c understanding.)” A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM” by William ShakespeareI. Matching*Match the description on the left with its best fitting answer on the right. Put the answer’s letter in the space provided. (Some answers will not be used.)*e. 1.) the city in which most of a.) Hippolyta and Theseusthe play takes placeb.) Veronaf. 2.) the king of the fairies c.) Titania and Oberona. 3.) the only couple to be wedd.) Pyramusas of I. i..(both partners give consent)e.) Athensg. 4.) Puck’s other namef.) Oberonh. 5.) the duke of Athensg.) Robin Goodfellowd. 6.) the part Bottom has in the play h.) Theseusperformed at the wedding after-party Vi.) Demetriusl. 7.) the first person to have theirj.) Egeuseyes anointed with the flower liquidk.) Pyramus and Thisbyk. 8.) The name of the play the clowns l.) Lysanderperform at the wedding after-party VII. Multiple Choice*Circle the letter of the correct answer.*1.) What is Demetrius’ reasoning for why he should be given Hermia’s hand? I. i. 100-110a.)He is richerb.) He is equal to Lysander in many ways except Hermia returnsDemetrius’ love for her.
c.)He gives none.
d.)Hermia is the only unwed woman left in Athens.
2.) What awakes Titania? III. i. 129-138a.) She gets allergies and sneezes because of the fairy dust.
b.) A midsummer night’s dream.
c.) Puck singing in the woods.
d.) Bottom singing in the woods.
3.) Why is Titania angered with Oberon? II. i. 65-74a.)He does not pay attention to her.
b.)She thinks he has been with another woman(/fairy).
c.)She has no reason, she just is (P. M. S.!!)d.) He forgot their anniversary.
4.) Helena is so much in love with Demetrius that she wishes for him to let her, (at least) II. i. 202-210: a.) marry himb.) be killed by himc.) follow him, much as a dog would.
d.) Woo him. For women were meant to woo, and not to be wooed.
5.) This play does not tell the actions of the players. Often it is hard to tell what is happening without reading very carefully. Which of these statements tell the viewer/reader when and what for the play the clowns are practicing (Pyramus and Thisby) is to be performed? a.)Quince. Marry, our play is “ The most lamentable comedy, and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisby.” I. ii. 11-12b.)Quince. Here is the scroll of every man’s name, which is thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our interlude before the Duke and Duchess, on his wedding day and night. I. ii. 4-7c.)Theseus. …” A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus And his love Thisby; very tragical mirth.” V. i. 56-57d.)Philostrate. …And tragical, it is For Pyramus, herein doth kill himself. Which, when I saw rehearsed, I must confess, Made mine eyes water; but more merry tears The passion of loud laughter never shed. V. i. 66-706.) When Quince, the Carpenter, is assigning parts to each player, which clown changes his mind and wishes for every part? I. ii. 26-84a.) Snug, the Joiner.
b.) Bottom, the Weaver.
c.) Flute, the Bellows Mender.
d.) Snout, the Tinker. 7.) Why does Helena dote on Demetrius as she does? I. i. 106-110a.) He made love to her, and won her heart. b.) Demetrius is the only unwed man left in Athens. c.) Puck and Oberon put her under a spell.
d.) She does not dote on him. ‘ Tis he that dotes on her.
8.) What is Helena’s explanation for why both Demetrius and Lysander are doting on her? III. ii. 150-160a.) They are mocking her.
b.) They were put under a spell by fairies of the forest.
c.) She had become fairer over the time each of the men were sleeping. d.) They no longer love Hermia, and the only other woman they know of to be loved, is Helena.
9.) Why do the clowns (working men of Athens, actors in the performance at the wedding after-party, V ) decide a prologue is needed? III. i. 9-46a.) The play needs to be longer to be allowed for viewing at the wedding after-party.
b.) It would make the play more interesting.
c.) The play is too hard to follow without a prologue to introduce the story to the audience.
d.) The lion and suicide(s) would frighten the women in the audience.
10.) What is Bottom’s reason for wanting to tell everyone his night was but a dream? IV. ii. 209-217a.) He can’t remember enough of it for it to make sense.
b.) It is forbidden to speak of one’s dreams.
c.) He is afraid of looking like a fool.
d.) He wants to make a song of it and tell everyone later.
III. Fill in the blanks:*Fill in the blank spaces with the most appropriate word/name.*1.) (As of I. i. 86-90) Hermia’s options of how she is to live her life are to become a _____nun____, to obey her father’s wishes and marry Demetrius, or to ___die____.
2.) Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed are all ___fairies____.
3.) Hermia must marryDemetrius ____or face consequences___. (I. i. 23-126)4.) Titania, due to a love potion, falls in love with ____Bottom____.
5.) Helena accuses___Hermia___of coming up with the idea to mock her.
6.) The word___’dotes’___is used many times throughout the play, instead of other possible words such as ‘ loves’, or ‘ adores’.
7.) The fairy, ____Puck____, turned Bottom’shead into that of an ass.
8.)In Act V, three couples are married. They are____Theseus__&___Hippolyta____, ___Lysander___&___Hermia____, and ___Demetrius____&____ Helena___. IV. Short Essay*Give a few sentence answers.*1.) What makes Demetrius fall in love with Helena? Helena and Lysander are arguing nearby where Demetrius lie asleep. He overhears them and awakes to see Helena first. Previously, while Demetrius was sleeping, Puck had anointed his eyes with Cupid’s touch (from a flower that had been touched by Cupid) so that Demetrius would fall in love with the first thing he sees when he woke up.. Which happened to be Helena. 2.) Bottom and the other clowns decide to write a prologue for the play they perform at the wedding feast. Why do they decide this? The play they are preparing for, Pyramus and Thisby, has a scene with a lion, and another where both Pyramus and Thisby kill themselves. The clowns say this will scare all the women in the audience. The purpose of the prologue is to explain that this is only a play and that no one should be frightened.
3.) Puck anoints Lysander’s eyes instead of Demetrius’ by mistake. Why did he make this mistake? III. ii. 347-351The only description Puck was given (by Oberon) was to anoint the eyes of an Athenian man. He was told he would know him by the garments he had on. Oberon didn’t realize there was more than one Athenian man in the forest at that time. Puck found Lysander before he saw Demetrius so he assumed Lysander was the one of whom Oberon spoke. …A simple mistake.
4.) This play is a comedy. However, today most of the jokes are not understood and therefore remain undetected by the majority of people. During the time of this play’s first performances, the subtle comic undertones were extremely humorous to the viewers/audience. So even though you might consider a Shakespearean play not very funny, by the standards of the 16th century, the comedies were a riot. Name three jokes or parts of the play that are meant to be funny (whether you laughed or not).
i.) Although it is hard to understand from merely reading A Midsummer Night’s Dream, it is evident that the whole presentation of the play Pyramus and Thisby is quite humorous. Certain things go wrong, such as the moon not being accessible to them and them having to have Robin play Moonshine by using a lantern.
ii.) The whole ordeal of Bottom having an ass’ head. I imagine that must’ve been very funny to see on stage. Partly because of looks, and partly because a man had been made to look a fool by a fairy. (they were amused very easily ?)iii.) Bottom’s character in entirety. He is the funniest person in the play. He is obviously a kind-hearted man (Titania. …On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee. Bottom. Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that. And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays; the more the pity, that some honest neighbours will not make them friends. III. i. 142-147 ), for he doesn’t want to take advantage of the mistress he has just come upon in the woods. This makes him a better person that the jester, Puck. Bottom is a flamboyant man that likes to be the centre of attention. He sings aloud in the woods and acts loudly in the streets to show all that is near that he is there. (I think he enjoys hearing the sound of his own voice.)5.) Give a quick description of the fairy Puck.
Puck is the main fairy of the story. He is jester for the king fairy, Oberon. He is mischievous, and likes to play pranks on others. In the play he is the one that anoints the eyes of Demetrius and Lysander. He causes trouble when he accidentally anoints Lysander’s eyes instead of Demetrius, as he was instructed. This mistake is the cause for most of the story. The problems with both men doting over Helena and rejecting Hermia is caused by this error. V. Essay Questions1.) Explain about the flower juice that is used to transform the feelings of the people who are anointed with it; how did it come to be? who’s idea was it to use it? how was it used? what did it do to the people that were anointed with it? what factor of importance does it hold in the play? Oberon first mentioned this magical flower in II. i.. He was speaking to Puck when he brought it up. He asked Puck if he remembered a time when Cupid shot an arrow at a ‘ vestal’, but the arrow missed. Oberon told of how he watched where it did land and that place happened to be upon a pansy flower patch?. The flower turned from milky white to purple from love’s wound. This flower now has juices in it that, when placed upon the eyelids of a sleeping person(/thing) shall make them fall in love with the first living thing they see when they awake. This flower plays an essential role in the story. It is the flower that Puck uses to create the confusion that is most of the II-IV acts. Without the whole idea of this flower, A Midsummer Night’s Dream would be nonexistent. The main ideas of the play, (a big part of what happens in the play) are centred on the confusion and problems that the flower has provided. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, two of the main characters, Demetrius and Lysander, who both loved Hermia in the beginning of the play (I, II. i.). After they were anointed with the pansy altered by Cupid’s arrow, they both end up loving Helena. The scenes in the wood with these four characters are mainly about the arguments between the men of who shall have Helena’s love, and who should be stuck with Hermia. These scenes are also of Helena and Hermia’s confusion and frustration with the whole matter. 2.) Give a concise re-cap of the entire play. (I.-V.) Mention the main events of each scene.
Act I.
-Scene i. Hippolyta and Theseus, the Duke and Duchess of Athens are to be wed in four days. Hermia’s father is trying to force her to marry Demetrius, but she is in love with Lysander. Helena is in love (lust?) with Demetrius but he cannot stand her.
(This scene helps establish the general ideas of the play, as well as four of the main characters.)-Scene ii. This scene establishes another group of characters, the clowns (working men of Athens). The six men (Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snout and Starveling) are discussing the play they are planning to perform at Hippolyta and Thesus’ wedding after-party, Pyramus and Thisby. Bottom changes his mind and wishes for every part, including his own, at first. Act II.
-Scene i.(Introduces Puck, Oberon, and Titania.) The scene starts out in the wood at a gathering/(party(?) that the fairies are having. You see that Puck is a mischievous and funny character. His master, Oberon, is not getting along with his lady, Titania. He wants to punish her so he decides to play a trick on her. He instructs Puck to fetch him a flower so he can anoint Titania’s eyes with its juice. This will make her fall in love with the first thing she sees, he wishes the one she falls for to be ‘ some vile thing’. While Puck is gone, Oberon spies Hermia chasing after Lysander. She is begging for him to at least be followed by her, if not love her. Oberon feels sorry for her so when Puck returns he instructs him to anoint “ an Athenian’s” eyes, so he will fall for this Hermia. However, he does not know the names of the characters at this time so this is the most specific description he can give Puck. So, when Puck goes out looking for the “ Athenian man” and finds Lysander asleep, he assumes this is the man of whom Oberon spoke. (Oberon meant Demetrius.)Helena stumbles upon Lysander, who had been hiding with Hermia (also asleep) in the wood, and wakes him. He immediately falls in love with Helena. She becomes confused and angry, saying he is playing a trick on her. Helena runs off only to be chased by Lysander. Hermia wakes up alone.
Meanwhile, Oberon anoints Titania’s eyes with the flower juice, and she remains sleeping in the wood.
Act III-Scene i. The clowns are in the wood to rehearse their play. Before they begin, the men discuss adding a prologue to the play to excuse the lion and deaths in the play, for they are not meant to offend. When they finally begin to rehearse, Puck enters and, being the prankster he is (also probably because he knows what is to happen is he does this), puts a spell on (?) Bottom, giving him the head of an ass. The sight of him scares the other clowns away, so Bottom is left alone in the wood. He sings to show he is not afraid, nor a fool will he be made, and his noise wakes Titania. She immediately falls in love with him. She forbids him to leave her (Titania. Out of this wood do not desire to go. III. i. 153 ) Bottom stays with Titania.
-Scene ii. Oberon and Puck realize the mistake Puck has made. He is pleased, however, to find out about Titania loving a mortal with an ass’s head.
Demetrius and Hermia enter. Hermia is looking for Lysander, she becomes angry with Demetrius, so leaves him to continue her search. Demetrius lies down to sleep.
Helena and Lysander enter, they are arguing about him loving her. She said he doesn’t know what he is talking about, and he really loves Hermia. Their quarrelling wakens Demetrius. He instantly falls in love with Helena. She yells at him for mocking her along with Lysander. Hermia enters and doesn’t understand what is going on. She is confused as to why Lysander no longer dotes on her. Helena puts the blame of starting the idea to mock her on Hermia. They all begin verbally fighting with one another. Hermia and Helena exit. Demetrius and Lysander want to fight eachother. Puck is playing with their minds and pretending he is the other man when he speaks to one of them. The men get angered with the other even more so than before, and Puck puts a spell on them (?) to make them sleep. Puck then applies the flower juice to Lysander and Demetrius so they will fall in love with the first person they see, again. Helena and Hermia each re-enter individually and both lie down to sleep. Hermia by Lysander and Helena by Demetrius.
Act IV.
-Scene i. This scene starts out with Titania and Bottom both in her lair. Titania is acting very much in love with Bottom. They sleep. Oberon watches how Tiatnia is acting and beings to repent what he has done to her. He puts a spell on her (?) and she wakes up no longer loving Bottom. Titania doesn’t realize what has been happening and she is confused as to why a mortal with the head of an ass is in her bed. Titania and Oberon are no longer upset with eachother and they leave together.
Theseus, Hippolyta, and Egeus find (run into?) the couples asleep in the wood. They wake them and as they awake, Lysander goes back to loving Hermia and Demetrius falls in love with Helena. They explain to Theseus and Egeus that the problem of before (Hermia being forced to marry Demetrius) no longer exist. Demetrius wishes to wed Helena, and she consents. The same goes for Lysander and Hermia.
In another part of the forest, Bottom wakes up alone. He remembers what happened the night before and decides to tell no one, for two reasons. 1. He doesn’t really understand what all when on, and 2. He would look like a fool if he told of such a silly story as if it were true. He decides to have Quince write a song about “ Bottom’s Dream.”-Scene ii. Back in Athens, the other clowns are worried about Bottom. They are also upset they now cannot perform the play they had planned. Bottom enters, and they rejoice.
Act V.
-Scene i. The last scene of the play. At the after-party of the triple wedding that has just occurred. Theseus requests for entertainment for himself, his wife, and his guests. After denying other options, he chooses to view the tedious play the clowns have prepared. The play turns out to be very comical for the audience because the clowns were so unprepared. They end up needing a person with a lantern to be Moonshine because, for some reason, they can’t use the actual moon as they had planned. Bottom (Pyramus) and Flute (Thisby) forget a few lines. The prologue is so simple and unprofessional one can’t help but laugh. The idea to use a person as a wall is also comical.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream ends on a happy note this way. Everyone (the reader, viewer etc.) is in a good mood as the play comes to an end. At the very end of the scene, Puck gives a concluding speech to explain that no harm was meant in this play and everything was a dream so there is nothing to be upset about, if one were to be offended. He ends by saying, “ give me your hands, if we be friends, And Robin Puck shall restore amends.” V. i. 439-440
