A Midsummer Night's Dream door William Shakespeare

Part 1 a. William Shakespeare, edited by Linda Buckle and Paul Kelley
b. A Midsummer Night's Dream, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1993-4, 156 pages (first printed 1992, Great Britain). c. English Drama Part 2 a. We had no choice, so I can't tell why I chose this book. b. I liked the book, although the language is pretty difficult. I didn't expect the story to be like this. I thought it would be more serious, but it is quite a funny story. I also liked the use of language in the book. Part 3 a. The story takes place in Athens. Theseus, the Duke of Athens, is planning his wedding with Hippolyta (the Queen of the Amazons). Egeus enters with his daughter Hermia, and two men, Lysander and Demetrius. Hermia loves Lysander, but her father has decided she should marry Demetrius. Egeus asks Theseus permission to punish her with death if she refuses. Theseus decides Hermia should obey her father. If she refuses, she will either be killed or sent to a convent. Lysander tries to explain his side of the story, but is overruled by the Duke. Hermia and Lysander decide they should run away into the woods and get married somewhere else. They tell Helena, who is in love with Demetrius, about their plan. Demetrius doesn't like her, but she wants to gain favor with him and tells him about Hermia's plans. Meanwhile, some local workmen (Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snout and Starveling) are preparing a play for the Duke's wedding. They choose Pyramus and Thisbe for their play, and start assigning the roles. Nick Bottom gets the part of Pyramus, and Flute gets the role of Thisbe. They agree to meet in the woods the next night to start rehearsing. Robin Goodfellow, a puck, meets with a fairy who serves Queen Titania. He explains that his King Oberon is in the woods and that Titania should avoid Oberon, because they will quarrel again. However, Titania and Oberon soon arrive and begin arguing about a young boy Titania is caring for. Oberon wants to have the boy, but Titania refuses. Oberon decides to play a trick on Titania by putting some juice of a flower on her eyes. The juice will make her fall in love with the first person she sees when she wakes up. Puck leaves to fetch the flower. In the meantime, Oberon overhears Demetrius and Helena in the woods. He decides to change the situation by commanding Puck to put some of the juice on Demetrius' eyes when he is asleep. He then finds Titania and puts the juice on her eyes. Puck goes to find Demetrius, but instead comes across Lysander and accidentally uses the juice on him. By accident Helena comes across Lysander and wakes him up. Lysander immediately falls in love with her and starts to chase her through the woods, leaving Hermia behind. Meanwhile, the Mechanicals begin their rehearsal in the woods. Bottom suggests changing some things about the play to make it less frightening. After that they start to discuss how to represent a wall and moonlight in the play. Puck enters and watches the Mechanicals rehearse. He leaves again when Bottom goes off stage. Backstage, Puck plays a trick on Bottom and puts an ass's head on him. When Bottom returns to the other Mechanicals, they run away out of fear. Bottom then wakes Titania up because of his singing. Titania immediately falls in love with him because of the magic juice. She wants to keep him with her and asks her fairies to look after him. Oberon enters and wonders what it was that Titania saw when she woke up. Puck explains to him that she has fallen in love with Bottom. Oberon is pleased, and Puck tells him he has also put the juice on the eyes of the Athenian. Demetrius enters, chasing Hermia, who accuses him of having murdered Lysander. Oberon finds out Puck has used the juice on the wrong person. After Hermia has left, Demetrius goes to sleep. Oberon tells Puck to correct his mistake by putting finding Helena. Puck goes off and Oberon then puts the juice on Demetrius's eyes. Puck comes back with Helena and Lysander. Helena thinks Lysander is lying when he tells her he loves her. Demetrius wakes up and immediately falls in love with Helena. She thinks he is also part of the plot to tease her. Hermia enters and asks Lysander why he left her. He says he hates her. Helena now thinks everyone, including Hermia, is making a fool of her, and starts arguing with Hermia because she should behave better. Lysander and Demetrius decide they should fight for Helena. Helena then offers to go back to Athens. She continues to argue with Hermia and runs away, with Hermia following her. Lysander and Demetrius prepare to fight one another for Helena. Puck leads them through the woods in circles by imitating their voices until they both fall asleep. Hermia and Helena also enter, and fall asleep. Puck puts the juice on Lysander's eyes to make him fall in love with Hermia again. Meanwhile, Oberon finds Titania and releases her from her spell. Puck removes the ass's head from Bottom. Oberon and Titania are back together. Everyone leaves, except the lovers and Bottom. Theseus arrives with a hunting party and finds the lovers sleeping on the ground. He orders to wake them all by blowing the hunting horns. The lovers explain why they are in the woods and Egeus demands that he be allowed to exercise the law on Hermia. However, Demetrius tells them that he no longer loves her, but only loves Helena. Theseus decides to ignore Egeus and let the lovers get married the same day with him. They all return to Athens. Bottom wakes up and thinks he has dreamed the entire episode. In the meantime, the rest of the Mechanicals are desperate (they can't to the play without Bottom), but Bottom suddenly arrives. Theseus and Hippolyta discuss the lovers' story. The lovers enter, and Theseus thinks about which play he wants to see that evening. He eventually decides to settle on the play of Pyramus and Thisbe, despite the objections of Philostrate. Quince enters and begins the play. He gives the Prologue, which explains the play, and introduces the characters. Snout, as the Wall, explains his role. Bottom, as Pyramus enters and begins to play. Thisbe and Pyramus declare their love for one another through the wall, and agree to meet somewhere. The audience comment on the play, and Snug (the lion) enters, explaining he is not really a lion. Starveling (the moon) also enters and explains his role, despite the comments of the audience. Thisbe arrives, but runs away as soon as she sees the lion. Pyramus enters and sees Thisbe's mantle, with bloodstains on it, and decides to commit suicide. The audience comments on the play again, when Thisbe enters. Thisbe realizes Pyramus is dead and kills herself. Bottom then asks the Duke if he wants an epilogue or a dance, and the Duke asks for a dance. After the dance, the Duke instructs everyone to go to bed, and Puck enters. Oberon and Titania enter with their fairies and go though the house to bless the couples with loving marriages and perfect children. After they leave Puck asks the audience to forgive the actors if they were offended. He then tells the audience that if anyone disliked the play, they should imagine that it was only a dream. b. The story is written like a play. The story is set in Athens and the woods outside of Athens. The main characters are: · Hermia, who is in love with Lysander, but her father wants her to marry Demetrius · Lysander, who is in love with Hermia · Demetrius, who also loves Hermia, Egeus's choice as a husband for Hermia · Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, engaged to Theseus · Theseus, Duke of Athens, engaged to Hippolyta · Egeus, father of Hermia · Nick Bottom, a weaver who plays Pyramus · Peter Quince, a carpenter who speaks the Prologue · Francis Flute, a bellows-mender who plays Thisbe · Tom Snout, a tinker who plays the Wall · Robin Starveling, a tailor who plays Moonshine · Snug, a joiner who plays the Lion · Puck (Robin Goodfellow), Oberon's attendant · Oberon, King of the Fairies · Titania, Queen of the Fairies

c. The theme of the book is love. I think this because everything in the book is about people who are in love with each other. Sometimes this love is caused by magic (the juice), sometimes not. Even the play put on by the Mechanicals is all about love. The connection between the title and the theme is that Oberon puts the magic juice onto Titania's eyes. When she wakes up, she sees Nick Bottom and instantly falls in love with him. After Oberon has released her from the spell she doesn't love Nick Bottom anymore. Oberon lets Bottom think everything was just a dream. The story takes place at night (at least most of it). d. This book was first published in 1596. The play was written by William Shakespeare. He was John and Mary Shakespeare's third child. He was probably born on April 23, 1564 in Stradford-upon-Avon. During his childhood he attended the King's New School, the local grammar school. When he was eighteen when he married Anna Hathaway. Their first daughter, Susanna, was baptized only six months after their marriage, which has given rise to much speculation concerning the circumstances surrounding the marriage. In 1585, twins were born, and named Hamnet and Judith Shakespeare. Hamnet died when he was eleven years old. Around 1589, Shakespeare wrote his first play, Henry VI, Part 1. Sometime between his marriage and writing this play he and his wife moved to London, where he pursued a career as a playwright and actor. In 1594 Shakespeare became a charter member of The Lord Chamberlain's Men, a group of actors who later changed their name to The King's Men. By 1598 he was principal comedian for the group, and by 1603 he was principal tragedian. Shakespeare was very successful and had made quite a lot of money. William Shakespeare died in 1616; his wife Anna died in 1623. He was buried in the chancel of his church at Stratford. The lines above his tomb were written by Shakespeare himself and read: Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear
To dig the dust enclosed here
Blessed be the man that spares these stones
And cursed be he that moves my bones The play was written in the end of the 16th century. It's quite typical for that time, because it's written in the style of the renaissance. This means they wrote in a style corresponding with the classic drama written by the Greek and Romans. The plays written were a tragedy, a comedy or a tragicomedy. A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedy. This play is also typical for the writer, because Shakespeare's plays are written in the styles typical for the renaissance, and so is this one. Part 4 A part of the story that has a positive effect on me is the part in which Puck has put an ass's head on Nick Bottom. Bottom returns to the other Mechanicals, but they run away out of fear. I like this part because it's very funny. Bottom doesn't understand what is wrong with him. Bottom: Why do they run away? This is a knavery of them to make me afeard. Enter Snout
Snout: O Bottom, thou art changed. What do I see on thee? Bottom: What do you see? You see an ass head of your own, do you? Exit Snout
Enter Quince
Quince: Bless thee, Bottom, bless thee! Thou art translated! Exit
Bottom: I see their knavery. This is to make an ass of me, to fright me, if they could; but I will not stir from this place, do what they can. I will walk up and down here, and will sing, that they shall hear I am not afraid. (Act 3, Scene 1, lines 94-102) A part of the story that has a negative effect on me is when Egeus asks Theseus to allow him to kill his own daughter if she doesn't marry Demetrius. I think this is bizarre, and I don't understand why he wants his own daughter killed for loving the wrong guy. Egeus: (...) And my gracious Duke, Be it so she will not here, before your grace, Consent to marry with Demetrius, I beg the ancient privilege of Athens; As she is mine, I may dispose of her; Which shall be either to this gentleman
Or to death, according to our law
Immediately provided in that case. (Act 1, Scene 1, lines 38-45) The part of the play that appeals to me the most is when Puck finds out he has used the magic juice on the wrong person. It appeals to me because although Puck is not human, he makes a human mistake. I thought fairies and other creatures like that would not make these silly mistakes, but apparently they do. In the end they are not much smarter than humans, but they do have more powers. Oberon: What hast thou done? Thou hast mistaken quite, And laid the love juice on some true love's sight. Of thy misprision must perforce ensue
Some true love turned, and not a false turned true. Puck : Then fate o'errules, that, one man holding troth, A million fail, confounding oath on oath. Oberon: About the wood go swifter than the wind, And Helena of Athens look thou find. All fancy-sick she is and pale of cheer
With sighs of love, that costs the fresh blood dear. By some illusion see thou bring her here; I'll charm his eyes against she do appear. Puck : I go, I go, look how I go! Swifter than arrow from the Tartar's bow. (Act 3, Scene 2, lines 87-101) I can compare this book to the film "A Midsummer Night's Dream", because this film is about the same book. I can't really compare it with anything else, or it should be another book or film with the same theme. My opinion about the theme of the book is simple: it's overworked. There are probably thousands of books or films made about love, so it's not really an original theme. I do like the way the writer used this theme, because it causes a lot of confusion and other problems. I really like the use of language in this book. It's rather difficult, but it's also beautiful to read. I enjoyed reading this book. The language is also quite old, and that's nice for a change. My final judgement is that I really enjoyed reading the book. It has got all the right ingredients it should have: beautiful use of language, humour, a nice story and a happy end. I would recommend this book to everyone, because it's really nice to read. I would also recommend it because it was written by Shakespeare, and he used to be one of the greatest writers, so it's useful to read some of his work.