Study Skills

Act 5

SCENE i
1. Why doesn’t Theseus believe in the reports of the previous night’s events? Why does Hippolyta disagree with him?
2. Why does Theseus choose the craftsmen’s play for the nuptial entertainment?
3. What does Theseus mean by the lines “For never anything can be amiss, when simpleness and duty tender it”?
4. Why does the audience find Quince’s prologue amusing?
5. Why does Moon conclude his part by speaking directly to the audience?
6. How is the plot of Pyramus and Thisbe similar to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet?
7. What is Hippolyta’s initial opinion of the play? How does it change during the performance?
8. Why do the fairies return at the end of the play?
9. What is the purpose of Puck’s final speech?
10. Now that you have observed all of the love relationships in the play (Lysander & Hermia, Titania & Oberon, Theseus & Hippolyta, Pyramus & Thisbe, etc…) which of the couples do you think has the strongest bond of love. Explain why.
11. Did you enjoy the mechanicals play? Why or why not? Did you think it was more comedic or tragic?

Act 4

Act IV

SCENE i
1. How has Bottom adjusted to the attention of Titania and her fairies?
2. Why does Oberon release Titania from the spell?
3. What does Theseus mean when he says, “Egeus, I will overbear your will”?
4. What is Theseus’ decision concering the four lovers?
5. What is the state of mind of the four lovers when they awake?
6. How does the mood and atmosphere of the play change when Theseus and his court enter?

SCENE ii
1. What are the reasons the mechanicals give us as to why Bottom is the most suitable man to play the role of Pyramus?
2. Why must the artisans hurry to the Duke’s palace?
3. Does Bottom tell anyone about his dream? What does he plan to ask Quince to help him to do?
4. Now that Oberon has his changeling boy, he sets everything well between himself and Titania. What does this tell you about Oberon’s idea of a good relationship?
5. All the characters in the play wake up as if from a dream, although we know that they are actually awake for most of the action of the play. How do you think you would respond if you had such an experience and woke up to think it was all a dream? Would you tell anyone about your dream? Would you discuss it with the others who also shared the same dream?

Act 3, Scene 2

Act III, SCENE ii
1. Why does Hermia accuse Demetrius of murdering Lysander?
2. How does Helena react to Demetrius and Lysander as they compete for her love?
3. What does Helena accuse Hermia of?
4. Why do Lysander and Demetrius keep walking through the woods at night?
5. What is the time of night at the end of Act III? How is time important to the plot?
6. What is your prediction as to how the play will end for the four lovers?
7. What is your prediction as to how the play will end for the fairies?
8. Divide the cartoon summary into the appropriate Acts and Scenes with a pencil.

Act 3

Look at the previous post on Shakespeare’s Plot Structure. Act 3 is typically the climax in Shakespeare’s 5-Act structure.
Act III

SCENE i
1. Why do Bottom, Snout, and Starveling want Quince to write a prologue for their play?
2. How are the actors going to handle the scenery of the moonlight and the wall?
3. Why do all the players run from Bottom as Pyramus?
4. Why does Titania fall in love with Bottom?
5. Bottom says “reason and love keep little company together nowadays.” Why is this such an important statement in the play?

Act 2 Scene 2

Friday, January 10th

Act 2 Scene 2
1. Why does Oberon want Titania to fall in love with some vile thing?
2. Why does Hermia refuse to sleep beside Lysander? How does her decision serve the purpose of the plot?
3. Why does Puck put drops into Lysander’s eyes?
4. Why does Helena think that Lysander is ridiculing her?
5. What advice would you give Oberon and Titania?
6. What advice would you give to Helena?

Act 2, Scene 1

Act II

SCENE i
1. Why have the fairies come to this wood?
2. How does Oberon plan his revenge on Titania?
3. How does Helena react to Demetrius’s verbal abuse?
4. What is Helena’s response to Demetrius’s threats of physical abuse?
5. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about Demetrius and Helena?

Act 1 Questions

Act I

SCENE i
1. What important event do the opening lines of the play forecast?
2. Why has Egeus brought his daughter and two suitors to Theseus? What does Egeus expect him to do?
3. What three choices is Hermia given by Theseus?
4. What do Lysander and Hermia plan to do about this seemingly impossible situation?
5. Why does Helena envy her friend Hermia? Why does she decide to thwart Hermia’s plan?

SCENE ii
1. How does the language of Act I, scene ii compare to the previous scene?
2. Why do the craftsmen meet?
3. How does Bottom the Weaver make a nuisance of himself at the meeting? What type of character does Bottom seem to be?
4. Where do they decide to meet the following night?
5. What does Lysander mean when he says, “the course of true love never did run smooth?
6. Who is your favourite character so far? Why do you like this character?

Shakespeare’s Plot structure

In Shakespeare’s plays, we have the same basic plot structure that we observed in novels and short stories.

Act 1 Introduction
Act 2 Rising Action
Act 3 Climax
Act 4 Falling Action
Act 5 Conclusion

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedy. This means that it will be funny, but also that it will have a happy conclusion. The audience knows this, so the conflict tends to be around miscommunication. The audience can laugh at the miscommunications, knowing that the discord will most likely be resolved.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Today we will be starting Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Read pages 150-159, and Act 1, Scene 1