A+Midsummer+Night's+Dream

media type="file" key="English 9c Shakespear PodCAst Act ONe.mp3" width="240" height="20" media type="file" key="Bottom's Dream.mp3" width="240" height="20" 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 go by like a dream, while Theseus is impatient for the days to pass.

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

Euges expects (and wants) Theseus to force his daughter to marry Demetrius, and grant him permission to kill her if she does not.

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/daughters in Athenian society according to Egeus and Theseus was to obey their father. Once married, they obeyed their husband. Theseus's ruling concerning Hermia is that either (a) she can get married to Demitrius, (b) go to a nunnery, or (c) die.

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

Lysander demonstrates that Demetrius is an inconsistent lover because he recently left Helena. The complications are that he might be inconsistent with Hermia as well.

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

Lysander and Hermia plan to run away and get married. They tell Hermia because they think of her as a friend.

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?

Helena tells Demetrius so he would give up on Hermia, and consequentially marry her.

7. Identify Hermia’s basic dilemma. What are the choices outlined for her by Theseus and her father? What other choice does Lysander suggest? a) marry Demetrius b) die c) become a nun d) (suggested by Lysander) run away to get married with Lysander

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

Because he thinks that he is the best, the #1, etc.

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

This scene is funny because to someone who is paying attention, Nick Bottom is really making a fool of himself. Shakespeare probably included this scene to make the text humorous and interesting.

10. Where are the actors to meet the following night? Who else is meeting there at the same time?

The actors meet in the woods, and Lysander and Hermia also are going to be in the woods.

11. How would you describe Bottom’s acting ability? What is Bottom’s own opinion of his acting ability?

I think that Bottom's acting ability is not up to the required standard at that time. He thinks he's pretty legit.

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?

The reader finds out that Titania and Oberon are fighting a lot. Also Oberon might be jealous of the boy that Titania is taking care of.

11. How have Oberon and Titania been involved in the past with Theseus and Hippolyta; why have they come to Athens? Oberon and Hippolyta had an affair, and so did Theseus and Titania. They have arrived at Athens for Theseus and Hippolyta's marriage.

12. What effect has their quarrel had on nature, on the seasons, on humans? The effect their quarrel had is that on nature is devastating. The effect on the seasons is that it messes it all up (Small streams have flooded and flowed over there banks; Crows have gotten fat eating all the drowned sheep and diseased cattle, etc) Humans suffer from this because it messes up their farming patterns.

13. Why won’t Titania give up the changeling to Oberon? She promised the mother, a good friend of hers, now dead, to look after the boy.

14. What does Oberon send Puck to find? The juice from pansies, which theoretically makes people fall in love with the first living organism they see.

15. What are Oberon’s plans for Titania? To have her wake up and see something really nasty.

16. How does Helena react to Demetrius’s verbal abuse? She turns it around and says why she loves him.

17. What is her response to his threats of physical abuse? She wants his attention, so she doesn't mind.

18. In what way is Helena’s behaviour inappropriate for Athenian women? It is not modest.

19. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about Demetrius and Helena? To squeeze the juice into Demetrius's eyes so he falls in love with Hermia

Act II, Scene 2 20. Why does Oberon want Titania to wake and fall in love with some vile thing? For revenge, he does not like the changling.

21. Why does Hermia insist Lysander sleep a little ways from her? Because sex before marrige is frowned upon in Athens.

22. Why does Puck anoint Lysander’s eyes? Because Puck thinks that he is the Athenian Oberon speaks of.

23. How does Helena react to Lysander’s sudden love for her when he awakens? She thinks that he is mocking her.

24. How is Hermia’s dream a reflection of reality? Because Lysander really did leave her.

25. How are the actors going to keep from scaring the ladies when Pyramus kills himself or when the lion roars? To tell them that Bottom (Pyramus) isn't really going to kill himself.
 * Act III, Scene 1

26. How are the actors going to manage the setting/scenery such as the moonlight and the wall? The wall is to be played by a person, and the moonlight by a person with a light.

27. Why do the rest of the actors run off when Bottom reappears? Because he has the head of a donkey.

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

29. How does Bottom react to Titania and the other fairies? At first he feels odd, but then he is okay 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? Because his "love" with Titania makes no sense.

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? By squeezing the juice into Lysander's eyes and making sure that he sees Hermia first when he wakes up.

33. Why is Helena upset when Demetrius says he loves her? Isn’t this what she had wanted all along? Yeah, although she does, Helena thinks that Demitrius is in with it with Lysander to mock her.

34. Of what does Helena accuse Hermia? Of her actions involving Lysander and Demitrius mocking her.

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

36. How does Lysander treat Hermia? Why can’t she believe what he says? Coldly. She can't believe it because only last night he wanted to sleep with her.

37. Of what does Hermia accuse Helena? "Stealing" Lysander.

38. Why is Helena afraid of Hermia? Because Hermia might dig her nails into Helena's eyes.

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? Make them so that they can't find each other.

41. What is Oberon going to do about Titania? Rectify her loving a donkey.

42. Why doesn’t Oberon fear the coming of day? He fears the coming day because fairies only go about at night.

43. How well does Puck’s trickery work? Very well because both pairs of lovers fall asleep. ==== **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 sees Bottom as a donkey and falls in love with him
 * Hermia accuses Demitrius of killing Lysander.
 * Puck squeezes the juice from the pansies into Demitrius's eyes.
 * He falls in love with Helena, he and Lysander fight over her.
 * Hermia and Helena fight.
 * They all fall asleep.
 * Puck anoints Lysander's eyes.

44. How has Bottom adjusted to the attention of Titania and her fairies? He thinks that it is completely natural.

45. What is Oberon’s reaction to Titania’s infatuation with Bottom? He pities her.

46. What sort of explanation will Oberon make to Titania’s question about what happened to her? Something simple (bad dream)

47. Why are Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and the others out in the woods so early in the morning? There's a foxhunt.

48. What is Theseus’s first explanation of why the young people are asleep in the woods? Because of the foxhunt.

49. What explanation does Demetrius make? Why does he compare his love for Hermia to an illness? He is saying that he was metaphorically sick, so he likes Hermia and not Helena. Now he is better, and is back onto the "natural" course (in live with Helena).

50. What is Theseus’s decision concerning the four young people? There will be a 3-way wedding.

51. Why can’t the young people be sure whether they are awake or dreaming? It seems unrealistic, but all the data(the 4 sets of data from their dreams) is the same, so there is an increased likelihood of it being true.

52. Bottom believes he too has had a dream. How is he going to use that to entertain the Duke? By writing what we wrote(Bottom's Dream (a ballad))

Act IV, Scene 2 53. What opinion do the other artisans now have of Bottom since they think he is lost? He was a nice person.

54. What do they most regret losing by not being able to perform the play? The money.

55. Why must the artisans hurry to the Duke’s palace? To see if their play was selected.

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?==== ====I think that Bottom is someone who believes that he is the best, smartest, etc. I think that as an actor, he is not up to the required standard and shouldn't be bragging all the time. He is the opposite of Theseus because Theseus is more held-back.====

====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 all confused. Demitrius changed permanently by becoming in love with Helena.

====c) In this act, several characters look back at prior infatuations with disbelief. What do you think Shakespeare is saying about love and infatuation?==== It's irrational and cannot be explained precisely.

==Act 4 Podcast: Bottom decides to commission Peter Quince to write a ballad called “Bottom’s Dream.” On your own or with a partner, imagine that you have been asked to write the lyrics and compose the musical accompaniment. Remember that at the beginning of act 4, Bottom told the fairies that he likes to listen to the “tongs and bones” (act 4, scene 1, line 30). Tongs were pieces of metal struck against each other and bones were actual bones. These instruments were used in comical or in less sophisticated musical performances. Write the poetry for the ballad ( a minimum of 2 stanzas, 4 lines each), then put it to music!== At the top. The 2nd one.

56. Why does Theseus dismiss the stories of the four young people? Because they are irrational and make no sense.

57. Why does Theseus choose to see the play about Pyramus and Thisby rather than the other entertainments? Because the others are either a) overused or b) inappropriate for a wedding.

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

59. What does Theseus mean by the lines, "For never anything can be amiss, when simpleness and duty tender it"? The play deserves a chance even though it is horrible, because the actors have put a lot of effort into it.

60. What is accomplished by having the Prologue tell the whole story that the actors are then going to enact? To summarize the entire story and to make it anticlimactic, dull and tedious to the audience.

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

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

63. In what way is Thisby’s final speech humorous? She thinks that the actors should take on something else

64. What does Oberon tell the fairies to do? To help him and Titania with the blessings.

65. What is the purpose of Puck’s final speech? To tie things up at the end.

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 - blade, with bloody blameful blade, he bravely broach'd is boiling bloody breast

breaking the play’s illusion of reality - 'Deceiving me' is Thisby's cue

using the wrong word or name - And farewell, friends; Thus Thisbe ends: Adieu, adieu, adieu

repeating a word excessively - die, die, die, die...

ridiculous metaphor - "To spy and I can hear my Thisby's face. Thisby! "

=== 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? ===

Observing another audience helps us by pulling us out of the perspective, with reduced bias. If we are the real audience for a real play, then we will have bias. Observing them, we can see their biases (Theseus and Hippolyta are notably contrasting). The audience generally must support the play if it is to be a good one, because otherwise their (the actors') emotions are going to take over and they might be overwhelmed by those emotions.

=== 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? ===

I don't watch modern television, One should not assume that everyone watches TV shows and find them interesting.

=== 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" may be inappropriate for a wedding because it might foreshadow the lovers' future. It may be appropriate to teach a lesson. This is ironic because it is the exact opposite of what the 4 lovers were going through.

Completion 25/25 Effort 22/25 Content 23/25 total 70/75

Podcast 1 - 19/20 Podcast 2 - 18/20