Dates to remember: Unit Assignment due Friday March 7 th, Day 6 Unit test A Midsummer Night s Dream Wednesday Day 5, March 5 th Unit test will consist of: Section A: 15 matching (characters)- know who they an are and ir major contributions to the play Section B: 10 Multiple choice Section C: 20 Vocabulary questions (based on vocabulary worksheets) Section D: Multi paragraph answer. Answer one of four questions in at least three paragraphs. To prepare for this question study the notes provided. Multi-paragraph Questions: Characters: Be prepared to compare characters Themes Love is blind, unreasonable and unpredictable The dominant theme in A Midsummer Night's Dream is love, a subject to which Shakespeare returns constantly in his comedies. Shakespeare explores how people superficially tend to fall in love with those who appear beautiful to them. People we think we love at one time in our lives can later seem not only unattractive but even repellent. For a time, this attraction to beauty might appear to be love at its most intense, but one of the ideas of the play is that real love is much more than mere physical attraction. At one level, the story of the four young Athenians asserts that although "The course of true love never did run smooth," true love triumphs in the end, bringing happiness and harmony. At another level, however, the audience is forced to consider what an apparently irrational and whimsical thing love is, at least when experienced between youngsters. LYSANDER: How now, my love! Why is your cheek so pale? How chance the roses there do fade so fast? HERMIA: Belike for want of rain, which I could well Beteem them from the tempest of my eyes. LYSANDER: Ay me! for aught that I could ever read, Could ever hear by tale or history, The course of true love never did run smooth; Act 1, Scene 1, Lines 130-136 As Lysander says, The course of true love never did run smooth. In the passage above, Lysander and Hermia discuss the obstacles to love, obstacles which are in some way reflected by the couples in the play. First of all, Lysander speaks of a love between people who are different in blood, or of different classes. A romance between people of different social stations was considered taboo in the Renaissance, acceptable only in the sense of a passing affair. One could have a lower-class person as a mistress or lover but never as a spouse. True love, one resulting in marriage, was practically unthinkable if couples came from different classes. Such a case, in a way, is reflected in Titania s magic-induced obsession with Nick Bottom. Despite the differences in race, and the silliness of a fairy queen in love with someone having an ass s head, Titania is royalty while Bottom is a mere weaver. Bottom s calm acceptance of the infatuation of Titania as only natural would have been seen to the audience of the time as even more hilarious because of the difference in station. In the class-conscious society of Elizabethan England, equals only marry equals. Lysander then speaks of the obstacle of a marriage that stands upon the choice of friends. This statement could also be read as "the choice of family," because a father was given the sole responsibility of official approval of his daughter s marriage. While a daughter s goal might primarily be love in marriage, a father was focused more on his daughter s security (thus relieving him of financial responsibility) than whether or not she was particularly happy. In the higher ranks, especially among the monarchy, daughters were seen as living treaties, with the marriage between the children of kings functioning as an alliance. Thus daughters became a valuable commodity, but only in the sense of their being marriageable. The idea of marrying for true love was just beginning to come into its own during the time of Shakespeare s writing, and it would take several centuries before it became the norm. Shakespeare, in most of his comedies, used this new idea to provide the conflict in the plot. The obstacles to marriage is the common theme, driving the action of the play along. The idea of the course of true love running smoothly would provide little interest to theater goers. It is only the progress toward a sure marriage that held the audience s attention.
Appearance and Reality Another of the play's main themes is one to which Shakespeare returns to again and again in his work: the difference between appearance and reality. The idea that things are not necessarily what they seem to be is at the heart of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and in the very title itself. A dream is not real, even though it seems so at the time we experience it. Shakespeare consciously creates the plays' dreamlike quality in a number of ways. Characters frequently fall asleep and wake having dreamed ("Methought a serpent ate my heart away"); having had magic worked upon them so that they are in a dreamlike state; or thinking that they have dreamed ("I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what dream it was"). Much of the play takes place at night, and there are references to moonlight, which changes the appearance of what it illuminates. The difference between appearances and reality is also explored through the play-within-a-play, to particularly comic effect. The "rude mechanicals" completely fail to understand the magic of the theatre, which depends upon the audience being allowed to believe (for a time, at least) that what is being acted out in front of them is real. When Snug the Joiner tells the stage audience that he is not really a lion and that they must not be afraid of him, we (and they) laugh at this stupidity, but we also laugh at ourselves for we know that he is not just a joiner pretending to be a lion, but an actor pretending to be a joiner pretending to be a lion. Shakespeare seems to be saying, "We all know that this play isn't real, but you're still sitting there and believing it." That is a kind of magic too. Cast of characters Hermia a young woman in love with Lysander but ordered by her father to marry Demetrius Helena Hermia s friend from childhood who is in love with Demetrius Lysander the youth in love with Hermia Demetrius the man chosen by Egeus for his daughter, Hermia, to marry despite her love for Lysander Egeus Hermia s father who insists upon his paternal right to choose her husband Theseus the duke of Athens; engaged to Hippolyta Hippolyta engaged to Theseus Philostrate master of the revel (celebration for Theseus and Hippolyta s wedding) Nick Bottom (the weaver) manager of the play-within-a-play and portrays Pyramus in it; becomes the object of Titania s love Peter (the carpenter) author and director of the play-within-the-play Francis Flute (the bellows mender) unwillingly plays the role of Thisbe in the play-within-the-play Tom Snout (the tinker) portrays a wall in the play-within-the-play Robin Starveling (the tailor) portrays the moon in the play-within-the-play Snug (the joiner) portrays the lion in the play-within-the-play because he roars well Oberon king of the fairies; married to Titania Titania queen of the fairies; married to Oberon Robin Goodfellow (Puck) a hobgoblin in Oberon s service Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Mote, and Mustardseed Titania s fairies Conflict Original Conflict (External Conflict- Humans against humans found in introduction) Hermia loves Lysander, Lysander loves Hermia, Demetrius loves Hermia, Helena loves Demetrius, and no one loves Helena. Oh, and Egeus wants his daughter killed if she doesn't follow his plan of marrying Demetrius. About twenty lines into the play, we hear Egeus's complaint against his daughter Hermia, and we know the initial situation is a conflict itself. The play will definitely be about resolving this. 2 nd External Conflict- Humans against humans found in introduction:
Titania and Oberon are quarrelling, Lysander and Hermia have run off together and gotten lost in the woods, and Demetrius and Helena have followed. Further conflict arises in yet another set of main characters: Oberon and Titania. The fairies' fight (over a relatively small thing) has the potential of very serious consequences for the entire natural world. In contrast, the young lovers are worried about a serious thing (love), but the way they deal with it only matters to themselves and their families. The scene is set for our Athenian heroes to get involved in this other conflict. As Titania and Oberon announce that the natural world is all mixed up, the four lovers go wandering into that very natural world, with predictably zany results. We're all set for the young Athenians' problems to become even more complicated, reflecting the conflict that brews in the wood around them. Complication Puck has put love potion on Lysander's eyes by accident, causing him to fall in love with Helena and forsake Hermia. Oberon enchants Demetrius and he too falls in love with Helena. Puck has turned Bottom's head into that of a donkey. Puck's mistaken enchantment of Lysander further complicates an already difficult situation. True love has betrayed itself (Lysander leaves Hermia) and, with the addition of Demetrius's enchantment, false love appears to be true (Demetrius claims to love Helena). Now the pendulum has swung from loving Hermia to loving Helena. Elsewhere in the forest, Puck has interfered with the Mechanicals' rehearsal by transforming their main character into a beast and sending the others all screaming off into the woods. Climax Lysander and Demetrius fight; Hermia and Helena fight. This is an ugly resolution to the whole love-juice situation. Demetrius and Lysander would've fought over Hermia anyway, but now they fight over Helena, which inspires Hermia to try and fight Helena. During this row in the woods, some pretty harsh words are thrown around, and ugly things get brought up from the past (like how Helena thought Hermia was a vixen when they were younger). It's especially hard to hear the girls say things like this when you know they aren't under any kind of spell (only the guys are). Titania's love for Bottom is climactic insofar as it lets us know there will be a turning point. Eventually, Oberon will have Titania released from the spell (once he gets the Indian child) and likely he'll have everything fixed with the lovers by then, too. Until then, we can enjoy the madness at the peak of the play. Suspense Puck leads Demetrius and Lysander in opposite directions; Hermia and Helena's fight seems irreparable. This part of the play would be a bit worrisome if we didn't know already that comedies end nicely. Demetrius and Lysander haven't resolved their quarrel and, even as they fall asleep, they're vowing to kill each other. Even more frightening is the emotional quarrel that's occurred between two formerly dear friends, Hermia and Helena. Helena runs away from a fuming Hermia, and the Jerry Springer things they said to each other leave open the distinct possibility that, no matter what, their friendship might never recover. Denouement (resolution) Oberon releases Titania from the spell. Puck gives Lysander the remedy juice. Demetrius declares that he's in love with Helena. Theseus announces that the couples will be married. Also, Bottom awakens with his own head back. Oberon has gotten the Indian child that he wanted from Titania, so he no longer has any beef with his wife. When she wakes up from her enchantment, the couple goes back to normal, which restores harmony to the natural world. Puck solves the problem of Lysander loving Helena by putting the potion's remedy on Lysander's eyes. He solves the problem of Demetrius not loving Helena by leaving the pansy-juice on Demetrius's eyes. Thus, when everyone wakes up, the couples have neatly paired off. Finally, the transformation and return of a normal-headed Bottom to Athens solves the Mechanicals' worry that they couldn't put on the play. Conclusion The three couples are married in Athens. Pyramus and Thisbe is performed, and Oberon, Titania, and Puck bless the house and the couples. All the Mechanicals' hard work finally pays off they get to perform a play that touches on the severity of what could have happened to two doomed lovers (Pyramus and Thisbe here serve as a tragic reflection of the happier Lysander and Hermia). While the humans leave the play in party hats, the fairies come out and close the play, saying matters in the world are really more serious than all this might suggest. Puck reminds us that everyone will die, which is a nice conclusion. Oberon and Titania put the real conclusion on by promising that the characters are all busy (even while they speak) making babies, which is a good way to preserve yourself from death. Also, Oberon promises the couples will be happy and in love for the rest of their lives.
Conflict develops Theme of love, specifically that The course of true love never did run smooth, but true love triumphs in the end, bringing happiness and harmony. Any one of the love stories in the plot help prove this theme to be true. To answer a question on this, you must trace how the conflict between any of the couples start, get complicated, rise to a high point in the action, and finally resolve to a happy ending for all involved. Choose one of the couples and be able to write a multi-paragraph answer with references to the text on how that conflict helps develop the theme. Importance of the Ending: At the end of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Puck steps out on stage to deliver an epilogue, where he begs us, the audience, to "pardon" the actors if they didn't enjoy the show: Ads by ZINC If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended, That you have but slumber'd here While these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme, No more yielding but a dream, Gentles do not reprehend. If you pardon, we will mend. (Epilogue) This speech is common in Elizabethan epilogues (conclusion). Still, when Puck invites the audience to think of the play as nothing more than a "dream," Shakespeare makes an important statement about the nature of the theater. Like dreams, plays aren't real they're the product of imagination and fantasy and involve the momentary suspension of reality. Come to think of it, this seems like an accurate description about life in general. At times, the real events that make up our own human story can seem as fleeting and fantastic as our dreams. Important terms for Shakespearean plays: Aside : Short speech delivered in undertone to the audience (other characters are present, but for the purposes of the drama they do not "hear" the aside) Blank Verse unrhymed iambic pentameter Comic relief humorous episode relieves tension (sometimes attracts or diverts attention) Dramatic Irony a situation in which events or facts not known to one character are known to another character and the audience; and this lack of knowledge on the first character's part causes him to speak or behave in a way that he would not speak or behave if he were aware of this information Falling Action Act IV; part of the story in which the main part (the climax) has finished and you're heading to the conclusion. Iambic Pentameter one unaccented syllable followed by an accented syllable in a line of five metric feet (10 total syllables) - This is the most common type of English verse Resolution or Catastrophe Act V; Conflicts are resolved, creating normality for the characters and a sense of catharsis; the tragedy ends with a catastrophe in which the protagonist is worse off than at the beginning of the narrative. In Shakespeare's tragedies, the dénouement is usually the death of one or more characters. Soliloquy Verbal Irony dramatic monologue which expresses a character's inner feelings, thoughts, intentions a glimpse into a character's mind; the character is alone on stage when he delivers his soliloquy (although soliloquies may be overheard by other characters) actual meaning of a character's statement is different from what he or she literally says
Plot: the a literary term defined as the events that make up a story, particularly as they relate to one another in a pattern, in a sequence, through cause and effect, how the reader views the story, or simply by coincidence. Prologue: The introduction. In a Shakespearean play, the prologue is an opening to a story that establishes the setting and gives background details, often some earlier story that ties into the main one, and other miscellaneous information. It is usually delivered in a soliloquy by one of the actors and provided details on setting, characters, and conflict. Epilogue: speech directly to the audience following the conclusion of a play. The performer who delivers such a short poem or speech. A short addition or concluding section at the end of a literary work, often dealing with the future of its characters. Parts of Plot: Original Conflict: The original conflict in the play which is found in the Act I Setting: the time & place of the opening of the play Conflict: the original conflict in a play which can be one of three types, but is usually interpersonal conflict (humans against humans) or internal conflict. Complicating Factor: A complication factor adding to the original conflict Rising Act II; the basic internal conflict is complicated by the introduction of related secondary Action conflicts, including various obstacles that frustrate the protagonist's attempt to reach his goal. Climax: occurs in Act III;, turning point which marks a change, for the better or the worse, in the protagonist's affairs. If the story is a tragedy, the opposite state of affairs will ensue, with things going from good to bad for the protagonist. Falling Action: Act IV; part of the story in which the main part (the climax) has finished and you're heading to the conclusion. Resolution or Catastrophe Or Denoument Act V; Conflicts are resolved, creating normality for the characters and a sense of catharsis; the tragedy ends with a catastrophe in which the protagonist is worse off than at the beginning of the narrative. In Shakespeare's tragedies, the dénouement is usually the death of one or more characters.