A Midsummer Night's Dream
Directions: After reading the lecture, answer one of the main questions, which will appear in red. This question is due no later than Thursday, September 11. Following that will be other questions, in black, which you should read and think about--they may help you answer the main question. However, you are not required to answer these questions in writing.
Your responses to other students' answers are due by midnight on Saturday, September 13. In order to get the full 20 points, you MUST respond thoughtfully to at least 3 or 4 other people's postings.
This set of discussion questions is worth a possible 20 points. Remember: late answers receive 0 points, so post early :)
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A Midsummer Night's Dream
Remember: You are required to answer only one of the "red" questions, although you are, of course, welcome to answer more than one if you wish.
1. Park Honan argues that "At the heart of Shakespeare's comic view of life is his tragic sense..." Do you see any hints of tragedy in the play? Explain.
2. What is the purpose of the play-within-the-play? Is it significant that the players choose to perform Pyramus and Thisbe?
3. What is your opinion of Bloom's assertion that Bottom is the protagonist of the play?
1. What trick does Robin play on Bottom at the beginning of Act III?
2. How do his friends react to Bottom's new appearance?
3. What happens when Titania wakes up and sees Bottom?
4. Of what does Hermia accuse Demetrius, when she wakes and finds Lysander gone?
5. In Act III, Scene 2, Robin brings Helena to Demetrius while he is sleeping. What happens when Demetrius wakes up?
6. What is Helena's reaction to Demetrius's vows?
7. What happens when Hermia arrives on the scene?
8. What is hypocritical about Helena's pleas to Hermia in Act III, Scene 2, lines 200ff.?
9. What is Robin's reaction to the conflict between the lovers?
10. What does Oberon order Robin to do to fix the mess he's made?
11. In Act IV, what is Oberon's reaction when he sees Titania's infatuation with Bottom?
12. When the lovers are awakened in the forest by Theseus, what does Demetrius tell Theseus? What is Theseus's decision?
13. How do the lovers account for the events of the previous night?
14. When Bottom awakes, how does he account for the events of the previous night?
15. All of the conflicts are resolved by the end of Act IV. Why is Act V necessary?
16. In Act V, how does Philostrate describe "Pyramus and Thisbe"?
17. Why do the fairies come to Theseus's house in Act V?
18. What does Robin say in his closing speech? Who is he addressing?
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