AMSND Study Guide
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Study Guide
1. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare interweaves four plots involving four groups of characters: the court party of Theseus, the four young lovers, the fairies, and the “rude mechanicals” or would-be actors. Briefly summarize each plot, identifying the characters involved, the conflict(s), and the outcome of each conflict.
The first plot in the play is the court party of Theseus; Theseus the duke of Athens is preparing to marry Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons, after he won her in battle. He plans to have four days of merriment and amusement and arranges for some entertainment. During this Egeus, one of the noblemen, arrives asking Theseus to punish his daughter Hermia if she refuses to marry Demetrius in favor of the man loves, Lysander. The second plot is that of the four young lovers. Hermia is in love with Lysander,who returns her feelings, but she is betrothed to Demetrius. Demetrius is also in love with Hermia and at the same time is trying to fend off Helena who is in love with him after he played with her heart. Hermia and Lysander plan to elope to his aunt’s house which is out of the kingdom and will protect them from Theseus’s law. Helena and Demetrius go after them into the forest. In the forest, the fairy Puck accidently puts the love potion on Lysnader’s eyes instead of Demetrius’s resulting in Lysander falling in love with Helena. As the night goes on, Lysander and Demetrius both fall in love with Helena, who thinks that they are mocking her, and Hermia challenging Helena to a fight. In the end Puck fixes his mistake, Lysander once again loves Hermia and Demetrius falls for Helena. The two couples marry and go to watch the play. The third plot involves the fairies. The fairy king and queen, Oberon and Titania, have returned to attend the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta but are fighting over a small Indian boy. Oberon wants to make him a knight but Titania wants custody over
Study Guide
1. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare interweaves four plots involving four groups of characters: the court party of Theseus, the four young lovers, the fairies, and the “rude mechanicals” or would-be actors. Briefly summarize each plot, identifying the characters involved, the conflict(s), and the outcome of each conflict.
The first plot in the play is the court party of Theseus; Theseus the duke of Athens is preparing to marry Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons, after he won her in battle. He plans to have four days of merriment and amusement and arranges for some entertainment. During this Egeus, one of the noblemen, arrives asking Theseus to punish his daughter Hermia if she refuses to marry Demetrius in favor of the man loves, Lysander. The second plot is that of the four young lovers. Hermia is in love with Lysander,who returns her feelings, but she is betrothed to Demetrius. Demetrius is also in love with Hermia and at the same time is trying to fend off Helena who is in love with him after he played with her heart. Hermia and Lysander plan to elope to his aunt’s house which is out of the kingdom and will protect them from Theseus’s law. Helena and Demetrius go after them into the forest. In the forest, the fairy Puck accidently puts the love potion on Lysnader’s eyes instead of Demetrius’s resulting in Lysander falling in love with Helena. As the night goes on, Lysander and Demetrius both fall in love with Helena, who thinks that they are mocking her, and Hermia challenging Helena to a fight. In the end Puck fixes his mistake, Lysander once again loves Hermia and Demetrius falls for Helena. The two couples marry and go to watch the play. The third plot involves the fairies. The fairy king and queen, Oberon and Titania, have returned to attend the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta but are fighting over a small Indian boy. Oberon wants to make him a knight but Titania wants custody over