A Midsummer Night's Dream

Transcription

1 " L The town of Athens is decorated to celebrate the marriage of Duke Theseus to Hippoltita, Queen of the Amazons. Egeus, a courtier, threatens to ruin the celebrations IN demanding his legal right that his daughter (Hermia) marrti the man of his choice, or be buried alive. -rheyinvnt! THEY DIP. k1=0:0 2. Theseus reluctantlif invokes the law, but gives Hermia time to think over her decision to die rather than morn! Demetrius. She uses the time to tell the man she loves, Ltisander, that she loves him still The lovers decide to flee Athens, but thetfre overheard bti Helena, who is in love with Hermia's spurned suitor, Demetrius. Confused? Just wait 3. Helena thinks that the news of the lovers running awatf will make Demetrius fall out of love with Hermia (and in love with her). But it doesn't. He follows them into the woods. 4. So Helena decides to follow Demetrius, who is following Hermia and Loander. Meanwhile... THE RAGING ROCKS AND SHIVERING SHOCKS V FOIN 5. At the home of Peter Quince, a group of mechanicals (working people) meets to rehearse a plati for the wedding. Bottom thinks he can plati all the parts, but settles for the lead. To keep the plaq a surprise, the group decides to rehearse in the woods Weston Walch, Publisher 57 Shakespeare Made Easy

2 ktir Meanwhile, in the woods, nature is upset bq an argument going on between Oberon and Titania, king and queen of the fairies, over a changeling child theq both claim. 7. After Titania refuses to give up the child, Oberon sends his attendant spirit, Puck, to find a love potion. Then he overhears Demetrius threaten Helena to make her stop following him. Oberon decides to do something about this. 11 'YU P ARV, OP AMAEMS _a- 8. Oberon enchants Titania bq squeezing love juice into her eqes as she sleeps so she will fall in love with the first thing she sees when she wakes up. (Oberon hopes it is something ug14.) 9. Puck, sent to enchant Demetrius into loving Helena, stumbles upon Lqsander and Hermia. He assumes these are the two Athenians Oberon described and puts love juice on Lqsander's ales. 10. Helena, who has lost Demetrius, finds Lqsander IL Lqsander looks at his former love Hertnia and and wakes him up. Quess what? Immediatelq can't stand her. He leaves her in the middle of Lqsander is mcidlq in love with Helena. Unnerved, nowhere to follow Helena. Hermia wakes up, finds Helena flees. herself alone, and goes to find Lqsander. Meanwhile J. Weston Watch, Publisher 58 Shakespeare Made Easy

3 IC4144 Pi-A4 ANIVTI41t4Gr. I'M GETTIM r A 'WARP. 12. The mechanicals arrive to rehearse in the woods. Bottom still thinks he can plaq all the parts (which would be just fine with Flute, who doesn't want to plaq Thisbe, the girl). EventualILI Bottom goes into the bushes to await his entrance as the romantic lover Pqramus. re C 13. There mischievous Puck puts an ass's head on top of Bottom. When he enters on his cue the mechanicals flee in terror from the "trans- 15. Oberon is delighted with Puck's joke. fie's not so lated" Bottom. The noise wakes up Titania, who delighted when he sees what's happening with the falls in love with the first thing she sees guess Athenian lovers. who? 16. Demetrius catches up with 1-termia, onlq to have her accuse him of doing awaq with her beloved Lqsander. Puck realizes he's put the juice on the wrong Athenian. 17. Demetrius, worn out bq exercise and rejection, lies down and falls asleep. Oberon enchants him with the love juice. 1990J. Weston Watch, Publisher 59 Shakespeare Made Easy

4 THIS ISN'T conn Y ovssv! IS. Demetrius is woken up by Helena, who is still trying to get rid of the lovesick Lysander. Quess what? 19. Helena thinks the two enchanted young men are playing a practical joke on her. Hermia arrives and interprets the situation verti differently. YIPO. GRowL./ 20. Enjoying her newfound popularity, Helena picks a fight with Hermia, who is only too glad to oblige. Helena runs away, chased by Hermia. Demetrius and Lysander chase after the two girls. Puck finds their behavior hilarious. 21. Puck leads the four through the woods so they 22. Now that Titania has given up her changeling don't hurt themselves or each other, then charms child, Oberon thinks his joke has gone on long them all to sleep near each other. He removes the enough. He removes the love charm from her love charm from Lysander's eyes. eyes and they are reconciled J. Weston Watch, Publisher 60 Shakespeare Made Easy

5 23. Comes the dawn... The four qoung lovers are awakened bq the row) lovers, Theseus and Hippolqta, who are out hunting. It is the rotol wedding daq and theq are so happq theq overrule Egeus and decree that the qoung lovers will be married at the row' ceremonq, too. 24. Left alone, the qoung lovers trq to remember 25. Bottom, who has also been "decharmed," wakes what happened the previous night but theq up and decides he has had a fabulous dream. can't. I'M BACK! okite YOU ALWE 26. Back at Peter Quince's house, the mechanicals welcome Bottom once theq make sure he's alive. Now theq can put on their plaq for the Duke. 27. Philostrate, the emcee for the wedding reception, tries to convince Theseus not to see the mechanicals' awful plaq. Theseus looks betiond the hamhanded dramatics to the "simpleness and dutq" that caused the men to offer this as a wedding present J. Weston Watch, Publisher 61 Shakespeare Made Easy

6 28. The mechanicals' play, "Pyramus and Thisbe," is really dreadful It's a tragedy about two young lovers who are separated by a wall. Pyramus sees Thisbe's bloodstained scarf where they are to meet and assumes she's been eaten by a lion. lie kills himself with great fanfare, then Thisbe discovers his body and kills herself. (It's very dramatic stuff but hardly a choice for a wedding.) 29. Keeping a straight face, Theseus thanks the play- 30. Oberon and Titania fly through the darkened ers. He asks for a dance rather than any more of palace, scattering fairy grace and good luck their play, then, when the dance is over, leads the on the three couples and the children they newlyweds to bed. will have. 31. The audience gradually returns to our real world as Puck speaks the epilogue and explains that this was all.. a midsummer night's dream J. Weston Watch, Publisher 62 Shakespeare Mak Easy

7 Name: Date. A Midsummer Night's Dream: Quick Quiz 1. Why does Egeus want to bury his daughter alive? 2. Why. does Helena tell Demetrius that Hermia and Lysander are running away? 3. Why is the weather in the forest unnatural? 4. Why do the mechanicals go to the forest? 5. What trick does Oberon play on Titania? 6. How does Lysander fall in love with Helena? 7. Why is Oberon delighted with Puck's trip? 8. How. does Hermia escape her fate? 9. Why is the mechanicals' play chosen? 10. What is wrong with the play? 11. How does the Duke excuse the amateur nature of the mechanical's play? 12. How do the fairies bring the play to an appropriate end? Weston Watch, Publisher 63 Shakespeare Made Easy