A+Midsummer+Night's+Dream

=“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”= While Theseus thinks very pessimistically and exclaims that four days too long to wait, Hippolyta thinks very optimistically and says to him that four days will pass very quickly. She tries to calm him down by saying that four days will pass without him every noticing it.
 * Act I, Scene 1**
 * 1. How is Hippolyta’s reasoning concerning how quickly the next four days will pass different from that of Theseus?**

Egeus is asking Theseus for a solution to his daughter's love situation. Egeus expects Theseus to persuade his daughter, Hermia into marrying Demetrius, not Lysander. Theseus tries to persuade her into marrying Demetrius, but fails to do so; therefore, he turns to force. He says that she has three choices: marry Demerius or be a nun or die in his own hands.
 * 2. Why has Egeus brought his daughter and her two suitors to Theseus? What does Egeus expect him to do?**

According to Egeus and Theseus, women or daughters in Athenian society were supposed to do what ever the father or the man in the family wants her to do, even if the woman doesn't want to do so. For example, even if Hermia didn't want to marry Demetrius and wanted marry Lysander instead, Egeus would have the power to force her to marry Demetrius. Also, men had the power to kill a woman like an animal if the woman doesn't listen to the man and not do what she is asked 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?**

He says to Egeus, "Demetrius, I'll avouch it to his head, Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena, And won her soul, and she, sweet lady, dotes, Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry, Upon this spotted and inconstant man." (line 108~112) Through this, he implies that Demetrius is very inconstant with women and this quality is complicating everything. He is also insulting Demetrius at the same time.
 * 4. How does Lysander’s comment about Demetrius’s previous love affair with Helena complicate things?**

He decided to escape Athenian law by running away to Lysander's aunt's house and marrying there. Lysander promises to meet Hermia in the wood, a league without the town, where he had once met with Helena. They decide to tell Helena because they pity her and they want her to have a relationship with Demeterius, whom she loves dearly. They also trust her.
 * 5. What do Lysander and Hermia plan to do about this seemingly impossible situation? Why do they tell Helena?**

Even though Hermia is her best friend, she decides to tell Demtrius about Hermia's plans because by some weird logic, Helena thinks that she can win the love of Demetrius, who she loves dearly by telling him that Hermia and Lysander are escaping to the woods tomorrow night. Through this, Demetrius find out the plan and decides to follow them.
 * 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?**

Hermia does not love Demetrius at all and wants to marry Lysander instead but Theseus and Egeus would not let the marriage happen because Egeus had already promised Demetrius to give him Hermia. Theseus and her father give Hermia three choices: 1. Just simply marry Demetrius. 2. Become a nun and endure the livery of a nun. 3. Die in the hands of Demetrius or Theseus. Lysander also suggest that she simply run away from the strict Athenian law and get married.
 * 7. Identify Hermia's basic dilemma. What are the choices outlined by her by Theseus and her father? What other choices does Lysander suggest? **

Nick Bottom wants to play all the parts because he is very arrogant and thinks that he is the best. He thinks he can play all the parts better than anyone; therefore, he tries to play all the parts to show that he is the best actor there is.
 * Act I, Scene 2**
 * 8. Why does Nick Bottom want to play all the parts?**

This scene is funny in a way that Bottom thinks that he is the best actor but he, infact, is not. Bottom keeps making mistakes, like calling names wrong, but he fails to realize that he is making mistakes and keeps thinking that he is the best. I think Shakespeare included this scene to add humour into his play and was maybe even making fun of some real actors about how they all think they are the best while they are not very good at all.
 * 9. In what way is this scene funny? Why do you suppose Shakespeare included this scene?**

They agree to meet at the Duke's oak, where there are no people at all. They agree to meet here to practice when nobody is watching to perfect there play. However, Lysander and Hermia and also promised to meet there at the same time.
 * 10. Where are the actors to meet the following night? Who else is meeting there at the same time?**

Bottom thinks that he is the best actor but he, infact, is not. Bottom keeps making mistakes, calling names wrong forexample, but he fails to realize that he is making those mistakes and keeps thinking that he is the best. He is very arrogant and stuck-up because he just thinks that he is the best and never allows anyone else to take part and have a chance. For example he exclaims, "Let me play the lion too. I will roar, that I will do anyman's heart good to hear me. I will roar, that I will make the Duke say, 'Let him roar again! Let him roar again!'"(line 65~68) media type="file" key="Midsummer Nights.mp3" width="504" height="42"
 * 11. How would you describe Bottom's acting ability? What is Bottom's own opinion of his acting ability?**

Tom and Justin Act 1 Podcast


 * Act II, Scene 1**

Through the first fairy and Puck, the readers find out that the King of the Fairies, Oberon and the Queen of the Fairies, Titania are fighting over a changeling boy. The boy had been stolen from the Indian King and is in Titania's care because she had never seen such sweet a changeling but Oberon is jeolous towards Titania.
 * 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?**

Oberon had an affair with Hyppolyta while Titania had an affair with Theseus. They are using this to fight each other. They exclaim,"**Titania:** But that, forsooth, the bouncing Amazon, Your buskined mistress, and your worrior love. **Oberon:** Glance at the credit with Hippolyta, Knowing I know thy love to Theseus?"(p.33) They come to Athens to attend and celebrate the marriage of Hyppolyta and Theseus.
 * 11. How have Oberon and Titania been involved in the past with Theseus and Hippolyta; why have they come to Athens?**

When Oberon and Titania have a quarrel, they cause floods which ruins practically everything, from houses to stocks and they make the crop to rot because of all the moisture. The quarrel also spreads diseases and messes up the weathers; for example, winter becomes hot and summer becomes cold. Thus, their quarrel all results in terrible concequences for humans.
 * 12. What effect has their quarrel had on nature, on the seasons, on humans?**

Titania won't give up the changeling to Oberon because the mother of the boy had been her servent and they were very close. Therefore, Titania promised the fairy that she would take care of the changeling boy if the fairy dies. Titania is trying to keep a promise while Oberon is trying to find what ever he wants to satisfy his needs.
 * 13. Why won’t Titania give up the changeling to Oberon?**

Oberon sends Puck to find the "love-in-idleness" as maidens call it. Actually, Puck is getting the juice of the flower for the juice is a love potion. A cupid's arrow had fallen on to this flower and as it changed colour from white to purple, gained a magical power. If the juice is put on a sleeping person's eyelids, the first thing that the person sees after he or she wakes up will be the thing that the person would fall int love with.
 * 14. What does Oberon send Puck to find?**

He plans to use the juice from the flower to make the Titania, the Queen of Faries, to make her fall in love with the next thing she happens to see. If she falls in love with a random animal, she would follow it everywhere and that would give Oberon to take the changeling boy into his care.
 * 15. What are Oberon’s plans for Titania?**

Demetrius spurns her over and over again but Helena turns all the abuses into love. For example Demetrius says."I am sick when I do look on thee" and she replies, "And I am sick when I look not on you." Also, Demetrius tries to convince her to leave him alone and go back home by saying that woods at night is very dangerous when a girl is alone, but Helena simply replies,"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.
 * 16. How does Helena react to Demetrius’s verbal abuse?**

Her response is similar to his threats of physical abuse. When Demetrius tries to convince her to leave him alone and go back home by saying that woods at night is very dangerous when a girl is alone, Helena simply replies,"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.
 * 17. What is her response to his threats of physical abuse?**

Helena's behaviour is inappropriate for Athenian women in the way that she completely disobeys men (Demetrius). Demetrius keeps telling her to do things, but she talks back and does not listen to him in anyway. Thus, Helena's behaviour is very inappropriate for Athenian women, who are usually called assets of men.
 * 18. In what way is Helena’s behaviour inappropriate for Athenian women?**

Oberon listens in to the discussions between Demetrius and Helena and realizes that Helena is very miserable for her lover does not love her and loves somebody else. Therefore, he tells Puck to put the love juice in a boy, wearing Athenian clothes, who is sleeping so that he can love the miserable girl. Ofcourse, Puck goes to the Athenian woman.
 * 19. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about Demetrius and Helena?**

media type="file" key="Tom and Justin's Act2 Podcast.mp3" width="574" height="47" Tom Lee and Justin's Act 2 podcast


 * Act II, Scene 2**

He plans to use the juice from the flower to make the Titania, the Queen of Faries, to make her fall in love with the next thing she happens to see. If she falls in love with a random animal, she would follow it everywhere and that would give Oberon to take the changeling boy into his care. Also, he wants to make fun of her and want her to feel very embarrassed after she learns that she had been in deep love with such an ugly animal.
 * 20. Why does Oberon want Titania to wake and fall in love with some vile thing?**

When Lysander tries to sleep right besider her saying,"O take the sense, sweet, of my innocence! Love takes the meaning, in love's conference. I mean that my heart unto yours is knit, So that but one heart we can make of it. Two bosoms interchained with an oath, So then two bosoms, and a single troth. Then by your side, no bed-room me deny, For lying so, Hermia, I do not lie." (p.39) However, Hermia rejects the offer because she wants to keep her modesty and pride, for they are not yet married to each other.
 * 21. Why does Hermia insist Lysander sleep a little ways from her?**

Puck anoints Lysander because he thinks that Lysander is Demetrius, who he had been searching for all along. Puck thinks Lysander is Demetrius because Oberon had told him to search for a boy in Athenian clothes and Lysander was wearing similar clothes. I think Puck had also thought that Hermia was Helena and because he saw an Athenian boy sleeping near an Athenian girl, he had intended to put the juice in the boy's eyes to make him fall in the love with the girl who is lying near him. However, his plan fails when Helena wakes Lysander up, for she is not sure if he is dead or no and this causes Lysander to fall in love with Helena.
 * 22. Why does Puck anoint Lysander’s eyes?**

Helena thinks Lysander is mocking her for there is no way that he could fall in love with her when he had been in love with Hermia all along. She becomes very depressed when she realizes that the one whom she loves, rejects her and the other man is mocking her. Through this, she becomes very miseralbe, even though she finally receives love from somebody. She does not realize that Lysander deeply and truly loves her.
 * 23. How does Helena react to Lysander’s sudden love for her when he awa****kens?**

Hermia's dream had been about a serpent eating her heart while Lysander sat smiling at the cruel prey.This is the reflection of the reality, for Lysander, infact, does break her heart, like the serpent eating her heart. Lysander falls in love with Helena due to the magical juice and starts to despise Hermia, saying that she has tricked him in to loving her and finally breakes her heart.
 * 24. How is Hermia’s dream a reflection of reality?**


 * Act III, Scene 1**

The actors think that if Pyramus kills himself and if the lion roars, the ladies watching the play will become scared; therefore, Bottom suggest that they make a prologue telling them Pyramus is not actually dead and Pyramus is, in fact, actually just Bottom the weaver and that they will never kill themselves with their swords. As for the lion, Bottom suggests that the actor playing the lion tell the ladies that he is not an actual lion, but just Snug the joiner and make the lion costume so that half of his face is seen through the lion's neck. what
 * 25. How are the actors going to keep from scaring the ladies when Pyramus kills himself or when the lion roars?**

For the setting of the moonlight, they decide to leave open the great chamber window to let in moonlight, for the day they are performing is supposed to be very bright with moonlight. Also, they decide to get one person to come in with a bush of thorns and a lantern to act as the person of Moonshine. As for the wall, Bottom suggests to have a person to act as the wall. Bottom says, "Some man or other must present Wall: and let him have some plaster, or some loam, or some rough-cast about him, to signify wall; and let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisby whisper."
 * 26. How are the actors going to manage the setting/scenery such as the moonlight and the wall?**

Puck had been listening and watching these actors play and when Bottom goes off to the side into the bushes, Puck follows him and decides to have fun and make Bottom's head in to that of an ass/donkey. However, Bottom does not realize that this had happened and does not know why the rest of the actors are freaking out and running away. They think they are haunted and they flee right away.
 * 27. Why do the rest of the actors run off when Bottom reappears?**

Puck says,"I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round, Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier: Sometime a horse I'll be, sometime a hound, A hog, a head less bear, sometime a fire; And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn, Like horse, hound, hog, bear, at every turn." Puck is going to scare all of them and force them to be even more nervous and tense. Through this, the readers can see what kind of thinks Puck likes to do to others for fun.
 * 28. What does Puck plan to do when he follows after the other actors?**

When Titania first exclaimes that Bottom is beautiful and wise, he denies this and says that he does not have those perfect qualities. He is kind of surprised to see Titania acting this way and as for the other fairies, he makes fun of their names, which are Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth and Mustardseed. For example, he says to Cobweb,"If I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you."
 * 29. How does Bottom react to Titania and the other fairies?**

This is and apt stantement at this point in the play because the lovers in this sections are loving not who they really love but people whom they became to love due to the love potion. Therefore, their love has no reason because of the love potion. Due to the love potion, their love has become to have no reason at all. media type="file" key="Toms Sucks act three.mp3" width="504" height="42" Tom Lee and Justin's Act 3 Podcast
 * 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 Hermia can not find Lysander, she accuses Demetrius of murdering him; however, she is wrong and Demetrius is actually planning to murder him the next day. Hermia becomes very miserable when she thinks Demetrius have murdered Lysander for she truly love Lysander and does not want him to die.
 * Act III, Scene 2**
 * 31. What does Hermia accuse Demetrius of doing?**

Oberon and Puck first think that everything have turned out well, but when they come upon Demetrius and Hermia, they learn that Puck has went to the wrong Athenian boy and have messed everything up. Therefore, Oberon and Puck (Robin Goodfellow) plan to get Lysander to fall asleep and make him fall in love with Hermia again because they want Demetrius to still love Helena and make Lysander love Hermia as before.
 * 32. How are Puck and Oberon going to correct Puck’s earlier mistake?**

Eventhough Helnea had wanted the love of Demetrius all along, when he actually says that he loves her, she becomes miserable and upset because she thinks that there is no way that he can just love her right away and thinks that he is also mocking her like Lysander. She had become miserable when Lysander said he loved her and now she becomes even more upset for she thinks that both of them are mocking her together.
 * 33. Why is Helena upset when Demetrius says he loves her? Isn’t this what she had wanted all along?**

Helena accuses Hermia of breaking their relationship that they have kept for so long when she thinks Hermia is also mocking her. At this point, Helena thinks Lysander, Demetrius, and Hermia is mocking her all together by pretending to love her to make her feel bad.
 * 34. Of what does Helena accuse Hermia?**

Hermia and Helena had been like sisters in the past. When Helena thinks Hermia trying to break their relationship, she exclaims,"Is all the counsel that we two have shared, The sisters' vows, the hours that we have spent,..., O, is all forgot? All school-days' friendship, childhood innocence? We, Hermia, like two artifical gods, Have with our needles created both one flower..., Had been incorporate... And will you rent our ancient love asunder to join with men in scorning your poor friend?"(p.59)
 * 35. How close had Hermia and Helena been in the past?**

Lysander treats Hermia as though she is a stranger whom he does not love at all for he now loves Helena. He mockes Hermia by saying that she is a serpent (which is ironic because Hermia had a dream of serpent that was eating her heart with Lysander watching at the side, smiling), dwarf and an acorn. Hermia can't believe what Lysander is saying because they had loved each so much and even had escaped to the woods to marry each other and now, he was mocking her and saying that he loves Helena instead of Hermia.
 * 36. How does Lysander treat Hermia? Why can’t she believe what he says?**

Hermia accuses Helena of being a thief of love and even mocks her by saying that she is a canker-blossom. She is saything this because Lysander now loves Helena and she thinks that Helena have stolen her loves's heart from her.
 * 37. Of what does Hermia accuse Helena?**

Helena is afraid of Hermia because she does not want Hermia to tear her apart like she is threatening to do and she also doesn't want to destory their relationship that they have kept for so long since childhood. Hermia is mocking and insulting Helena in many ways as possible and Helena believes that she is very fierce and says that Hermia had, infact, been a vixen when they went to school.
 * 38. Why is Helena afraid of Hermia?**

Lysander and Demtrius are going off to have a duel with each other to see who wins Helena. They both love Helena and wants to kill each other to win her love. However, Puck is again going to mess it all up by his usual trickery- he is going to mimick their voices in order to seperate them from each other and get lost.
 * 39. What are Lysander and Demetrius going off to do?**

Oberon tells Puck to get Lysander and Demetrius to both fall asleep so Puck can put love juice on Lysander's eyelids to solve all the confusing problems that are going on. Puck is going to do a trick in order to lure both the young men into the forest and then mimick each other's voice to seperate the two and then make them fall asleep.
 * 40. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about the two young men?**

He is going to go talk to Titania to persuade her in to giving him the changeling the boy who they have been fighting over the whole time. If she becomes willing to give him the boy, he decides that he will undo the magical trick that he have put on her to mock her and to make her give him the changeling boy
 * 41. What is Oberon going to do about Titania?**

When Puck says that they have to everything before the coming of the day because their powers would be gone in the day time; however, Oberon says that he does not fear the coming day because he says that we (Oberon and Hermia or Oberon and Puck) are different kind of ferries and have power even during the day, unlike normal ferries to lose all their power during the day.
 * 42. Why doesn’t Oberon fear the coming of day?**

He lures both Lysander and Demetrius into the woods and gets them lost successfully. Both of them eventually succumb to the power of sleep and that enables Puck to easily finish his duties of putting the love potion on Lysander's eyelids in order to make him fall in love with Hermia and keep the love of Demetrius and Helena.
 * 43. How well does Puck’s trickery work?**


 * 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**
 * All the actors, Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snout and Starveling meet in the woods to have a rehearsal.
 * They decide to make a prologue saying that the liion is actually Snug and that Pyramus does not actually kill himself.
 * They choose to have an actor to play the moonlight and the wall.
 * They start to rehearse the play and Bottom goes off in to the woods with Puck following him.
 * WHen Bottom returns, his head had turned in to that of an ass (donkey) and this frightens all the other actors.
 * Bottom starts to sing to show that he is not scared at all and this wakes up Titania. Because she has the love potion on her eyelids, she falls in love with Bottom.
 * Oberon and Puck meets, thinking that everything has turned out exactly as they wanted it to but when Demetrius and Hermia appear, they realize that they have made a mistake.
 * Helena thinks that all of them, Demetrius, Lysander and Hermia, are mocking her and becomes miserable.
 * Hermia accuses Helena of stealing her love.
 * Lysander and Demetrius leave to fight to win their love, but is seperated by Puck and is put to sleep.
 * Puck puts the love juice on Lysander's eyelids to make him fall in love with Hermia again and solve every problem that he has caused by his silly mistakes.

First Bottom had no idea what was going on around him; however, after he realizes that a fairy queen had fallen in love with him, he adjusts easily to all the attention of Titania and her farires. He starts enjoying all the attention he is receiveing from the fairies and even bosses them around by making them do odd jobs. For example, he makes a fairry called Mustardseed to scratch his head for him and demands all kinds of food.
 * Act IV, Scene 1**
 * 44. How has Bottom adjusted to the attention of Titania and her fairies?**

First he had been satisfied to what had happend to Titania, but later on after Titania gives him the changeling boy, he starts to feel sorry and feels pity toward her. Therefore, he decides to reverse the love potion spell and make Titania not love Bottom anymore. He will make all the things Titania and Bottom have done together feel like a dream when they wake up from their sleep.
 * 45. What is Oberon’s reaction to Titania’s infatuation with Bottom?**

When Titania wakes up, Oberon will explain that she has fallen in love with an ugly creature for some reason. When she starts asking him who had made her fall in love, he will just change the subject and tell Puck to take Bottom's ass head off and turn it in to normal. He plans to revive the relationship between him and Titania and dance afterwards.
 * 46. What sort of explanation will Oberon make to Titania’s question about what happened to her?**

Theseus, Hippolyta and Egeus are out in the woods to celebrate the morning of wedding day with hunting hounds to prepare for the day's wedding ceremonies. However, when they are out in the woods, they find the four lovers sleeping together in the wood; therefore, they wake them up with a hunting horn. The four lovers wake up the the sound of the horn, startled.
 * 47. Why are Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and the others out in the woods so early in the morning?**

He thinks that the lovers had come to the woods to celebrate the morning of the wedding with Theseus, Hippolyta and Egeus but had come to early so they had fallen asleep, waiting for them to come.
 * 48. What is Theseus’s first explanation of why the young people are asleep in the woods?**

Theseus realizes that it is the day Hermia has to choose whether she wants to become a nun, simply marry Demetrius or die in the hands of Theseus. When Theseus requests Hermia for the answer, Demetrius exclaims that his love toward Hermia has just simply melted away and is now in love with Helena instead. He compares his love with Helena to an illness by saying that when he was ill he had hated it like gone appetite however, with health coming back, he long for it again. He says, "Was I betrothed ere I saw Hermia. But, like sickness, did I loathe this food. But, as in health, come to my natural taste, Now I do wish it, love it, long for it, And will for evermore be true to it." (p.76)
 * 49. What explanation does Demetrius make? Why does he compare his love for Hermia to an illness?**

Because everything has turned out perfect, Theseus decides that despite Egeus's claims, he will let the four your people to marry who they are in love with: Hermia with Lysander and Helena with Demetrius.
 * 50. What is Theseus’s decision concerning the four young people?**

The four young people are not sure whether they are awake or dreaming because their dreams of their quest for love was so realitic that they could not tell it apart from reality. Demetrius claims, "These things seem small and undistinguishable, Like far-off mountains turned into clouds." (p.77)
 * 51. Why can’t the young people be sure whether they are awake or dreaming?**

When Bottom wakes up from his sleep and believes that he has just had a weird dream. He thinks Peter Quince and rest of the actors have just left him in the woods, sleeping. He remebers what the dream was about- him falling in love with a fairy queen named Titania. He is determined to tell Peter Quince about this dream and get him to write a ballad of this dream and call it, "Bottom's Dream" He plans to sing it in the latter end of a play in front of the Duke. media type="file" key="MSND TJ's Bottoms dream podcast.m4a" width="504" height="42" Tom Lee and Justin's Act 4 Podcast
 * 52. Bottom believes he too has had a dream. How is he going to use that to entertain the Duke?**

But all there is left is Bottom's dream and memory.
Before, they had made fun of Bottom and thought that he was just an over-actor who tries to take all the parts because he thinks he is the best. However, when he actually gone, they start worrying because they realize that there is no one else who can act as well as Bottom. They start to respect him as a good performer.
 * Act IV, Scene 2**
 * 53. What opinion do the other artisans now have of Bottom since they think he is lost?**

The regret losing money and fame they would have received if they had been able to perform the play. They think that the Duke has already married and they can not perform anymore because it is much too late for performing. However, when Bottom appears out of nowhere, they realize that it is not yet too late to perform the play and start to hurry to the Duke's palace to get ready to perform the play.
 * 54. What do they most regret losing by not being able to perform the play?**

Even though they had first though that they had missed the chance to perform their play before the duke, the realize after that the Duke has not yet married and there is still time to get the the Duke's palace and perform. When Bottom appears out of nowhere, they gain the courage back and is able to get excited again and hurry to the Duke's palace. However, one thing is that these group has not had a complete rehearsal due to Bottom's horrid transformation. However, despite the lack of practicing, they are ready and excited to perform the play simply because Bottom is there to lead it.
 * 55. Why must the artisans hurry to the Duke’s palace?**

**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?**
When Bottom becomes the lover of Titania and gains the power to order the fairies to do things for him, he uses to as if they are slaves. He seems to be very self-centered and arrogant. He thinks that he is good at everything even though he rarely is; in the other hand, Theseus tries to use his wise mind to help others solve problems. For example, when Egeus comes to him for his advice on the affairs of her daughter, he tries to do his best to make the right decisions. Bottom is nothing can really do nothing, but tries to do things that he can not do and brags about it.

**b) How do most of the dreamers respond to the dream experience upon waking? Which character is changed permanently by the dream experience?**
Usually, when dreamers wake up from their sleep, they just believe that it was just a dream and think nothing about it. However, for Bottom, the dream was so realistic so clear in his mind, he could not believe that it had been just a dream. Also, the dream had been his dream (double meaning here) and what he had longed for all the time and during his dream, he had thought that he is finally doing something he had always wanted to do. However, when he finds out it was just a dream, he can not get over it and forget about it. His life will never be the same because he will not find pleasure in anything else anymore because he truly felt the pleasure in the dream.

**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 Shakespeare is saying that love always makes confusion among people and true love is hard to gain. Lovers' pathes are not always smooth like they want it to be; in fact, their pathes are very rough and have many obstacles that block them from gaining true love. Through all the confustion that the love juice of a flower makes, Shakespeare is saything that real love is not easy to get for romance is not something that everyone can do easily.

Theseus dismisses the stories of the four young people becomes Hippolyta says that all the stories of the four lovers perfectly match each others. She says, "But, all the story of the night told over, And all their minds transfigured so together, More witnessth than fancy's images, And grows to something of great constancy. But however, strange and admirable."(p.83)
 * Act V**
 * 56. Why does Theseus dismiss the stories of the four young people?**

Even though Philostrate try to convince Theseus to not watch that play and even insults the play by saying that is is nothing in the world, Theseus chooses to see the play and says that nothing can be impossible or turn bad if you work hard to perfect it. He says,"I will hear that play, For never anything can be amiss, When simpleness and duty tender it."(p.85)
 * 57. Why does Theseus choose to see the play about Pyramus and Thisby rather than the other entertainments?**

Philostrate tries to convince Theseus to not decide to watch this play because it is "nothing, nothing in the world" and the actors are not real actors, but hard-handed men who work in Athens. He says, "Hard-handed men,...., which never laboured their unbreathed memories, With this same play, against your nuptial."(p.85) He says that the play is only worth for making fun of while watching it.
 * 58. Why does Philostrate try to keep Theseus from seeing the play? What does he say is wrong with it?**

Theseus means that nothing can be impossilbe to do or turn completely bad if one has worked hard to achieve perfection and flawlessness. He says this line while talking to Philostrate about his decision in the plays. He says this to tell Philostrate, who keep saying that the play is nothing, that even some workmen from Athens who have just managed to scraped up a play can have perfection in their acting.
 * 59. What does Theseus mean by the lines, "For never anything can be amiss, when simpleness and duty tender it"?**

By having the Prologue, they achieve nothing because Peter Quince just simply tells the audience the whole story and the audience mock the prologues by saying, "He hath rid his prologue, like rough colt. He knows not the stop.... His speech was like a tangled chain. Nothing impaired, but all disordered."(p.86)
 * 60. What is accomplished by having the Prologue tell the whole story that the actors are then going to enact?**

The readers get to see from the point of view of the audience viewing the play while also reading about the play; therefore, we can relate to their comments and understand the realize the humor of the play much better. The comments of the audience point out all the things that are going wrong with the acting and the play and this just simply makes the play even more humorous.
 * 61. How does Shakespeare use comments from the audience to enhance the humour of the play that they are watching?**

Hippolyta and Theseus have different ideas impressions of the play: Hippolyta is mocking the play and is saying, " This is the the silliest stuff that I ever heard."(p.89). However, Theseus keeps defending the play and credits the actors and replies to Hippolyta, "The best in this kind are but shadows, and the worst are no worse, if imagination amend them.
 * 62. What is Hippolyta’s reaction to the play?**

Even though the death of Thisby is supposed to be a very serious and tense scene, Thisby's farewell to the audience in her final speech is very energetic and not serious at all. In the her last sentences, she says, "Tongue, not a word! Come, trusty sword, Come blade, my breast imbrue! And farewell friends! Thus Thisbe ends!"(p.93) This scene is supposed to make the audience cry but this ending makes the audience laugh at this utter mistake.
 * 63. In what way is Thisby’s final speech humorous? **

Oberon tells the faries to make sure that nothing- not even a mole - interupt the lovers in their bedroom chamber. He says, "With this field-dew consecrate, every fairy take his gait, and each several chamber bless, Through this palace, with sweet peace; and the owner of it blest, ever shall in safety rest."(p.96)
 * 64. What does Oberon tell the fairies to do? **

The purpose of Puck's final speech is to wrap everything up and tell the audience that if they didn't like the play, it is all just a dream and should always remember it as a dream and if you liked it, show your complementary by giving a round of applause.
 * 65. What is the purpose of Puck’s final speech? **


 * Extending the thought process: **

"Quail, crush, conclude, and quell!"(p.91) "O **dainty duck**! O **dear**!"(p.91) "For, by thy **gracious, golden, glittering gleams**,"(p.91)
 * 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 **

"Which is-**no,no**-which was the fariest dame."(p.91)
 * breaking the play’s illusion of reality**

"I **see a voice**.... I can **hear my Thisbe's face**." (p.89)
 * using the wrong word or name**

"Now **die, die, die, die, die**"(p.92) "**O** grim-looked **night**! **O night** with hue so black! **O night**, which ever art when day is not! **O night, O night**! ....... and though **O wall**, **O** sweet, **O** loverly **wall**... Thou **wall**, **O wall**, **O** sweet and lovely **wall**,"(p.88)
 * repeating a word excessively**

"My soul is in the sky. Tongue, lose thy light, moon take thy flight!"(p.92)
 * 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?===

The readers get to see from the point of view of the audience viewing the play while also reading about the play; therefore, we can relate to their comments and understand the realize the humor of the play much better. The comments of the audience point out all the things that are going wrong with the acting and the play and this just simply makes the play even more humorous. Through the reactions and the comments of the audience, the readers can find out when the play is turning in to a chaos and when the play is actually influencing the audience. This way, we can easily understand the realationship between audience and the performers.

===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 Family Guy, Stewy, the baby is all knowing and very clever while the dad, Peter is somewhat dumb, innocent and "clueless" In Simpsons, also the son, Bart Simpson is very clever and is able to even trick his dad, Hommer who is very dumb and "clueless" Ron and Hermione from Harry Potter are also an example of this. While Ron is very silly and sometimes even stupid while Hermion is an all-knowing, smart character.

===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?=== The play, Pyramus and Thisbe is unsuitable for a wedding celebration because the play is a tragedy and weddings are supposed to be a joyful celebration. Also, there is a scene where the loving couple dies in the play, which is very unappropriate, because couples want their love to last for ever on wedding days, not end in a tragedy like in the play. It is ironic because Pyramus and Thisbe destined to be together, but failed to do so due to the lack of communication and false understanding and the four young lovers had also destined to be together but were contantly seperated by numerous obstacles.

Completion 10/10 Effort 9/10 Content8/10

total: 27/30