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1 2018 STUDY GUIDE Visit us on the web: facebook : Shakespeare on the Sound twitter Contact : info@shakespeareonthesound.org, DOWNLOAD A PDF VERSION OF THIS STUDY GUIDE FROM OUR WEBSITE!

2 CAST OF CHARACTERS

3 SYNOPSIS A Midsummer Night s Dream begins in Athens, where Theseus, Duke of Athens, is preparing for his marriage to Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons. An Athenian nobleman named Egeus marches into Theseus s court with his daughter, Hermia, and two young men: Demetrius and Lysander. Both men love and wish to marry Hermia, but Egeus prefers Demetrius as a suitor and enlists the aid of Theseus to enforce his wishes upon his daughter. According to Athenian law, Hermia is given four days to choose between Demetrius, life in a nunnery, or a death sentence. Hermia, ever defiant, chooses to escape with Lysander into the surrounding forest. They make their intentions known only to Hermia s friend Helena, who was once engaged to Demetrius and still loves him even though he now loves Hermia. Complications arise in the forest as Hermia and Lysander make their escape. Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of Fairies, are locked in a dispute over a boy whom Titania has adopted. Oberon instructs his servant Puck to bring him magic love drops, which Oberon will sprinkle on the Queen s eyelids as she sleeps, whereupon Titania will fall in love with the first creature she sees upon awakening. Meanwhile, Helena and Demetrius have also fled into the woods after Lysander and Hermia. Oberon, overhearing Demetrius s denouncement of Helena, takes pity upon her and tells Puck to place the magic drops upon the eyelids of Demetrius as well, so that Demetrius may fall in love with Helena. Puck, however, makes the mistake of putting the drops on the eyelids of Lysander instead. Helena stumbles over Lysander in the forest, and the spell is cast; Lysander now desires Helena and renounces a stunned Hermia. In the midst of this chaos, a group of craftsmen are rehearsing for a production of Pyramus and Thisbe, to be played for the Duke at his wedding. Puck impishly casts a spell on Bottom to give him the head of a donkey. Bottom, as luck would have it, is the first thing Titania sees when she awakens; hence, Bottom ends up being lavishly kept by the Queen. Oberon enjoys this sport, but is less amused when it becomes apparent that Puck has botched up the attempt to unite Demetrius and Helena. Oberon himself anoints Demetrius with the love potion and ensures that Helena is the first person he sees; however, Helena understandably feels that she is now being mocked by both Demetrius and Lysander (who is still magically enamored of her). Finally, Oberon decides that all good sports must come to an end. He puts the four lovers to sleep and gives Lysander the antidote for the love potion so that he will love Hermia again when they all wake up. Next, Oberon gives Titania the antidote, and the King and Queen reconcile. Theseus and Hippolyta then discover Lysander, Hermia, Helena, and Demetrius asleep in the forest. All return to Athens to make sense of what they think is a strange dream. Likewise, Bottom returns to his players, and they perform Pyramus and Thisbe at the wedding feast (which has since become a wedding of three couples). As everyone retires, fairies perform their blessings and Puck delivers a tender epilogue soliloquy.

4 A MAGICAL SETTING There are two main settings in A Midsummer Night s Dream: 1) Ancient Athens 2) The Woods (and Fairy Kingdom) These two settings show a dichotomy between the rational and wild sides of man. All about Athens Athens represents the rational, logical side of human behavior. It is the epitome of civilized man. Athens is ruled by human laws and is kept in check by societal norms, causing it to represent the human struggle to suppress irrational or wild tendencies. It is the norm in this ancient city that all actions should serve a sound, logical purpose. As an example, Egeus thoughtfully choses an acceptable suitor for his daughter Hermia based on economic factors as well as Hermia s future place in society. Egeus makes his decision according to traditional Athenian customs, but disregards Hermia s affection for Lysander. Similarly, Theseus, the Duke of Athens and the highest symbol of law and order, also makes his decision to marry Hippolyta because of political ramifications. While his decision may be inspired by love, it is more plausible that his actions are guided by reason and logic. The Wood The enchanted woods represent all that is magical, wild, and impulsive in man. It is a place where fairy magic reigns supreme over man-made laws. It is characterized by wonder and mischief, and embodies all that is dreamlike or unrealistic. When humans wander into the wood, they become part of the fantasy and irrationality that is the fairies world. This means that Bottom can love the Queen of the Fairies and the four Athenians are free to love who they please in the depths of the fairy kingdom. For Hermia and Lysander, the woods represent liberty and freedom from the laws that they were subjected to in Athens. There is also a certain intimacy that comes from being alone in the woods with one other person. The woods present a test for the mortal characters of the play because they reveal their innermost emotions and unleash their most primitive human behaviors. It therefore follows that if lovers are able to come out of the wood with the same amount of love for each other that they had when they went in, they will have passed the ultimate test. It is necessary for the four Athenian lovers to enter the wood in order to reach a heightened sense of clarity and to realize their true intentions.

5 What of the fairies? Fairies in A Midsummer Night s Dream get a lot of pleasure out of playing tricks on mortals. They are characterized as sneaky, cunning, mischievous, quick, and always looking for entertainment. It is common knowledge that fairies are only able to show one emotion at a time. This means that they often exhibit extreme emotions: they are either completely angry or completely happy, but never a little of both. Fairies in A Midsummer Night s Dream : Oberon is King of Fairies. Proud, demanding, angry, and vengeful, he quarrels with Titania for the sake of a changeling boy, and on being refused decides to humiliate her into obedience. He is interested enough in mortals to decide to make happy a lovelorn girl passing by, and recruits the fairy Puck to carry out this task. Oberon is fond of Puck, but not blind to his anarchic tendencies, and suspects him of causing the lovers confusion willfully. Oberon has a dominating presence, and always expects to get what he wants. Titania is Queen of Fairies. Her quarrel with Oberon disturbs nature, but she still refuses to give up her changeling. Charmed by Oberon, she is entranced by Bottom in his transformed shape and promises him the world to have him stay by her. She is so besotted that when Oberon asks her for the changeling boy again, she gives him up without a second thought. With the charm taken off her, she is reconciled with Oberon, and goes with him to bless Theseus s house on his wedding night. She is proud, obstinate, and careful of her duties. Puck, or Robin Goodfellow, is an amoral prankster of a spirit. Oberon s jester, he delights in practical jokes, transforming Bottom for a lark and making him the object of Titania s love. When he makes a mistake in carrying out Oberon s commands, he is not repentant, and merely enjoys the greater chaos he has caused. He can counterfeit the voices of humans to perfection, can blacken the night, and is occasionally used by Oberon as a janitor. Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, Mustardseed are the fairies of Titania s court. Commanded by Titania, it is their job to attend on Bottom. These fairies must obey the commands of their king and queen because of their lowered status. The fairy kingdom is very hierarchical!

6 FAMOUS LINES FROM A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM When are YOU quoting Shakespeare? If you cannot understand my argument and declare It s Greek to me, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you claim to be more sinned against than sinning, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you recall your salad days, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you act more in sorrow than in anger, if your wish is father to the thought, if your lost property has vanished into thin air, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you have ever refused to budge an inch or suffered from green-eyed jealousy, if you have played fast and loose, if you have been tongue-tied, a tower of strength, hoodwinked or in a pickle, if you have knitted your brows, made a virtue of necessity, insisted on fair play, slept not one wink, stood on ceremony, danced attendance (on your lord and master), laughed yourself into stitches. Had short shrift, cold comfort or too much of a good thing, if you have seen better days or lived in a fool s paradise why, be that as it may, the more fool of you, for it is a foregone conclusion that you are (as good luck would have it) quoting Shakespeare; if you think it is early days and clear out bag and baggage, if you think it is high time and that that is the long and short of it, if you believe that the game is up and that truth will out even if it involves your own flesh and blood, if you lie low till the crack of doom because you suspect foul play, if you have your teeth set on edge (at one fell swoop) without rhyme or reason, then to give the devil his due if the truth were known (for surely you have a tongue in your head) you are quoting Shakespeare; even if you bid me good riddance and send me packing, if you wish I were dead as a door-nail, if you think I am an eyesore, a laughing stock, the devil incarnate, a stony hearted villain, the bloody-minded or a blinking idiot, then by Jove! O Lord! Tut, Tut! For goodness sake! What the dickens! But me no buts it is all one to me, for you are quoting Shakespeare. Bernard Levin, quoted in The Story of English. Robert McCrum, William Cran, and Robert MacNeil. Viking, 1986, pg. 99

7 A LOVE DIAMOND Hermia loves Lysander, and Lysander loves Hermia. Helena loves Demetrius, and Demetrius used to love Helena but now loves Hermia. This is a recipe for disaster. Unrequited Love Helena desperately loves Demetrius, but does not receive his love in return because Demetrius struggles with his own unrequited love for Hermia. The romantic connection between these young Athenians is very simple, although unhappy. Demetrius behaves in an ungentlemanly fashion in rejecting Helena s love especially in the following line: "I'll run from thee and hide me in the brakes, And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts."(ii.i) It is up to the fairies to make this unrequited love requited. Rash Decisions It seems that making rash decisions is infectious as the four Athenian lovers arrive at the decision to run away into the forest. It does not take Hermia long to decide she would rather elope with Lysander than face the options that her father has presented her with. She chooses to disobey her father s arranged marriage out of her love for Lysander. However, it is plausible that her actions are also inspired by her youthful, defiant spirit and her frustration with traditional Athenian customs. Regardless, it takes a great amount of courage for her to go against the expectations of her family and respected nobles. It also does not take a long time for Demetrius and Helena to follow suit. When Hermia tells Helena that she plans to elope with Lysander, it soon follows that Helena relays this information to Demetrius. The next series of events follow an impulsive pattern: - Demetrius makes the rash decision to go into the wood after Hermia. - Helena makes the rash decision to go into the wood after Demetrius. She says determinately, "You draw me, you hard-hearted adamant; But yet you draw not iron, for my heart is true as steel" (II.i). The Faithful and the Faithless The nectar that comes from the flower struck by Cupid s bow has the power to change the subject of a person s otherwise unwavering love. This love juice can turn people against each other, make people play tricks on one another, and can make those who were once earnest suddenly unfaithful. It therefore affects the faithfulness of mortals and fairies alike. In the wood, the Athenian lovers are tested for their loyalty and discover whether or not their love can withstand such trials. While under the flower s spell, the young Athenians falsely believe that they are earnest in their love. Perhaps, spell or no spell, all four of the lovers are playing tricks on one another. A lovestruck Demetrius reveals he has fallen subject to the fairies magical intervention when he cries out, "Transparent Helena! Nature shows art, That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart" (II.ii).

8 A PLAY WITHIN A PLAY The Rude Mechanicals are a comical group of skilled laborers, or craftsmen, from Athens who want to put on a play in Theseus s court entitled, The Most Lamentable Comedy and Most Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisbe. This play turns out to be a parody of the perilous encounters that the lovers have experienced in the forest, but it is much more than that. Shakespeare s inspiration for his play within a play comes from the Roman poet Ovid. All About Ovid One of Shakespeare s favorite poets, tales from Ovid s Metamorphoses run through all of Shakespeare s plays. One of the most striking themes of Ovid s tales is how often love can transform the natural world and human beings. These are the stories of Zeus turning into Swan to seduce Leda and so on. Ovid s Pyramus and Thisbe is a foundational text for A MIdsummer Night s Dream (as well as Romeo and Juliet). From Arthur Golding s translation of the Metamorphoses, For both their heartes with equall flame did burne. Ovid s Pyramus & Thisbe (later performed by the Rude Mechanicals) A Midsummer Night s Dream Romeo and Juliet Parental Hatred Parental Hatred Parental Hatred Plot to Elope Hermia and Lysander: Plot to Elope Clandestine Marriage Evidence of Thisbe s death: the bloody scarf Pyramus takes his own life, thinking she s dead Their blood seeps into the ground creating the Mulberry Tree as a remembrance of the lovers Lysander s disappearance: Hermia fears he is dead or in peril Either death or you I ll find immediately - Hermia (II,ii) Comic turn of events: Hermia finds Lysander; four Athenian lovers reconcile Juliet s death-like sleep Romeo takes his own life upon seeing Juliet s lifeless corpse Families build golden statues of Romeo and Juliet to remember the consequence of their hatred Fun Fact: Other Ovid Inspirations John Lyly s play Midas, printed in 1592, tells the story of a man named Midas whose head is turned into that of an ass. Midas s transformation is another one of the metamorphoses described by Ovid, and his account of the story was Shakespeare's inspiration for Bottom s head turning into a donkey s!

9 MIDSUMMER FUN FACTS 1. Three of the moons of the planet Uranus are named after characters from the play. Orbiting Uranus are Puck, Oberon, and Titania, named, respectively, in honour of the sprite from A Midsummer Night s Dream (whose alternative name is Robin Goodfellow) and the King and Queen of the Fairies. Puck, a moon discovered in 1985, is an apt name for a satellite which orbits a planet, given that in the play Puck announces that he ll put a girdle round about the Earth / In forty minutes. 2. The Beatles played the rude mechanicals. The mechanicals play-within-a-play Act V, scene 1 was performed by the Beatles as part of Around the Beatles, a TV special, broadcast by ITV on 28 April An ever-smiling Paul McCartney played Pyramus, John Lennon was an amusingly gruff Thisbe while George Harrison twinkled as Moonshine and Ringo Starr proved a comically deadpan Lion. In the history of the play s performance it's doubtful that the scene has ever been greeted by so much screaming from teenage female onlookers. 3. We might have misunderstood the title. The scholar Harold F Brooks in his introduction to the Arden edition (1979) pointed out that the title could be read as The Dream of a Midsummer Night, noting that Theseus s palace is to be sprinkled with the fairies field-dew benediction It was to dew gathered on May-day morning that magic properties were attributed. It could therefore be set in May and people are dreaming of midsummer. 4. Mendelssohn s famous Wedding March is from his Midsummer Night s Dream incidental music. The Wedding March is one of the best known pieces from Mendelssohn s suite of incidental music (Op. 61) to Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream. It is one of the most frequently used wedding marches, generally being played on a church pipe organ. When he wrote the piece, Mendelssohn was only 17 years old. 5. A Midsummer Night s Dream inspired the works of artists around the world! Joshua Reynolds, William Blake, and Edwin Landseer all created famous pieces of the characters in A Midsummer Night s Dream. They are included below!

10 STUDY GUIDE 2018 Midsummer Night s Dream Study Guide Created by: Lindsay Walsh, Education Apprentice Viviana Prado-Núñez, Education Apprentice Synopsis credit: I nterested in having Shakespeare on the Sound in your Classroom? We offer various workshops and lecture series and can tailor a program specifically for the play or topic of your choice! Contact our Director of Education, Emily Bryan, to discuss further opportunities for your school! emilybryan71@gmail.com, Download a PDF version of this study guide from our website!