A Midsummer Night s Dream By, William Shakespeare Drama Unit & Study Guide. Student Name: Teacher: Class Period:

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1 A Midsummer Night s Dream By, William Shakespeare Drama Unit & Study Guide Student Name: Teacher: Class Period:

2 Exploring Elements of Drama A drama, or play, is a story written to be performed by actors. It features Characters facing a conflict, or struggle, that propels the sequence of events called the plot. The conflict reaches a climax, the point of greatest tension, and is then resolved. The dialogue, or speeches of the characters, tells the story, and not, as in fiction, the voice or the narrator. Acts and scenes are the basic units of drama. A drama may consist of one or more acts, each of which may contain any number of scenes. The author of a play, called the playwright, provides the script, or text, of a play. The script contains both dialogue and stage directions. Stage directions tell how the work is to be performed, or staged. Providing details about sets, lighting, sound effects, props, costumes, and acting, directions were often printed in italics and set of in brackets. Some playwrights use abbreviations to provide additional direction about where on or offstage a speech may be delivered. These include O.S. for offstage; D.S.; for downstage, or close to the audience; and U.S. for upstage, or far from the audience. Sets are the constructions indicating where the drama takes place. A set include painted backdrops, wooden frames, and other elements. Props are movable objects, like swords or pens, that actors use on stage. All the elements of drama combine in performance to produce the vivid illusion of reality known as dramatic effect. Through this effect, the dramatist explores a theme, or insight into life.

3 Types of Drama and Dramatic Speech The ancient Greeks, who developed drama, created two types of plays: A tragedy shows the downfall or death of the tragic hero, or main character. In ancient Greek drama, the hero was an outstanding person brought low by a tragic flaw, a mistaken action or defect in character. In modern tragedy, the hero can be an ordinary person destroyed by an evil in society. Greek tragedy included the chorus, a group of performers who commented on the action. William Shakespeare sometimes used a single actor to perform the role of the chorus. A comedy has a happy ending, usually after an amusing series of predicaments. While tragedy emphasizes human greatness, comedy stresses the weakness of ordinary people or society itself. For both kids of drama, you sometimes need to understand the historical context, the background of the era in which the play is set or written. In addition to dialogue involving conversations between two or more characters, dramatists use the types of dramatic speech: A monologue is a long, uninterrupted speech delivered by a character to other characters who are onstage but remain silent. A soliloquy is a speech in which a character alone on stage reveals private thoughts and feelings that the audience is allowed to overhear. An aside is a brief remark in which a character expresses private thoughts to the audience rather than to other characters. Check your Understanding Choose the letter of the answer that best completes each numbered item. 1.The sequence of events in a play is the a. tragedy b. plot 2. A flawed, noble character is vital to a a. theme b. tragedy 3. Unlike tragedy, comedy has a a. happy ending b. dialogue 4. Costume details are found in a. monologues b. Stage directions 5. A brief remark made to the audience is a. an aside b. a soliloquy

4 Vocabulary: Elements of Short Stories & Drama These are elements that are common to both drama and short stories. Define. 1. Drama 2. Characters 3. Plot 4. Climax 5. Dialogue 6. theme These are types of dramatic speech in drama. Define. 1. Dialogue 2. Monologue 3. Soliloquy 4. Aside

5 Vocabulary: Elements of Short Stories & Drama These are elements that are common to both drama and short stories. Define. 1. acts, scenes 2. Playwright 3. Script 4. Stage directions 5. Sets 6. Props 7. Dramatic effect 8. Tragedy 9. Tragic hero 10. Tragic flaw 11. Comedy 12. Historical context

6 The Characters

7 The Athenians Directions: Use the following chart to list the position or role of each character and determine his or her personality traits. I can statement: I can discuss different types of characters and how their environment or surrounding changes the story. Character Position/Role Personality Traits Theseus Hippolyta Egeus Hermia Lysander Demetrius Helena

8 Act I, Scene I: Meet the Athenians Directions: After carefully reading and discussing act 1, scene 1 of A Midsummer Night s Dream, answer the following questions to clarify your understanding. 1. When the play opens, what event are Theseus and Hippolyta excited about? When will it take place? Who is more excited? 2. What is the significance of the references to four days? 3. What has upset Egeus? What does he want Theseus to do? 4. According to Theseus, what are Hermia s options, and how long does she have to make up her mind? a. b. c. How long: 5. What is Lysander s plea to Theseus and Egeus?

9 6. What do we learn about Demetrius past? 7. What plan does Lysander suggest to Hermia? 8. Why do Hermia and Lysander reveal their plan to Helena? 10. What does Helena reflect on in the soliloquy that closes the scene? 11. Why does Helena decide to tell Demetrius about the elopement of Hermia and Lysander?

10 Act I, Scene II: Meet the Actors Directions: After carefully reading and discussing act 1, scene 2 of A Midsummer Night s Dream, answer the following questions to clarify your understanding. 1. How does the language in the scene contrast with the language in the opening scene? Why? 2. What are your general impressions of each of the men in the acting troupe? Peter Quince Nick Bottom Francis Flute Robin Starveling Tom Snout Snug 3. What play do they plan to perform? What is the occasion? 4. What are the sources of humor in the scene? 5. Where do the men plan to rehearse? When? Do you see any connections with the end of the previous scene?

11 Summary: Pyramus and Thisbe The tragic story Pyramus and Thisbe sounds very much like Romeo and Juliet, and one wonders if it is where William Shakespeare got his inspiration for the play. The tale was first told by Ovid in Metamorphoses. This Roman myth is as follows. Two neighboring youths, Pyramus and Thisbe, fall in love. The only problem is that their families hate each other. They are forbidden to meet in person, so they communicate through a small chink in the shared wall between their houses. One day, they decide to meet at Ninus' tomb. (Ninus is believed to be the one who started the city of Nineveh, capital of Assyria.) They long to be together, as lovers do, to declare their feelings in person. However, a horrible misunderstanding ensues! When Thisbe arrives, she sees a lioness with a bloody mouth who has just finished killing her prey. Terrified, Thisbe flees, but leaves behind her veil. The lioness randomly shreds the veil, smearing it with blood. When Pyramus arrives, he sees the veil, and he is horrified, assuming the lioness has slaughtered Thisbe. As was the Roman way, he commits suicide by falling on his sword. As he falls, his blood stains the white fruit born by the Mulberry tree. Thisbe returns to the tomb to find Pyramus dead. Grief stricken, she, too falls on Pyramus' sword and kills herself. In pity, the gods permanently turn the fruit of Mulberry trees a crimson color. Do you think this is an appropriate selection to preform at a wedding?

12 Act II, Scene I: Fairy Land Directions: After carefully reading and discussing act II, scene I of A Midsummer Night s Dream, answer the following questions to clarify your understanding. 1. According to Puck, why is Oberon angry at Titania? 2. Describe the character of Puck from information given by the other fairy. 3. Whom does Titania say Oberon is in love with? 4. Whom does Oberon say Titania is in love with? 5. What does Oberon want from Titania and why won t Titania give in to Oberon? 6. How does Oberon plan to get revenge on Titania? Who will help him? 7. What are the sentiments behind all that Demetrius says to Helena? 8. After witnessing the quarrel between Demetrius and Helena, what additional orders does Oberon issue?

13 Act II, Scene II: Fairy Land Directions: After carefully reading and discussing act II, scene II of A Midsummer Night s Dream, answer the following questions to clarify your understanding. 1. In the scene three characters fall asleep: Titania, Lysander, and Hermia. How may this be related to the play s title? 2. What two reasons cause Puck to think Lysander is Demetrius? a. b. 3. Who wakes Lysander? Why is this significant? 4. How does Helena react to this?

14 Act III, Scene I: Fairy Land Directions: After carefully reading and discussing act III, scene I of A Midsummer Night s Dream, answer the following questions to clarify your understanding. Review of the lovers Who loves whom at the beginning of Act II, and Why? Lover Lover Why Hermia Lysander Helena Demetrius 1. What are the problems pointed out about the play the actors are rehearsing and how do they solve each problem? 2. When Puck enters he states: I ll be an auditor;; an too perhaps, if I see cause. (Note the importance of this line later) 3. Comedy is created through malapropisms in the dialogue of the play the actors are rehearsing. A malapropism is a humorous misuse of words, usually resulting from a confusion of similar words. Explain two examples in this scene. a. b. 4. What happens to bottom? How do you think it happened? 5. How did his friends react? How does Bottom react to their reactions and why are his words ironic? How does Titania react to Bottom and why? 6. Who are Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed? What orders does Titania give them?

15 Act III, Scene II: Fairy Land Directions: After carefully reading and discussing act III, scene I of A Midsummer Night s Dream, answer the following questions to clarify your understanding. 1. What news of Titania does Puck bring to Oberon? 2. What mistake is realized? 3. What does Hermia think happened to Lysander? 4. How does Puck feel about his mistake? 5. Who is Puck sent to find and bring to Oberon? For what reason? 6. On whom does Oberon put a spell? 7. How does puck feel about how humans in love act? (Quote the line on page 118) 8. When Demetrius wakes up, what woman are both men going to be in love with? 9. What does Helena think about Demetrius and Lysander now? 10. What cruel statement (pg. 124) does Lysander tell Hermia as to why he left her side?

16 11. How close were Helena and Hermia as children? (quote the lines) 12. What do both Helena and Hermia think the other is doing? 13. Who is Lysander calling a dwarf, a minimus, a knotgrass, a bead, an acorn? 14. Although Lysander loves Helena, what is not willing to do to prove his sincerity? 15. Why is Hermia mad at Helena? Then, what insult really gets to Hermia? 16. What does Hermia threaten to do to Helena? How does Helena feel about Hermia s anger? 17. How do Lysander and Demetrius plan to solve their problems? 18. What lines tell us Puck is having fun with his mistake? (copy the lines) 19. What natural phenomenon is created to prevent the two men from harming each other?

17 20. How is Puck also used to help? 21. When the men fall to sleep from exhaustion, what is Puck supposed to do and how will this help? 22. At the end of this scene and when they all wake up again, who should be in love with whom if all goes right? Hermia Lysander Demetrius Helena 23. All the lovers fall asleep again. How would you predict this to be significant? (Hint: What was the significance of them falling asleep the first time?) 24. Why is the end of the scene the climax or turning point of the play?

18 Act IV, Scene I: A Night Full of Dreams Directions: After carefully reading and discussing act IV, scene I of A Midsummer Night s Dream, answer the following questions to clarify your understanding. 1. Identify as many sources of humor as you can in the first part of this scene with Bottom, Titania, and the fairies. 2. Why does Oberon decide to undo his enchantment of Titania and Bottom? 3. Once Titania awakens out of the spell, what is her relationship with Oberon like? 4. What is the explanation for the early morning appearance of Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and the Attendants.? 5. Upon waking, what does Demetrius say that calms Egeus anger? 6. At this point what does Theseus decide about the future of the lovers? 7. Who will be married to whom on this day? Act IV, Scene II 1. Why are the actors upset? 2. According to Snug, what did the actors expect the outcome of their performance to be?

19 Act V, Scene I: A Completely Happy Ending Directions: After carefully reading and discussing act V, scene I of A Midsummer Night s Dream, answer the following questions to clarify your understanding. 1. According to Theseus in his beginning speech, what resemblance links the lunatic, the lover, and the poet? 2. How do Hippolyta and Theseus differ in their responses to the four young lovers stories about the previous night? 3. Theseus considers a number of possible plays for performance after supper. Why does he choose the play on Pyramus and Thisbe? 4. What is Philostrate s reaction to the witnessing the rehearsal of the play? How does explain how the play can be a tedious brief scene? 5. What is wrong with Quince s first half of the prologue? 6. When Quince continues the prologue, what does he do that should never be done BEFORE a play is performed.?

20 7. What does Bottom say that is out of character? 8. Why does Theseus say he does not care to hear an epilogue? 9. What is the reason the fairies are at the Duke s house? 10. At the end, Robin Goodfellow (Puck) gives a soliloquy. What does he say the audience should do if they were offended by the play? What does he mean by escape the serpent s tongue? Of the audience enjoyed the play, what should they do? 11. How does Puck s final speech give us one last echo of the theme of illusion in the play as a whole?