A Midsummer Nights Dream

A Midsummer Nights DreamA Comedy by William Shakespeare

Ms. Aixa B. Rodriguez ESL TeacherHigh School for World CulturesBronx, NY

What is A Midsummer Nights Dream about?Themes are universal and fundamental ideas in a work of literature.Themes in this play include:Difficulty of Love- jealousy, arranged marriage, parental approval, competition, imbalance.Magic- fairies, love potions.Dreams- within the play and the play itself.

What is A Midsummer Nights Dream all about? Motifs are recurring structures that inform themesContrasts or opposites- tall and short, ugly and beautiful, serious and happySymbols are objects, colors and figures used to represent ideas or concepts in a workTheseus and Hippolyta: represent order and stabilityThe Love Potion: unreasoning and fickle nature of loveThe Craftsmans play: represents the themes of the Midsummer Nights dream revisited.

Who are the characters in this play? The FairiesPuck- Oberons jester, a mischievous fairy who delights in playing pranks on mortals. Oberon- The king of the fairies, Titania- The beautiful queen of the fairiesPeaseblossom, Cobweb, Mote, and Mustardseed- The fairies ordered by Titania to attend to Bottom after she falls in love with him.

Who are the characters in this play? Mortals: The LoversLysander-in love with HermiaDemetrius- initially in love with Hermia and ultimately in love with Helena. Hermia- Egeuss daughter, in love with Lysander, a childhood friend of Helena. Helena- in love with Demetrius to whom she was once engaged, but then was abandoned for Hermia.

Who are the characters in this play ? Mortals: AtheniansEgeus- Hermias father, has given Demetrius permission to marry HermiaTheseus-duke of Athens, engaged to Hippolyta. Hippolyta- The legendary queen of the Amazons, engaged to Theseus. Philostrate-party planner responsible for organizing the entertainment for Theseus wedding.

Who are the characters in this play ? Mortals: The CraftsmenNick Bottom- weaver chosen to play Pyramus in the craftsmens play Peter Quince- carpenter plays the Prologue. Francis Flute- bellows-mender plays Thisbe in the craftsmens play Robin Starveling- tailor chosen to play the part of Moonshine. Tom Snout- tinker who ends up playing the part of Wall, dividing the two lovers. Snug- joiner chosen to play the lion

Act I : ExpositionTheseus, duke of Athens, is preparing for his marriage to Hippolyta.Egeus comes to Theseus with his daughter, Hermia, and two young men, Demetrius (who loves Hermia) and Lysander (who Hermia loves). Egeus wishes Hermia to marry Demetrius and asks for the full penalty of law to fall on Hermias head if she disobeys. Theseus warns her that disobeying her father could result in her being sent to a convent or killed.

Inciting IncidentHermia and Lysander plan to escape Athens the following night and marry in the house of Lysanders aunt. They tell Hermias friend Helena, who was once engaged to Demetrius. Helena tells Demetrius of the lovers plans. Demetrius goes into the woods after Hermia and Helena follows him.

Hoping to regain his love, Helena tells Demetrius of Lysander and Hermias plans and follows him into the woods

Rising ActionFairies, including Oberon, the fairy king, and Titania, his queen, and a group of Athenian craftsmen rehearsing a play are also in this forest. Oberon and Titania are fighting over a young Indian prince given to Titania by the princes mother.The boy is so beautiful that Oberon wishes to make him a knight, but Titania refuses. Seeking revenge, Oberon sends his merry servant, Puck, to acquire a magical flower, the juice of which can be spread over a sleeping Titania to make her fall in love with the first thing she sees upon waking.

The boy is so beautiful that Oberon wishes to make him a knight, but Titania refuses.

Rising Action:
Complications and SuspensePuck gets the flowerOberon, having seen Demetrius act cruelly toward Helena, orders Puck to spread some of the juice on the eyelids of a young Athenian man. Puck mistakes Lysander for Demetrius and puts the love potion on his eyes. Lysander sees Helena and falls deeply in love with her, abandoning Hermia.Titania wakes, the first person she sees is Bottom, whose head Puck has transformed into that of a donkey.

Titania wakes, the first person she sees is Bottom, whose head Puck has transformed into that of a donkey.

Conflict and ClimaxPuck has to undo his mistakeLysander and Demetrius both end up in love with Helena, who believes that they are making fun of her. Hermia becomes jealous and challenges Helena to a fight.Demetrius and Lysander nearly do fight over Helenas love, but Puck confuses them by mimicking their voices.

Demetrius and Lysander nearly do fight over Helenas love, Hermia becomes jealous.

Hermia becomes jealous and challenges Helena to a fight

Falling ActionOberon obtains the Indian boyPuck spreads the love potion on Lysanders eyelids, and by morning all is well. Theseus and Hippolyta discover the sleeping lovers in the forest and take them back to Athens to be marriedDemetrius now loves Helena, and Lysander now loves Hermia.

Resolution After the wedding, the couples watch the craftsmen perform their play, a fumbling, hilarious version of the story of Pyramus and Thisbe. The lovers go to bed; the fairies bless the sleeping couples and then disappear.Puck remains, to ask the audience for its forgiveness and approval and to urge it to remember the play as though it had all been a dream.

A play within a playThe couples watch the craftsmen perform their play, a fumbling, hilarious version of the story of Pyramus and Thisbe.

ReferencesSparkNotes Editors. SparkNote on A Midsummer Nights Dream. SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Web. 7 Dec. 2009.Pictures from a Google search A Midsummer Nights Dream