falls in love with Bottom   -Lysander falls in love with Helena   -Demetrius falls in love with Helena   -Helena thinks that Lysander and Demetrius are playing a cruel joke on her   -Hermia is heartbroken and disappointed with her friend. -The four get into a fight  -Lysander and Demetrius go to battle for Helena   -Puck leads them to seperate sections of the woods   -Puck makes sure Lysander will fall back in love with Helena Bottom has adjusted quite well to the attention for Titania. He likes the fact that he is being treated like a king. Oberon thinks everything is funny but also thinks that it is mean of him. Oberon is pretending that Titania just had a dream. They are all on a fox hunt before the wedding. 4**8. What is Theseus’s first explanation of why the young people are asleep in the woods?** Theseus thinks that the young people woke up early to honour him on his wedding day. Demetrius says that he’s loved Helena all along and that his love of Hermia was not try. He compare it to a sickness as if he has recovered from it and by recovering he means that he loves Helena once more. 5**0. What is Theseus’s decision concerning the four young people?** Theseus decides that Hermia and Lysander, and Helena and Demetrius, will all be wedded. The young people do not believe what has happened is true, but yet they all thought the same thing happened. Bottom is going to have Quince write him a ballad called “Bottom’s Dream”. Everyone misses Bottom greatly. They all realize then how much they actually care for him. They all realize that now because three couples are getting married, that they would have been paid triple. They must hurry because the wedding has already started. Theseus is very reserved character and Bottom is the opposite. Bottom wants to be the center of attention all of the time. You really see their difference when you see Theseus watch the play. The characters are all confused by the dream. They do not know if it was true or not. Demetrius was permanently changed by the play, because now, he is in love with Helena, and not Hermia. Shakespeare is saying that love is a complicated, difficult, and confusing emotion. We all change our minds and normally don’t understand why we thought otherwise beforehand.
 * 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? **
 * 3 **** 7. Of what does Hermia accuse Helena? **
 * 38. Why is Helena afraid of Hermia? **
 * 39. What are Lysander and Demetrius going off to do? **
 * 4 **** 0. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about the two young men? **
 * 4 **** 1. What is Oberon going to do about Titania? **
 * 4 **** 2. Why doesn’t Oberon fear the coming of day? **
 * 43. How well does Puck’s trickery work? **
 * __ Act IV, Scene 1 __**
 * 44. How has Bottom adjusted to the attention of Titania and her fairies? **
 * 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? **
 * 49. What explanation does Demetrius make? Why does he compare his love for Hermia to an illness? **
 * 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? **
 * __ A __****__ ct IV, Scene 2 __**
 * 53. What opinion do the other artisans now have of Bottom since they think he is lost? **
 * 54. What do they most regret losing by not being able to perform the play? **
 * 55. Why must the artisans hurry to the Duke’s palace? **
 * __ 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? **

**__ Act V, Scene 1 __** Thess knows that they are all in love and that it does not matter. He also does not believe in supernatural things so when he heard the story, he probably did not want to believe it. Theseus thinks that the other acts will be too depressing. Philostrate says that it is too long, and even though it is supposed to be a tragedy, he laughed because it was so funny. **59. What does Theseus mean by the lines, "For never anything can be amiss, when simpleness and duty tender it"?**  He means that the play cannot be a total disaster if these men put the time into it. Nothing is really accomplished, but the actors think that they are going to make the ladies in the audience less scared. **61. How does Shakespeare use comments from the audience to enhance the humour of the play that they are watching?**The audience makes funny comments throughout the 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: ** ** ecessive alliteration: ** Whereat, with blade, with bloody blameful blade, he bravely broached his boiling bloody breast. ** breaking the play’s illusion of reality: ** When Bottom talks to the audience ** using the wrong word or name: ** I see a voice, I can hear my Thisbe's face  ** repeating a word excessively: ** Now die, die, die, die, die, die. ** ridiculous metaphor: ** Tongue, lose thy light, moon take thy flight. It makes you relate to the characters in the audience more because you are experiencing exactly what they are. You can see their realationship based on the comments they make.
 * 56. Why does Theseus dismiss the stories of the four young people? **
 * 7. 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? **
 * 60. What is accomplished by having the Prologue tell the whole story that the actors are then going to enact? **
 * 62. What is Hippolyta’s reaction to the play?**  Hippolyta actually loves the play in the end.
 * 63. In what way is Thisby’s final speech humorous? ** Thisby is played by a man, and he also does a good job. I don’t think the audience expects that when they saw the rest of the play.
 * 64. What does Oberon tell the fairies to do? ** Oberon tells the fairies to bless the house with all of the lovers in it.
 * 65. What is the purpose of Puck’s final speech? ** Puck’s final speech wraps up the whole play. He basically means that if you didn’t like the play, pretend it was a dream.
 * 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? **

Bottom and Theseus would be the clever characters, and Moonshine, or Lion would be the clueless characters. Bottom argues with Theseus about the play. Moonshine and Lion had no clue what was going on.
 * 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? **

Pyramus and Thisbe is unsuitable for a wedding because it is a tragedy about two lovers who kill themselves, and a wedding is when people get married. It is ironic because it is about lovers becoming confused and doing drastic things. Completion 25/25  Effort 24/25   Content 24/25   Total 73/75 Podcast1 - 20/20  Podcast 2 - 19/20
 * 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? **