A+Midsummer+Night's+Dream+Questions

Act I, Scene 1 Hippolyta thinks that the next four days will go by quickly but Theseus thinks the next four days will take along time to go by. Egues expects Theseus to make sure Hermia makes the right decision by marring Demetrius. The role for women/daughters in Athenian society is to do whatever their father or husband tells them to do. It proves that Demetrius is unpredictable and on worthy of Hermia's love. Lysander and Hermia plan to leave the city and go to Lysander's aunts house and get married there where there are no laws. They tell Helena because this will mean that she can go for Demetrius. Helena wants to tell Demetrius about Lysander and Hermia's plan because she thinks that would make Demetrius fall in love with her. Hermia's problem is that she is being forced to get married to Demetrius even though she loves Lysander, and if she doesn't get married she will be killed or taken to a nunnery. Act I, Scene 2 Nick Bottom wants to play all the parts because he thinks he is a amazing actor and none of the other actors are good enough to play the parts. This scene is funny because it's funny seeing that Bottom thinks he is so amazing and how all the actors react to him. Shakespeare included this scene probably because he wanted to put his own twist to the play. All the actors are meeting in the forest outside of Athens. Lysander and Hermia are meeting at the same place and Helena is going to tell Demetruis about this so they will be there too. I would say that Bottom's acting ability is not very good but he thinks he is the best actor of his time.
 * 1. How is Hippolyta’s reasoning concerning how quickly the next four days will pass different from that of Theseus?**
 * 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? **
 * 8. Why does Nick Bottom want to play all the parts?**
 * 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? **

Podcast assignment- A Midsummers Night's Dream Morgan & Ross

media type="file" key="Act 1.m4a" width="300" height="50"

Act II, Scene 1 The reader learns that Oberon and Titania are married but every time they see each other they argue. Apparently Oberon has had a past relationship with Hippolyta and Titania has had one with Theseus. Every time they fight there are storms and the world gets disturbed. Titania won't give up this child to Oberon because she promised her friend/ fairy servant that she would take care of her child when she died. Oberon sends Puck to find a flower that got shot by one of Qupid's arrows. Oberon's plan for Titania is to spill some of the flower into her eyes which will make her fall in love with the first thing she sees when she wakes up. And Oberon is hoping is will be somethings very hideous. Helena doesn't really think it is bad and she says that no matter what he says she will love him even more. Helena says that when she is with him that she sees the world so she is never scared when she is with him. Helena's behaviour is inappropriate because she loves a man that is about to get married and she won't leave him a lone. Oberon tells Puck to use the rest of the flowers powers on Demetrius so that he will love Helena and they will become a very happy couple.
 * 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?**
 * 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?**
 * 15. What are Oberon’s plans for Titania?**
 * 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 behaviour inappropriate for Athenian women?**
 * 19. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about Demetrius and Helena?**

Act II, Scene 2 Oberon wants this to happen because he thinks it will be very funny to see. Hermia doesn't want to sleep with Lysander because they are not married yet so she doesn't want to start doing things until they are. Puck anoints Lysander's eyes thinking it was Demetrius. Helena thinks it is some cruel joke and he is making fun of her. Hermia's dream is a reflection of reality because her dream is a serpent ate her heart and Lysander breaks her heart by loving her best friend.
 * 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?**
 * 23. 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 **25. How are the actors going to keep from scaring the ladies when Pyramus kills himself or when the lion roars? ** They are going to make a prologue saying that they don’t really die and the Lion is really a perso. **26. How are the actors going to manage the setting/scenery such as the moonlight and the wall? ** They are going to plan the play on a certain night and make someone stand in between to people and make a hole out of his fingers for the hole in the wall. **27. Why do the rest of the actors run off when Bottom reappears? ** The actors are scared of Bottom because he has the head of a donkey. **28. What does Puck plan to do when he follows after the other actors? ** Puck wants to lead Bottom towards Titania so that she will wake up and fall in love with Bottom with the donkey head. **29. How does Bottom react to Titania and the other fairies? ** Bottom is happy because he is getting a lot of attention. **30. Bottom says, "…reason and love keep little company together nowadays." Why is this such an apt statement at this point in the play? ** Because everyone is loving the wrong people. Act III, Scene 2 **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">31. What does Hermia accuse Demetrius of doing? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hermia thinks Demetrius killed Lysander. **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">32. How are Puck and Oberon going to correct Puck’s earlier mistake? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Puck is going to lead the two men around until they fall asleep and then make sure that the right women are with the right men and then put more ointment into Lysander’s eyes so he falls back in love with Hermia. **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">33. Why is Helena upset when Demetrius says he loves her? Isn’t this what she had wanted all along? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Helena is upset because she thinks Demetrius is making fun of her. **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">34. Of what does Helena accuse Hermia? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Helena thinks that Hermia is part of this plan to make fun of her. **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">35. How close had Hermia and Helena been in the past? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hermia and Helena used to be best friends. **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">36. How does Lysander treat Hermia? Why can’t she believe what he says? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Lysander tells Hermia that he hates her and hated every moment with her. Hermia can’t believe this because earlier they were going to get married. **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">37. Of what does Hermia accuse Helena? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hermia thinks that Helena stole Lysander’s love for Hermia. **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">38. Why is Helena afraid of Hermia? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Helena is afraid of Hermia because Hermia is really mad and could kill her right then and there. **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">39. What are Lysander and Demetrius going off to do? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Lysander and Demetrius are going off to fight each other to the death for Helena’s love. **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">40. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about the two young men? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Oberon tells Puck to split up the two men so that they get too tired to even walk so they don’t hurt each other. **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">41. What is Oberon going to do about Titania? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Oberon is going to make Titania stop loving Bottom. **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">42. Why doesn’t Oberon fear the coming of day? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Oberon doesn’t fear the day because his powers still work in the day. **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">43. How well does Puck’s trickery work? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It works very well. ====**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">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. **==== <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-The actors start to practice in the forest <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-Bottom turns into a donkey <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-Titania wakes up seeing Bottom <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-Puck returns to Oberon <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-Oberon realises that Puck has made a mistake on who he was supposed to put the ointment into. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-Demetrius, Lysander, Hermia, and Helena have a huge fight about who loves who <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-Demetrius and Lysander go out into the forest to go fight <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-Oberon gets really mad at Puck and tells him to fix it <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-Puck goes after Demetrius and Lysander to go split them up and tire them so they fall asleep <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-Puck puts more ointment into Lysander’s eyes Act IV, Scene 1 ** 44. How has Bottom adjusted to the attention of Titania and her fairies? ** Bottom really likes all the attention he is getting and using to the fullest. **45. What is Oberon’s reaction to Titania’s infatuation with Bottom?** Oberon feels bad that he made Titania fall in love with Bottom. **46. What sort of explanation will Oberon make to Titania’s question about what happened to her?** Oberon just changed the subject because he nows exactly what happened and he doesn't want to tell her because he did it. **47. Why are Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and the others out in the woods so early in the morning?** They are in the woods so early because they are having a fox hunt. **48. What is Theseus’s first explanation of why the young people are asleep in the woods?** Theseus think that they are out there to take part of the fox hunt. **49. What explanation does Demetrius make? Why does he compare his love for Hermia to an illness?** Demetrius said that he was out there to pursue Hermia and Lysander and he compares his love for Hermia to an illness because he doesn't love her anymore. **50. What is Theseus’s decision concerning the four young people?** Theseus's decision is concerning because he will be the one who decides if they will be able to marry or not. **51. Why can’t the young people be sure whether they are awake or dreaming.** They are not sure if they are awake or dreaming because what happened to them was so strange it is hard to believe. **52. Bottom believes he too has had a dream. How is he going to use that to entertain the Duke?** Bottom is going to sing the story of what happened to him after he dies in the play. Act IV, Scene 2 **53. What opinion do the other artisans now have of Bottom since they think he is lost?** They feel sad that they think he is lost in the forrest and they think he was a really good actor. **54. What do they most regret losing by not being able to perform the play?** That they would have made a lot of money because there was going to be three weddings instead of one. **55. Why must the artisans hurry to the Duke’s palace?** So that they can preform there play and 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?** ====

What I think of Bottom is that he can't get enough attention and thinks he is really good at everything he does. He is the opposite of Thesis because of how he acts it the opposite of Thesis.
==== **b) How do most of the dreamers respond to the dream experience upon waking? Which character is changed permanently by the dream experience?** ==== ==== All the people that went through this experience think that it was probably just a dream but are still unsure. The character I think that has changed the most is Demetrius because no he loves Helena and always will. ==== ==== **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 what Shakespeare is trying to say is that true love never runs smoothly. What I mean by that is that love is never perfect, there are always ups and downs. And the characters can't really believe what happened because it was so crazy.

Bottom's Dream Podcast By Morgan & Ross media type="file" key="Bottom's Dream.m4a" width="264" height="22" I was off stage then poof my head was harry. My friends were in horror and left me alone. I sang to myself for comfort. Titania woke and was in love with me. The ferries were introduced to me. They for filled my every wish. Then she ended the night with me. woke up dazed as a fish out of water. But it might have all been a dream.

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

Theseus wants to see this play because he had already seen one of the other options and he liked the idea of this play. Philostrate doesn't want Theseus to see this play because he thinks it is really bad and says that it is a short play but feels like it's really long because it's so bad.
 * 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"?**

They wanted to do it because they didn't want to scare anyone that was watching and so they didn't get killed. That some of the people are thinking it's not that bad and some think it's really bad and people laughing. She thought that it was not really that good but she cried at the end. It is humorous because the play starts to get serious. Oberon tells the fairies to watch over all the people. The purpose of Puck's final speech was to tell the people that if they didn't like it it was a dream and if they did like it to tell their friends to come see this play.
 * 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 -** will, offend, skill, end, despite, you, delight, you, show, know.
 * Breaking the play's illusion of reality -** No, I assure you; the wall is down that parted their fathers. Will it please you to see the epilogue, or to hear a Bergomask dance, between two of our company?
 * Using the wrong word or name -** I see a voice.
 * Repeating a word excessively -** Now die, die, die, die, die.
 * 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? === It makes me notice that the actors think that they were doing a really good job and being able to hear what the audience is saying and how they think it wasn't really good but Theseus was giving them sympathy because they were trying there best. === 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? === In The Big Bang Theory, Penny and Lenard. And in the Simpsons, Homer and Marge. === 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 was a bad choice because it was a tragic love story and they are at wedding.