Midsummer Night's Dream Study Guide

These questions can be used as homework or completed in class as the play is read aloud and/or viewed.
Many questions lend themselves to group discussion.

Scene 1:

1. In ways does the first speech by the Fairy (ll.2 + ) give you an idea of how this character should act on the stage?  Consider the rhythm and content of the lines and the form of the speech.

2. What are Oberon and Titania fighting about?

3. What image does Puck use to show the Fairy how bad the feelings are between Oberon and Titania (ll. 29-32)?

4. List the ways Robin interacts with humans (ll. 33-43).

5. List the ways Robin admits to interacting with humans (ll. 44-59).
   
   (Titania accuses Oberon of causing storms and other natural disasters- we will not read this part, but view it on a video).

6. Why does Titania want to keep the child? (ll. 125-143)

7. Do you feel that Oberon is being spoiled or reasonable?  Underline the lines which support your argument.

8. What is the power of "love-in-idleness"?  What is its history?  Why does Oberon want it?  (ll. 161-194).

9. How, in our classroom, can we arrange for Oberon to "make himself invisible?"

10. What is the tone of Demetrius' first speech?  Locate and underline the pun.  (use the notes on the opposite page).

11. What kind of love is "true as steel?"  (l.204)  With what organic quality of Demetrius' is Helena comparing her own heart?  (see question 10)

12. To what does Helena compare herself in ll. 209-217?  Paraphrase this speech in 1-2 sentences.

13. Paraphrase the "fight" Helena and Demetrius have:  (ll. 227-249)

14. Who has overheard this fight?  What does he resolve to do about it?

  Hermia and Lysander are stealing into the forest in the middle of the night.  What is going through their minds?  Write a soliloquy for either Hermia or Lysander in which speak those thoughts.

Scene 2:

1. Read the fairy lullabies and underline all of the mentions of animals.  What do you make of this? 

2. Oberon weaves a spell for Titania (ll. 33-40).  What animals does he mention?   Compare these to your answers to #1. 

3. Compare Lysander's first lines to those of Demetrius in Scene 1.

4. What does Hermia mean in line 71?  (hint: who is the wisher and what is the wish?)

5. Use the note to understand Helena's pun in line 94 on the word fond.

6. Paraphrase Helena's speech to line 105.  What feeling does this speech convey to the audience? 

7.  Draw a diagram of the stage and of the positions of the actors at this point:  line 105

8. Why does Shakespeare rhyme lines 108 and 109? 

9. How much delay should there be between the two lines and how should Lysander act?

10. The lines of the lovers,  in love, angry, hurt, or confused, all rhyme in couplets.  Why did Shakespeare use this form to weave his plot of confusion?   Why not use unrhymed verse?  What do you think?

11. What is the meaning of "change a raven for a dove?" (l. 121)

12. Why is it ironic that Lysander claims it is his reason that makes him love Helena?

13. What is Helena's reaction to Lysander's love?

14. Read Lysander's speech (ll. 142-151) closely.  In addition to love, what emotion has the magic generated?  Look up the words "surfeit" and "heresy" and dictionary.  How is Lysander applying these words to his "old love" for Hermia?

15. To what does the word "your" refer in line 150?

16. In what way is Hermia's dream true? 

17. What is the irony in Hermia's last line in this scene?  What "plot fact" does it recall?

18. How does the story of Hermia and Lysander parallel the story of Oberon and Titania?

Helena wanders off alone.  Imagine that she meets Oberon.  Remembering that he thinks that Robin has charmed Demetrius, write the scene.  Each character must speak at least 4 times.  Choose the first lines carefully!

: Helena several times speaks of wanting to be like Hermia.  Write a paragraph in which you tell about someone (real) who you would like to be more like.  Describe this person, and tell why you admire him/her and how you might go about changing.  If you are very pleased with yourself as you are, write about what you like most about yourself. 

Least Tern

Elizabeth Sky-McIlvain