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A Midsummer Night's Dream | William Shakespeare | Neb English Support Class 12
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Table of Contents
SHORT STORYLINE
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
All the characters get lost in the woods. Puck manipulates their romantic affections and, in one case, their physical head shape. All of them acted.
SHORT SUMMARY
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
The four Athenians flee into the woods, only to have Puck the fairy make both boys fall in love with the same girl. The four chase each other through the woods while Puck helps his master play a trick on the fairy queen. In the end, Puck reverses the spell of his magic, and the two couples are reconciled and married.
DETAILED SUMMARY
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
Act I
As Duke Theseus prepares for his wedding ceremony to Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, he is interrupted by a courtesan, Egeus. Egeus asks the Duke to intervene in a dispute. His daughter, Hermia, won't agree to marry Demetrius (whom Egeus has selected for her) because she is in love with a gentleman named Lysander. The Duke advises Hermia to be obedient to her father. He puts forward one of two choices: she must either die or accept a celibate life as a nun in Diana's temple.
Naturally upset by the proposal of the Duke, both Lysander and Hermia plan to elope, and they share their secret with Hermia's friend, Helena. Helena is desperately in love with Demetrius, who appears to have abandoned her in favour of Hermia. In the night, Lysander and Hermia escape from Athens. But they soon lose their way in the woods. After Helena tells him of her intention to defy the law, Demetrius decides to chase the lovers into the woods. In turn, Helena follows Demetrius in the hope that he will abandon Hermia and choose her instead.
Meanwhile, a group of workers is preparing a play of the tragic love story of Pyramus and Thisbe to present to Duke Theseus and Hippolyta on their wedding day. Nick Bottom, the weaver, is to play the role of lover Pyramus, whereas Flute, the bellows-mender, begrudgingly agrees to play Thisbe.
Act II
Nearby, Oberon, the King of the Fairies, has recently quarrelled with his queen, Titania. She obtained a magical child from one of her waiting ladies and now refuses to hand it over to King Oberon for use as a page. Oberon starts plotting a way to get revenge on Titania for her disobedience. He sends his fairy servant, Puck, to bring a purple flower with juice that makes people fall in love with the next creature, whoever they see.
Later, Oberon overhears both Helena and Demetrius arguing in the woods. Oberon hears of Helena's abuse of Demetrius and tells Puck to be anointed 'the Athenian', so Demetrius will fall in love with the first person he sees. Puck mistakes the Athenian and pours the juice of the flowers on the sleeping Lysander's eyes. When Lysander is awakened by Helena, he falls in love with her immediately and rejects Hermia. While Demetrius rests, Oberon pours magic juice over his eyes, which makes him fall in love with Helena as well.
Act III
The workers' rehearsal in the woods is overheard by Puck, who plays a trick on them too. He gives Bottom a donkey's head. After scaring the others away, Bottom is drawn to the sleeping Titania, who has been anointed by Oberon with the juice of Puck's magical flowers. Upon waking up, the fairy queen falls in love with the donkey and entertains him with her fairies.
Meanwhile, Demetrius and Lysander, who are still under the spell of the flower juice, pursue Helena. Hermia becomes jealous and confused by the lack of attention paid to her. Oberon and Puck see the chaos among these people, and Oberon orders Puck to set it right again. The lovers' arguments have exhausted them all as they chase each other through the woods. Puck eventually distracts the two men from pursuing Helena by using their voices, and they become lost in the woods. All four lovers fall asleep after getting tired. Puck pours restorative juice on Lysander's eyes.
Act IV
After an afternoon of being caressed by Titania's fairies, Bottom falls asleep next to her. Oberon restores Titania's sight and wakes her up. After expressing her dismay at seeing Bottom, she reconciles with Oberon. Eventually, she gives him the Little Indian Prince for her page. Bottom's donkey head is removed, and he returns to town to rejoin his friends as they prepare to perform their play. The lovers are awakened by the hunting party of Theseus and Hippolyta. Lysander sees Hermia and once again falls in love with her.
Act V
After being joyfully reunited (Lysander with Hermia and Demetrius with Helena), all of them agree to share the Duke's wedding day. The play 'Pyramus and Thisbe' is performed in front of the wedding guests. As the three couples go to bed, Puck and the fairies return to bless the castle and its people.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
1. What is Egeus so upset about in the play’s first scene?
Answer:
In the play’s first scene, Egeus is upset about his daughter Hermia who refuses to marry the man he chose (Demetrius) and instead loves Lysander.
2. Why do Peter Quince and his fellow craftsmen want to perform a play for Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding?
Answer:
Peter Quince and the craftsmen want to perform a play for Theseus and Hippolyta's wedding to entertain and celebrate the particular occasion of Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding.
3. Why does Oberon order Puck to fetch the magic flower?
Answer:
Oberon orders Puck to fetch the magic flower to use its juice to manipulate the romantic affections of the characters in the woods.
4. Why does Puck delight in causing chaos and confusion?
Answer:
Puck delights in causing chaos and confusion as it amuses him and serves Oberon's plan to meddle with the romantic entanglements.
5. What causes the animosity between Hermia and Helena?
Answer:
Hermia and Helena's animosity is caused by Demetrius, who originally loved Helena but now loves Hermia. This creates jealousy and confusion between the two women.
6. Why does Puck turn Bottom into a donkey?
Answer:
Puck turns Bottom into a donkey as part of Oberon's revenge on Titania and for his own amusement.
7. What does Oberon want?
Answer:
Oberon wants revenge on Titania and also seeks to manipulate the romantic situations among the characters for his own purposes.
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