adapted by Dan Conner illustrated by Rod Espinosa

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1 Graphic Shakespeare

3 adapted by Dan Conner illustrated by Rod Espinosa

4 visit us at Published by Magic Wagon, a division of the ABDO Publishing Group, 8000 West 78th Street, Edina, Minnesota Copyright 2009 by Abdo Consulting Group, Inc. International copyrights reserved in all countries. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Graphic Planet is a trademark and logo of Magic Wagon. Printed in the United States. Adapted by Dan Conner Illustrated by Rod Espinosa Edited by Stephanie Hedlund and Rochelle Baltzer Interior layout and design by Antarctic Press Cover art by Rod Espinosa Cover design by Neil Klinepier Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Conner, Daniel, William Shakespeare s A midsummer night s dream / adapted by Daniel Conner ; illustrated by Rod Espinosa. p. cm. -- (Graphic Shakespeare) Summary: Retells, in comic book format, Shakespeare s play about the strange events that take place in a forest inhabited by fairies who magically transform the romantic fate of two young couples. ISBN Graphic novels. [1. Graphic novels. 2. Shakespeare, William, Adaptations. 3. Youths writings.] I. Espinosa, Rod, ill. II. Shakespeare, William, Midsummer night s dream. III. Title. IV. Title: Midsummer night s dream. PZ7.7.C66Wi dc

5 Our Characters...4 Act I...6 Act II...11 Act III...18 Act IV...31 Act V...37 Behind A Midsummer Night s Dream...44 Famous Phrases...45 About the Author...46 Additional Works by Shakespeare...47 About the Adapters...47 Glossary...48 Web Sites...48

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46 44 William Shakespeare wrote A Midsummer Night s Dream in 1595 or Shakespeare used multiple sources when writing the play. He drew on Greek mythology, English country fairy lore, and various texts. A Midsummer Night s Dream is set in and around the city of Athens, Greece. The city lies in southeastern Greece, near the Aegean Sea. In the 400s BC, Athens was the world s most highly civilized city. Ancient Greeks built the city on and around a hill, which became known as the Acropolis. They constructed and decorated beautiful temples for gods and goddesses. The play begins in Athens, where Theseus and Hippolyta prepare to be married. Meanwhile, a young couple, Hermia and Lysander, escape to the forest to avoid Hermia having to marry Demetrius. Demetrius and Helena enter the forest to find them. In the forest, Oberon, king of the fairies, sends his servant, Puck, for a magic love potion. This potion will make Titania, queen of the fairies, fall in love with whatever person or creature she sees when she awakes. Oberon also tells Puck to use the potion on Demetrius so that he will once again love Helena. By mistake, Puck uses the love potion on Lysander, who then falls in love with Helena. Now, both men are in love with Helena. Meanwhile, a group of actors rehearse a play for Theseus s wedding. Puck gives Bottom, one of the actors, a donkey s head. Titania awakens and falls in love with Bottom. After much humorous confusion and misunderstanding, magic restores everyone to their normal states.

47 The play ends at the duke s wedding. The two couples are also married at the wedding. During the celebration, the actors perform their comical play. The first performance of A Midsummer Night s Dream was most likely before The play was first published in It was again published in 1623 in the collected works of Shakespeare, called the First Folio. Today, the First Folio is the source for most of Shakespeare s plays. A Midsummer Night s Dream has been performed onstage throughout the world. The course of true love never did run smooth. I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows. Lord, what fools these mortals be! Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind. Never did mockers waste more idle breath! 45

48 46 William Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. At the time, records were not kept of births, however, the churches did record baptisms, weddings, and deaths. So, we know approximately when he was born. Traditionally, his birth is celebrated on April 23. William was the son of John Shakespeare, a tradesman, and Mary Arden. He most likely attended grammar school and learned to read, write, and speak Latin. Shakespeare did not go on to the university. Instead, he married Anne Hathaway at age 18. They had three children, Susanna, Hamnet, and Judith. Not much is known about Shakespeare s life at this time. By 1592 he had moved to London, and his name began to appear in the literary world. In 1594, Shakespeare became an important member of Lord Chamberlain s company of players. This group had the best actors and the best theater, the Globe. For the next 20 years, Shakespeare devoted himself to writing. He died on April 23, 1616, but his works have lived on.

49 The Comedy of Errors ( ) The Taming of the Shrew ( ) Romeo and Juliet ( ) A Midsummer Night s Dream ( ) Much Ado About Nothing ( ) As You Like It ( ) Hamlet ( ) Twelfth Night ( ) Othello ( ) King Lear ( ) Macbeth ( ) The Tempest (1611) Rod Espinosa has worked in advertising, software entertainment, and film. Today, he lives in San Antonio, Texas, and produces stunning graphic novels including Dinowars, Neotopia, Metadocs, Battle Girls, and many others. His graphic novel Courageous Princess was nominated for an Eisner Award and Neotopia was nominated for the Max und Moritz Award. As a life long graphic novel and literature fan, Daniel Conner is thrilled to be a part of this graphic novel series. Other works of his, including musical endeavors, have appeared in various Graphic Novel anthologies, CDs, and Web sites. He is a high school teacher and small group leader at his church in San Antonio, TX, where he lives with his sensational wife, Hannah, and their cat. 47

50 dote - to show affection. edict - an order or demand. enamored - in love with. eyne - a spelling of eyes that is used for rhyme. girdle round about the earth - cover the earth searching. glade - an open space surrounded by woods. henchman - a page to a person of high rank. hither - to this place. knavery - being deceitful. league - a measurement of distance. love-in-idleness - the name for a pansy. negligence - showing carelessness. nuptial hour - time of our wedding. weed - clothing To learn more about William Shakespeare, visit ABDO Publishing Company on the World Wide Web at Web sites about Shakespeare are featured on our Book Links page. These links are routinely monitored and updated to provide the most current information available. 48

Note: These activities are suitable for students who don t know a lot (possibly nothing at all) about Shakespeare s writing.

Note: These activities are suitable for students who don t know a lot (possibly nothing at all) about Shakespeare s writing. Shakespeare Teacher s notes Level: Topic: Subject(s): Time (approx): Preparation: Lower Intermediate (and above) Shakespeare Literature and History Activity 1: 15-20 minutes Activity 2: 10 minutes Activity