A Midsummer Night’s Dreams Study Question

Directions: As you read, answer the following comprehension

questions. For each answer you MUST include a reference to the
text with appropriate citation.
1.1.
1. Why has Egeus brought his daughter to Theseus? What does he expect Theseus to do
about it?

He brought her to Theseus because he loved him and he wanted Egues to marry Theseus.

2. What was the proper role for women/daughters in Athenian society according to Egeus
and Theseus?

Women had to marry who ever their parents liked. It did not matter if they liked them.

3. What is Theseus’ ruling concerning Hermia? What choices does he give her?

She must marry either Demetrius or Lysander and if she picks the wrong one she will be
killed.

4. What do Lysander and Hermia plan to do about this seemingly impossible situation?

They are going to Lysander's rich widowed aunt who has no kids and get married there.

5. Even though she is Hermia’s best friend, why does Helena decide to tell Demetrius of
Hermia and Lysander’s plan?

She told Demetrius because she knew that he would give her so many gifts that costs a lot of
money.

1.2.
1. What play have the mechanicals (the actors) decided to put on for Theseus’ wedding day?
A very tragic comedy about the horrible deaths of Pyramus and Thisbe

2. Evaluate the character Bottom: what is his acting ability? How does it compare to his own
opinion of his acting ability?

He thinks he can play all parts of play even tho he is not the greatest actor.

3. What parts will be played by each of the mechanicals (the actors)?

Bottom is playing Pyramus, Flute is playing Thisbe, Starveling is playing Thisbe's mother,
Snout is playing Pyramus's dad, and Snug is playing the lion

4. Where are the actors to meet the following nights? Who else will be meeting in the same
place at the same time?

They are going to meet duke’s forest. Lysander and Hermia are meeting there to sleep for the
night.

2.1.
1. What does the reader find out about the current relationship between Oberon (King of
the Fairies) and Titania (Queen of the Fairies) from Puck and the First Fairy?

Oberon loves Titania but she does not love him back.

2. What effects have Oberon and titania’s quarrel had on nature, the seasons, and humans?

It causes rivers to flood which destroys farmers lands which then means no food for people
to eat.

3. What does Oberon send Puck to find, and where will he find it?

He sends Puck to the west to get a Love-in-idleness flower

4. What are Oberon’s plans for Titania?

He is going to pour the juice from the love flower onto her eyes so that when she wakes up
she will love the first living thing she sees.

5. How does Helena react to Demetrius’ verbal abuse? His threats of physical abuse?

Verbal: It makes Helena more attracted to him. Physical: She wants him to treat her like a
dog and kick her and hit her.

6. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about Demetrius and Helena?

He wants Puck to put the love flowers juice onto Demetrius’s eyes so that he will love Helena

2.2.
1. What is the situational irony at hand?

That Oberon will come and ruin their songs and dances but he doesn't

2. What is the dramatic irony at hand?

Titana thinks that she will sleep with her fairies only but Oberon comes and puts love juice in
her eye.

3. What does Puck’s casual mistake highlight about the differences between the world of
the fairies and the world of mortal world?

Fairies are usually the one making mistakes that humans have to deal with

4. How does Helena react to Lysander’s declarations for her?

She thinks that he is taunting her about being so lonely

5. How is Hermia’s dream a reflection of reality?

3.2.
1. What does Hermia accuse Demetrius of doing?

Hermia accuses Demetrius of killing Lysander in his sleep.

2. How are Puck and Oberon going to correct Puck’s earlier mistake?

They are going to wait until they all go to sleep and then they will put love juice in their eyes
and fix everything

3. Why is Helena upset when Demetrius says he loves her when it was what she wanted all
along?

She thinks that Lysander and Demetrius are playing a prank on her

4. What causes Helena to be angry with Hermia?

She thinks that she was pulling a prank on her and is now jellus

5. What is the fairies plan for the young lovers?

To make them fall in love with each other25789-p[iou

4.1.
1. How does Titania respond to Oberon when he asks for the changeling this time? What
does this reveal about the strength of the love potion?

She said yes and sent a fairy to go get him. It shows that the love potion makes people forget
about everything else besides who they love

2. Why are Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and the others out in the woods so early in the
morning?
They are going to use the sounds of hunting dogs barking as music for Theseus’s wife

3. What explanations are given for why the young lovers are in the woods?

They want to hear a different type of music that not most people listen to

4. What is Theseus’ decision concerning the young lovers? What prompts him to make this
decision?

He wants them all to get married with him today with who they want to marry. He does this so
they can be happy

5. What does Bottom believe happened? How is he going to use this to entertain Theseus?

He thinks he had a bad dream but in reality it was real life. He is going to act out his dream in
front of Theseus

4.2.
1. What opinions are stated about the mechanical’s (the actor’s) missing friend?

They say he may have been kidnapped

2. What do they fear has happened to Bottom?

He was kidnapped by somebody

3. Why must the mechanicals (the actors) hurry to Theseus’ palace?

They have to hurry because they were late because Bottom got lost

5.1.
1. Why does Theseus choose to see the play about Pyramus and thisbe rather than the
other entertainment?
He chose this play because he wanted to see if it was an accurate representation about what
really happened

2. In what ways is the play Pyramus and Thisbe unsuitable for a wedding celebration?

A character being a wall in the play

 A Midsummer Night’s Dream Character Map
Directions: As you read, fill in the character map to help you understand the
relationships between characters.

*Complete this assignment in the Google Drawing found in the Google Classroom Assignment
 A Midsummer Night’s Dream Significant Quotations
Directions: Locate the following quotations in the play by citing the Act, hello scene,
and line numbers and identify the speaker of the quotation. Most importantly,
provide an explanation for the quote as it pertains to the play’s themes, conflicts, and
characters.

1. Aye me! For aught that I could ever read,

Could ever hear by tale of history,
The course of true love never did run smooth.

Lysander says this in act 1 scene 1 page 5

2. Through Athens I am thought as fair as she.

But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so.
He will not know what all be he do know.
And as he errs, doring on Hermia’s eyes,
So I, admiring of his qualities.
Things base and vile, holding no quantity,
Love can transpose to form and dignity.
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.

Helena says it in act 1 scene 1 on page 9

3. A sweet Athenian lady is in love

With a disdainful youth. Anoint his eyes,
But do it when the next thing he espies
May be the lady. Thou shalt know the man
By the Athenian garments he hath on.

Oberon says it in act 2 scene 1 on page 10

4. Lord, what fools these mortals be!

Robin says it in act 3 scene 2 on page 5

 5. I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream past the wit of man to say what dream
it was. Man is but an ass if he go about t’expound this dream. Methought I was-there is
no man can tell what. Methought I was, and methought I had-but man is but a patched
fool if he will offer to say what methought I had. The eye of man hath not heard, the
ear of man hath not seen, man’s hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his
heart to report what my dream was. I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of this
dream. It shall be called ‘Bottom’s Dream’, because it hath no bottom.

Bottom says it in act 4 scene 1 on page 9

6. If we shadows have offended,

Think but this an all is mended:
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream.

Robin says it in act 5 scene 1 page 18

 A Midsummer Night’s Dream Short Answer Topics
Directions: Answer each of the following short answer questions following
the BATS Method. Borrow from the prompt, Answer the question, Text evidence
provided, and Sum it up. You only have to answer 2 out of the 3 questions.

1. Compare and contrast Shakespeare’s play to a modern day romantic

comedy.

In today's romantic comedy movies there usually is not a fairy that goes
around and puts magic flower juice in people's eyes

2. Support or refute the following thesis statement: “The course of true

love never did run smooth” (1.1.134). This is a central theme of the
play. Consider the following:
a. The trouble between Oberon and Titania
b. Hermia’s conflict with her father over Lysander and Demetrius
c. The complications between the four young lovers

3. It has been argued that the characters within the play are not
particularly different from one another--Helena and Hermia, Lysander
and Demetrius, Egeus and Theseus, Puck and Bottom. Pick one of the
pairs and discuss their similarities and differences and determine
which is the better of the two and why?

Helena and Hermia are similar because they both love somebody and the
difference is that the person helena loves does not lover her back but
the person Hermia loves does love her.
 A Midsummer Night’s Dream Alphabet Project
Directions: For each letter below, write a word or phrase that is
relevant to the play. You must include a visual illustration of the
word or phrase and a minimum of two sentences explanation
discussing the relevance and/or significance of this word or phrase.
You may skip only 3 letters.

A) Athens, Where the B) Brawl, Demetrius C) Conflict,

story takes place. and Lysander almost Demetrius and
Where Hermia ran fight. They fight for Lysander want to
away from. Helena's love. marry Hermia.
Hermia's dad wants
who to marry
Demetrius but she
wants to marry
Lysander.

D) Demetrius, He E) Ending, Everybody F) Fairy, A fairy

loved Hermia. lived happily ever causes the conflict
Hermia’s dad wanted after. Also everybody with Lysander and
her to marry got married. Demetrius. Also they
Demetrius. make one of the
actors have a donkey
head.

G) Gental, The play H)Hermia, Ran away I) Ignorant, Puck

had no fighting. It from athens so she was Ignorant and
was a peaceful play could be with the put a donkey head on
with a happy ending. person she loves. a worker. Puck was
She also has a sister. again ignorant that
 he put love juice on
the wrong people.

J) Jealous, K) Kindness, In the L) Lysander, He loves

Demetrius was end everybody is Hermia. He ran away
jealous that Hermis kind to each other. from athens to be
was going to marry In the beginning not with her.
Lysander. everybody is nice to
each other.

M) Marriage, 6 N) Night time, The O) Oberon, He is the

people got married characters get the king of the fairies. He
on the same day. The love potion put on uses the love juice to
king of Athens got them while they make Titana fall in
married. sleep during the love with him.
night.

P) Play, Was a play Q) Quince, He was a R) Robin, He was

for the king getting carpenter who also known as Puck.
married. Turned out worked in Athens. He He created most of
to be a play for 3 played the prologue the conflict in the
marriages. in the play for the story.
king

S) Sleep, the love T) Theseus , Leader U) unwished

potion only works of athens. Marrying marriage, Demetrius
when the people are Hippolyta did not plain the
asleep. You out the marry Helena.
juice in their eyelids Lysander thought he
when the sleeping was going to marry
Hermia outside of
Athens.
V W) Wedding, Hermia X
and Lysander ran
away to get married.
The king of Athens
got married
Y) Yearning each Z
other, Hermia Loved
lysander. Helena
loved Demetrius but
he did not love her
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