Midsummer's+Night+Dream

media type="file" key="Moon and Night.mp3" width="240" height="20" Hippolyta is more patient than Theseus. She knows that everything will eventually happen and doesn't mind waiting, whereas Theseus is suffering through every second that he is not married. Egeus is frustrated that his daughter is not complying with instruction to marry Demetrius.Egeus wants Theseus to grant him with permission to dispose of Hermia if she goes against his will. Athenian women/daughters are expected to comply with all instruction from men. Theseus does not want Hermia to be killed, so he offers her the option of life in a nunnery. It frustrates Lysander even more, as Demetrius is less trustworthy than he, so Lysander feels more worthy of Hermia's love. Also, Helena is extremely jealous of Hermia, because she loves Demetrius and he does not love her. They plan to run away to the woods and get married outside of Athens, as to not be effected by the Athenian law. They tell Helena to inform her that Demetrius would be single and available for Helena. Because she believes that Demetrius would be thankful of the knowledge and that he would fall back in love with Helena. **7. Identify Hermia's basic dilemma. What are the choices outlined for her by Theseus and her father? What other choices does Lysander suggest?** Hermia is being forced by her father to choose false love and death. Lysander, whom she is in love with, suggests they run away to outside of Athens, where, untouched by Athenian law, they would get married so that Hermia could do as she desires. Because he believes he is simply the best at absolutely everything and feels the need to prove this to everyone by playing all of the parts. Shakespeare included this scene because he was poking fun at real, Elizabethan theatre troops and how they did have to deal with all of the conflicts brought up in the scene. The actors intend to meet in the same forest Hermia and Lysander are planning to meet. **Act II, Scene 1** We find out that whenever Oberon and Titania are together, they fight with bitter words. Their relationship is not friendly. **11. How have Oberon and Titania been involved in the past with Theseus and Hippolyta; why have they come to Athens?**  **16. How does Helena react to Demetrius’s verbal abuse?** She takes it with stride. She doesn't mind the abuse, she just wants to be with him. She says that no matter what he would do or not do to her, she would love him. She denies them, she mentions how none of them would hurt her, or that he wouldn't hurt her. Athenian women aren't to fight for love. They shouldn't be so forward and open about their feelings, that's the man's job. She goes against those rules by practically begging for Demetrius' love. Oberon tells Puck to place a love potion on Demetrius so that he would fall in love with Helena. To mock her, perhaps. Maybe to embarrass her, or make it seem that she has no taste or standards. Because she wants to remain modest and pure. She believes it would be immodest for them to sleep near each other. Pretty much, she doesn't want to "get some". Because he believes him to be Demetrius.  **24. How is Hermia’s dream a reflection of reality?** When she says that in her dream a serpent had been eating her heart, it's a symbol for the love potion taking away the one thing that was in her heart: Lysander, or, in particular, Lysander's love.
 * [[image:http://c1.wikicdn.com/_/x8428xqq/i/bTL.gif width="8" height="8"]] |||| [[image:http://c1.wikicdn.com/_/4k0z606x/i/c.gif width="1" height="1"]] || [[image:http://c1.wikicdn.com/_/73z846vv/i/bTR.gif width="8" height="8"]] ||
 * ||  || **“A Midsummer Night’s 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?**
 * 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?**
 * Act I, Scene 2**
 * 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 to his acting ability.** Bottom is not a horrible actor, however he is not as good as he thinks he is. His acting style is very confident.
 * 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?**
 * 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?**
 * 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**
 * 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?** She is bitter. She doesn't believe Lysander's proclamations of love because she has been hurt to many times before. She believes him to be joking.
 * Act III, Scene 1**

By explaining that nothing that happens in the play is real, it's just pretend. They hire actors to play the roles of the wall and the moon. Because he now has an ass on his head. They are scared of the beast that Bottom has become.
 * 25. How are the actors going to keep from scaring the ladies when Pyramus kills himself or when the lion roars?**
 * 26. 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?**

He is content that he has a beautiful woman in love with him, and pleased that she has fairies tending to his every need and desire. Throughout the whole play, the love is without reason or rhyme. This quote seems to fit with the all of the love-squares and love-triangles, as they change frequently without any logical reasoning.
 * 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?**

**31. What does Hermia accuse Demetrius of doing?**
 * Act III, Scene 2**

By placing love potion on the eyes of Lysander so that he can fall back in love with Hermia. Yes, she has wanted Demetrius' love all along, however she has been hurt so many times that she believes him to be lying or playing a joke on her. Telling the boys, Lysander and Demetrius, to play what she believes is a cruel joke on her. Helena believes that Hermia told Lysander and Demetrius to pretend they love her to make fun of her for being so "unloved" Extremely close. Helena and Hermia mention that they were like sisters, best friends. They are devastated at the the thought of their beautiful memories being spoiled by such malicious actions. He treats her in a mean manner because the spell caused him to fall out of love with her. Hermia doesn't believe this because just hours ago they were madly, passionately in love. Stealing Lysander, her lover, away from her. Because of the horrible insults Hermia is throwing at her. Also, Hermia is taller and bigger. **39. What are Lysander and Demetrius going off to do?** They are going to leave to go and fight, as men should do, for Helena's love. Bring them into the woods separately to avoid any unwanted drama. Turn Bottom back into his original form so that Titania would no longer be in love with Bottom the donkey. He is a different kind of fairy from Titania and can stand both day and night. **Act 3 Plot Outline!?** **Act IV, Scene 1**
 * 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?**
 * 37. Of what does Hermia accuse Helena?**
 * 38. Why is Helena afraid of Hermia?**
 * 40. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about the two young men?**
 * 41. What is Oberon going to do about Titania?**
 * 42. Why doesn’t Oberon fear the coming of day?**
 * 43. How well does Puck’s trickery work?**

**44. How has Bottom adjusted to the attention of Titania and her fairies?** He is delighted that he is being treated with such respect and that he is near being worshipped. **45. What is Oberon’s reaction to Titania’s infatuation with Bottom?** He is unimpressed with the fact that she, a Queen, has fallen in love with a lowly ass. Pun intended. **46. What sort of explanation will Oberon make to Titania’s question about what happened to her?** He well lie and say that Titania had only been dreaming. **47. Why are Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and the others out in the woods so early in the morning?** They are out hunting. **48. What is Theseus’s first explanation of why the young people are asleep in the woods?** **49. What explanation does Demetrius make? Why does he compare his love for Hermia to an illness?** **50. What is Theseus’s decision concerning the four young people?** That they should be allowed to marry whoever they choose, and that they should wed at the same time as Hippolyta and him. **51. Why can’t the young people be sure whether they are awake or dreaming?** Because throughout the duration of play, it has been so fantastical and confusing, that they aren't quite sure what to believe. **52. Bottom believes he too has had a dream. How is he going to use that to entertain the Duke?** By retelling his "dream" where he was an ass and had a fairy queen in love with. **Act IV, Scene 2** **53. What opinion do the other artisans now have of Bottom since they think he is lost?** They are more appreciative of him and they realize that he was holding the play together. They had more respect for him as an actor because it was him that was holding the play together. **54. What do they most regret losing by not being able to perform the play?** The wonderful pay that came along with time. **55. Why must the artisans hurry to the Duke’s palace?** Because with Bottom's reappearance, they unexpectedly are able to perform the play and they must rush to the palace so that they can perform it on time.

**Act V**

**56. Why does Theseus dismiss the stories of the four young people?** Because they are so unrealistic. Also, maybe he doesn't care about how they fell in love, he's just happy that they did. **57. Why does Theseus choose to see the play about Pyramus and Thisb(E) rather than the other entertainments?** Because it is a story of passionate love. Also, it may be some sort of reflection of Hippolyta and his relationship. **58. Why does Philostrate try to keep Theseus from seeing the play? What does he say is wrong with it?** He says that he would cry from how horrible it is. He wants to spare him the pain of watching it. **59. What does Theseus mean by the lines, "For never anything can be amiss, when simpleness and duty tender it"?** When you are careful enough with something, you won't mess it up. **60. What is accomplished by having the Prologue tell the whole story that the actors are then going to enact?** They manage to take out all of the guess work or thinking that is involved with being an audience member. Really, they just ruin it for the audience. **61. How does Shakespeare use comments from the audience to enhance the humour of the play that they are watching?** To show that the audience also finds it ridiculous. **62. What is Hippolyta’s reaction to the play?** **63. In what way is Thisby’s final speech humorous?** Because it was so serious, yet done in such a ridiculous manner. I mean, what's not hilarious about a man playing the role of a lovestruck woman? **64. What does Oberon tell the fairies to do?** To bless the wedding beds. **65. What is the purpose of Puck’s final speech?** To apologize for the mistakes he has made. Also, I believe Shakespeare included it because he wanted to show a more vulnerable, real side of Puck. He wasn't just a mischievous fairy, he had feelings, too.

Completion 20/25 Effort 19/25 Content 22/25 Total 61/75

Podcast 1 - 20/20 Podcast 2 - NHI ||