A Midsummer Night's Dream and Scene
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Study Questions
ACT I, SCENE I - Due Date ____________________ 1. How is Hippolyta’s reasoning concerning how quickly the next four days will pass different from that of Theseus? 2. Why has Egeus brought his daughter and her two suitors to Theseus? What does Egeus expect him to do? 3. What was the proper role for women/daughters in Athenian society according to Egeus and Theseus? 4. What is Theseus’s ruling concerning Hermia? 5. How does Lysander’s comment about Demetrius’s previous love affair with Helena complicate things? 6. What do Lysander and Hermia plan to do about this seemingly impossible situation? 7. Why do they tell Helena what they plan to do? 8. Even though Helena loves Demetrius and is Hermia’s best friend, why does she decide to tell Demetrius of Hermia and Lysander’s plans? ACT I, SCENE II - Due Date ____________________ 1. Why does Nick Bottom want to play all the parts? 2. How do you suppose the threat of being hanged if they scare the ladies will affect the artisans’ interpretation of the tragedy of Pyramus and Thisby? 3. In what way is this scene funny? Why do you suppose Shakespeare included this scene? 4. Where are the actors to meet the following night? Who else is meeting in these same woods at the same time? ACT II, SCENE I - Due Date ____________________ 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? 2. How have Oberon and Titania been involved in the past with Theseus and Hippolyta, and why have they come to Athens? 3. What effect has their quarrel had on nature, on the seasons, on humans? 4. Why won’t Titania give up the changeling to Oberon? 5. What does Oberon send Puck to find? 6. What are Oberon’s plans for Titania? 7. How does Helena react to Demetrius’s verbal abuse? 8. What is her response to his threats of physical abuse? 9. In what way is Helena’s behavior inappropriate for Athenian
ACT I, SCENE I - Due Date ____________________ 1. How is Hippolyta’s reasoning concerning how quickly the next four days will pass different from that of Theseus? 2. Why has Egeus brought his daughter and her two suitors to Theseus? What does Egeus expect him to do? 3. What was the proper role for women/daughters in Athenian society according to Egeus and Theseus? 4. What is Theseus’s ruling concerning Hermia? 5. How does Lysander’s comment about Demetrius’s previous love affair with Helena complicate things? 6. What do Lysander and Hermia plan to do about this seemingly impossible situation? 7. Why do they tell Helena what they plan to do? 8. Even though Helena loves Demetrius and is Hermia’s best friend, why does she decide to tell Demetrius of Hermia and Lysander’s plans? ACT I, SCENE II - Due Date ____________________ 1. Why does Nick Bottom want to play all the parts? 2. How do you suppose the threat of being hanged if they scare the ladies will affect the artisans’ interpretation of the tragedy of Pyramus and Thisby? 3. In what way is this scene funny? Why do you suppose Shakespeare included this scene? 4. Where are the actors to meet the following night? Who else is meeting in these same woods at the same time? ACT II, SCENE I - Due Date ____________________ 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? 2. How have Oberon and Titania been involved in the past with Theseus and Hippolyta, and why have they come to Athens? 3. What effect has their quarrel had on nature, on the seasons, on humans? 4. Why won’t Titania give up the changeling to Oberon? 5. What does Oberon send Puck to find? 6. What are Oberon’s plans for Titania? 7. How does Helena react to Demetrius’s verbal abuse? 8. What is her response to his threats of physical abuse? 9. In what way is Helena’s behavior inappropriate for Athenian