essay questions for a midsummer night's dream

A Midsummer Night's Dream

By william shakespeare, a midsummer night's dream essay questions.

Describe the structure of the play. How does this structure reflect the play's major themes?

The play is demarcated by a shift in setting: in Act One, the characters are all living in Athens, and Hermia expresses her desire to marry Lysander instead of Demetrius. Theseus, a symbol of order and control, tells her that this is impossible, as she must obey her father. This declaration causes Hermia, Lysander, and other characters to venture into the surrounding woods around Athens, therein dismantling the order established in the first act of the play. By the end of the play, however, order returns in the form of two marriages, but not before having been challenged in the mysterious landscape of the woods.

What makes A Midsummer Night's Dream a comedy?

In early modern theater, a comedy was considered any play that concluded with a relatively "happy" ending. The genre traditionally featured at least one marriage at the end, and certainly no deaths as was common in tragedy. A Midsummer Night's Dream is classified as a comedy because it ends with two marriages, and is in general a fairly lighthearted play. In conventional comedy fashion, the play also features a chaotic cast of characters and events that are meant to entertain the audience with slapstick humor, silly antics, and harmless trickery.

What role does the supernatural have in the events of the play?

Once the human characters enter the woods surrounding Athens they encounter (without their knowledge) a host of woodland fairies who have magic powers. These fairies ultimately wield control over the mortals with their ability to manipulate the senses and the emotions. The fairies are able to make people fall in love, a skill that ultimately showcases the play's perspective on the chaotic nature of love and desire.

How does the play craft a dream-like atmosphere throughout?

True to its title, the play attempts to portray its entire plot as a type of dream. The setting is pivotal to this dreamy atmosphere, as the majority of the play takes place under the cover of darkness in the mysterious woods surrounding Athens. The presence of fairies and supernatural creatures also contributes to the dream-like climate, as the characters (and the audience) must encounter a landscape that is simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar, real and surreal, while navigating their mortal relationships and human concerns.

Why is Puck the most-quoted character in the play?

Puck is a member of the fairy clan, and he serves as the liaison between the fairies (Titania and Oberon) and the mortals. As such, Puck often offers commentary on the nature of humanity and mortal life, the most famous of which is the exclamation, "Lord, what fools these mortals be!" (3.2). Puck has become the most-quoted character from the play because he serves as a pseudo-narrator to the events of the performance while offering ironic and humorous takes on the petty or foolish concerns of human life.

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Why does Snout introduce himself first as Snout and then as a wall? act 5

Snout wants the audience to know that he is a person who represents a wall: stating the obvious. Snout introduces himself as a Wall, who will help the lovers talk to each other through a little gap. (To be help the audience, he points out all the...

what is The anomisity between hermia and helena

Hermia and Helena have been close friends friend since they were young, but recently their friendship has come under strain because of the men they are courting.

Doubling--Pyramus and Thisbe vs. Lysander and Hermia; Oberon and Titania vs. Theseus and Hippolyta (often played by the same actors in stage productions). In what ways are the couples similar?

Many of the marriages in the play parallel one another, as love and its tribulations is the central theme of the performance. The marriage between Theseus and Hippolyta represents order and control, while that between Hermia and Lysander showcases...

Study Guide for A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Midsummer Night's Dream study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

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Essays for A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Midsummer Night's Dream literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Midsummer Night's Dream.

Doubt and Uncertainty in Relation to Theatricality in Hamlet and A Midsummer Night's Dream
To See or Not To See: Vision, Night and Day in A Midsummer Night's Dream
Character Analysis of Puck
Phases in the Play
Dream Within a Dream: Freud, Phonics, and Fathomlessness in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Lesson Plan for A Midsummer Night’s Dream

About the Author
Study Objectives
Common Core Standards
Introduction to A Midsummer Night's Dream
Relationship to Other Books
Bringing in Technology
Notes to the Teacher
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E-Text of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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Introduction

essay questions for a midsummer night's dream

Reading Questions for A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Act One, Scene One: Generations in conflict, and a wedding in waiting

Who is Theseus, and whom is he marrying? (I.i.1-19; pp. 3-4)
Who is Egeus, and why is he angry? What is the “ancient privilege of Athens ”? (I.i.21-82; pp. 4-6)
What is Hermia and Lysander’s plan? (I.i.156-8; pp. 8-9)
Who is Helena , and whom does she love? What is her plan? (I.i.180-251; pp. 9-12)

Act One, Scene Two: Meeting the rude Mechanicals (working men of Athens )

What jobs in the city do each of these working class characters hold? What parts do they play in the drama they are putting on for the Athenian court? Use the notes to explain their names and professions. You may also want to refer to the brief essay on this scene in the HCC Handbook, “Analyzing Drama”, pp. 105-111. NB: This scene will be the focus of Paper #4.
What is the purpose of their gathering? Who is in charge?
What play do they plan to perform, and what is it about?

Act Two, Scene One: The fairies are fighting!

Who are Titania and Oberon, and why are they fighting? (II.i.18-31; p. 18)
Who is Puck (also called “Robin Goodfellow”)? What kind of mischief does he do in the human world?
What are the properties of the flower called “love-in-idlenss” and how did it get them? What does Oberon intend to do with it? (II.i.146-187; pp. 22-23)
Who enters the wood at the end of the scene, and what is going on between them? (II.i.189-243; pp. 24-5)

Act Two, Scene Two: Mixing things up!

1. Whom does Lysander love when this scene begins? Whom does he love when it ends? Why?

Act Three, Scene One: A rude rehearsal

1. What are the actors’ main concerns about the play they are preparing to put on? How do they resolve these problems? How are we meant to feel about both the problems and their solutions? (III.i.9-77; pp. 33-35)

2. What event interrupts their rehearsal? (III.i.105-120; p. 37)

3. With whom does Titania fall in love, and why? (III.i.138-64; p. 30)

Act Three, Scene Two: Increasing the mix-up!

1. Who loves whom at the beginning of the scene? What is the arrangement of affections by the end of the scene? Why? Consider the relationships among the romantic couples, but also between the two young women.

2. What is Oberon’s plan? (III.ii.354-77; pp. 53-54)

Act Four, Scene One: Waking Up

What changes in Titania’s relationship to Bottom? Why? What about her relationship with Oberon?
What is the arrangement among the young lovers at the end of the scene? Why? How do the young people explain their experiences to each other?
What are Bottom’s thoughts and feelings at the end of the scene (IV.i.203-222; pp. 66-67)?

Act Five, Scene One: Three Weddings and a Performance

What is Theseus’ attitude towards the story told by the young people? How about Hippolyta? (V.i.1-27; pp. 70-71)
Most of this scene is comprised of the performance of the tragedy of Pyramus and Thisbe? What makes this tragedy “comic” – for the noble audience on stage? For us as the audience for all of them?

Discussion questions

A. Love, Marriage, and Remarriage

The generational conflict set up in Act One, Scene I concerns the right of fathers to determine the marriage partners of their daughters, versus the right of young women to consent to marriage. Does this conflict remain a living one in your household, community, or tradition? Did a version of this problem play a role in Jane Austen’s Persuasion ? Reconstruct the scenario in Austen, and compare it to the scenario here.
Comedies traditionally end in marriage. (Review Jane Austen’s Persuasion as a model of this paradigm.) This play ends with three marriages, plus a re-marriage (the reconciliation of Titania and Oberon). How is the generational conflict resolved in Act Five, Scene One? How transparent, straight-forward, or free is each consent to marriage / re-marriage at the end of the play? In your view, which of these unions is most likely to be a happy one? Why? In any of these cases, does marriage appear to occur at a cost? (These costs might include other forms or objects of affection and attachment as well as subjective autonomy or freedom.) Consider this question in relation to the following couples:

> Lysander and Hermia

> Demetrius and Helena

> Theseus and Hippolyta

> Titania and Oberon

B. Theatre, Imagination, and Forms of Making

The various scenes in which the “rude mechanicals” (= working men of Athens ) cast, rehearse, and then perform their play constitute some of Shakespeare’s most explicit representations of the process of creating a theatrical experience. (Literary critics call this “metatheater,” or “theater about theater.”) Are there other instances or moments of metatheater in the play? (They will be less explicit.) In each instance, who is the audience,who is the stage director, and who are the players?
If you were going to adapt this play to a modern setting with naturalistic explanations (no fairies!), how would you make the lovers fall in and out of love with each other?
A Midsummer Night’s Dream , along with The Tempest , is Shakespeare’s most fanciful or fantastic play, involving supernatural creatures and a bodily metamorphosis from one species to another. The play also includes Shakespeare’s most explicit, if ambivalent, discourse on the imagination, the famous speech by Theseus at the beginning of Act Five, Scene One (pp. 70-71).

a. What, according to Theseus, do the lunatic, the lover, and the poet have in common? Explain the comparison. Give an example from the play that demonstrates the connection.

b. Compare Theseus’ theory of the imagination to Descartes’.

c. Theseus does not like the imagination. Do you think Shakespeare fully agrees with the opinion of the character he has created? Why or why not?

d. Explain Hippolyta’s response to Theseus. Does she agree with Theseus? Why or why not?

7. In Act Three, Scene One, the troupe of working-class performers is concerned that the violent subject matter of their play will frighten the ladies in the audience. How are we in the audience meant to evaluate this discussion? Do similar fears continue to shape discussions of entertainment and media today?

C. Making connections: rhetoric and causality

rhetoric review: Lysander calls Hermia’s speech at I.i.150-55 (p. 8) “a good persuasion.” Analyze her speech in terms of ethos, logos, and pathos. Can you identify any paradigms? Enthymemes? Compare and contrast Lysander’s use of the word “persuasion” and Jane Austen’s.

Other speeches for rhetorical analysis:

> Lysander on “reason,” II.ii.111-123 (pp. 30-31) (see Handbook , p. 49)

> Theseus on the imagination, V.i.2-22 (pp. 70-71; see Handbook 98-102)

> The epilogue delivered by Puck at the very end of the play, V.i.425-440 (p. 86)

causality review: A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a play filled with transformations and metamorphoses, whether it’s the shift from one object of love to another, or from one bodily shape to another. Analyze Lysander’s falling in love with Helena using Aristotle’s causal categories. What are the efficient, material, formal, and final causes of this change or transformation? What role if any does chance play? How are we as the audience supposed to understand and evaluate these changes? (You can review Aristotle’s causes, HCC Handbook , p. 29.)

Other scenes for causal analysis:

Ø Demetrius falls in love with Helena (III.ii.123-177, pp. 45-47)

Ø the transformation of Bottom into an ass (III.i.104-125, p. 37)

Ø Titania falls in love with Bottom (III.i.126-201; pp. 38-40)

Ø Lysander falls back in love with Hermia (III.ii.354-369 [pp. 53-54]; IV.i.149-202 [pp. 66-67])

D. Research fun

1) Search for a key word from A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the on-line works of Shakespeare, http://www.it.usyd.edu.au/~matty/Shakespeare/test.html

2) How many times does he use the word throughout his writing career? In which play or plays does this word occur most often?

3) Look up the word in the OED. What meanings did it carry in Shakespeare’s day? How, if at all, have its meanings changed?

Possible words : fancy, fantasy, feign, imagination, toy, dream, conceit, consent, interlude, history, fairy, bottom, joiner, tinker, interlude, ass, preposterous, translate, transport

4) Do you find reading Shakespeare dry or tedious? Take a break and check out the Shakespeare Insult Generator: http://www.pangloss.com/seidel/Shaker/index.html ?

Want to generate your own insults? Check out the http://www.pangloss.com/seidel/shake_rule.html

How would you find out if any of these insults comes from A Midsummer Night’s Dream ?

Midsummer Night’s Dream Essay Questions And Answers

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, written by William Shakespeare around 1595, is about the events that take place in the woods near Athens on midsummers night. The story consists of four different plots th at are all intertwined with each other throug hout the play. These include two love stories between Lysander and Hermia, Demetrius and Helena, as well as a pair of noblemen who wish to marry Titania.

1. What does Shakespeare accomplish by setting most of the action at night and in the wood?

Shakespeare accomplishes the setting of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at night and in the wood because it is more comedic. The confusion adds to the comedy, as well as all the time spent finding each other, running away from one another, etc… A lot of it can relate to Shakespeare’s life after he got married and had kids. A lot of his plays are about love, which he later became very good at playing the loving husband and father.

2. What role does Bottom play in A Midsummer Night’s Dream?

Bottom is a weaver who gets turned into a donkey while A Midsummer Night’s Dream is playing in the woods. A donkey isn’t a specific animal, but rather means it is an ass, which means stupid and dumb. Bottom puts on a play to Shakespeare’s friends at their house in A Midsummer Night’s Dream after they decide not to use his play. A donkey wearing a lion’s skin is played by Quince, who is one of the guys putting on A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the woods with Shakespeare, who plays Lion King.

3. What characteristics are particular to A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a comedy?

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedy because A Midsummer Night’s Dream ends happily, but there are always obstacles in A Midsummer Night’s Dream , so Shakespeare adds to the funny by making them fail at times. A Midsummer Night’s Dream has a lot of A Midsummer Night’s Dream have mistaken identities, which can be funny to Shakespeare and his audience. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is also a comedy because Bottom has a donkey head for half A Midsummer Night’s Dream , so he is very clumsy looking, but Quince thinks he is a lion, which makes A Midsummer Night’s Dream even funnier.

4. Who are the main characters in A Midsummer Night’s Dream?

The main characters in A Midsummer Night’s Dream are Theseus and Hippolyta, who are husband and wife; Hermia, Lysander, and Helena, who are friends but Hermia loves Lysander; Demetrius, who also loves Hermia; A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedy because A Midsummer Night’s Dream ends happily. A Midsummer Night’s Dream has mistaken identities that can be funny to Shakespeare and his audience. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is also a comedy because Bottom has a donkey head for half A Midsummer Night’s Dream , so he is very clumsy looking, but Quince thinks he is a lion, which makes A Midsummer Night’s Dream even funnier.

A final plot features mischievous fairy folk under the spell of Oberon’s magic flower. All four plots are resolved by dint of various characters disguising themselves or being disguised by others so as to gain an advantage. A Midsummer Night’s Dream contains many elements that were borrowed from other contemporary writers, including Christopher Marlowe and even the medieval epic poem, Arthur.

Summary of the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, featuring character descriptions and analysis. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most enduringly popular plays. A comedy about young love, it features some of his best-known lyrical passages and has been translated into many languages. A Midsummer Night’s Dream follows the story of four lovers whose lives are complicated by magical forces beyond their control. Plot Summary

A group of people in Athens find themselves on a forested hillside near Athens on May night, where they witness the mischief caused by fairies under the rule of Oberon (King of Fairies) and Titania (Queen Fairies). A young man named Egeus, who has one daughter named Hermia, insists that she should marry Demetrius, whom she does not love. A man named Lysander is in love with Hermia and the two men end up competing for her hand in marriage. A quarrel breaks out between them when they are found by Egeus, who demands that his daughter marries Demetrius.

A group of artisans called “the mechanicals” are preparing to perform a play about Pyramus and Thisbe for the Duke’s wedding celebration. A group of amateur actors decide to join in their play: Theseus (Duke of Athens), Hippolyta (Queen of the Amazons), and other go off into the forest to rehearse their lines. A boy, Peter Quince, decides that this would be the perfect time for his troupe of amateur actors to perform their play “The most lamentable comedy, and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisbe” in honor of the Duke’s marriage.

The young lovers and the artisans get lost in a forest and stumble upon various magical creatures: A group of fairies who have been quarreling over a changeling child which Oberon and Titania each wish to adopt. Because Oberon has switched the human child with an ass-headed Bottom (one of the weavers), he is wearing an ass’ head while Titania is holding him captive until she agrees to give up the child.

A group of amateur actors are rehearsing their play when Bottom wakes up, causing them to run off in fear. They soon meet Titania, who is charmed by Bottom’s manner and looks and gives him a kiss of love (which results in his transformation back into human form). A group of fairies carrying torches dance around Titania and Bottom and spread magical fairy dust on them (with Puck) which makes people fall in love with whomever they see next.

Puck takes some of this magic liquid and puts it into Lysander’s eyes while he is sleeping; then places some on Demetrius’ eyelids; then hides underneath Hermia’s feet so that she will wake up madly in love with Lysander. A confused and upset Hermia starts to run off and is drawn in the same direction as Lysander and Demetrius, following her beloved into the woods. A group of fairies catches up with them and throws more magic dust on the young lovers so that no matter which way they turn or where they go, they will be drawn to each other.

Eventually, all four wander into the forest together but none of them realize it due to their enchanted state of mind. Meanwhile, Oberon discovers that Titania has not honored her promise that she would give up the changeling child if he sprinkled Puck’s magic flower juice on her eyelids while she slept; instead she did the opposite by sprinkling some on his eyelids so that he now finds himself madly in love with the ass-headed man, thinking that he is a beautiful woman.

A group of artisans enter with Bottom who has just woken up from his dream and discovers that the head of an ass is stuck to his shoulders; he rips it off, throws it aside and decides to go home. A group of amateur actors enters next; they are still dressed as fairies, carrying their torches and singing songs (they were practising for the Duke’s wedding celebration). A group of fairy spirits suddenly appear before them and chase away all except Lysander and Demetrius.

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A Midsummer Night's Dream

By william shakespeare.

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Demetrius had already won Helena's heart, then kicked her to the curb to pursue Hermia. By the end of the play, he's back in love with Helena and they're together, but that's only because Demetrius remains under the influence of Puck's drug. It's hard to feel bad for the guy, but is he actually a victim? Or is this the happy ending it seems?

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Introduction

Oppressive laws, women’s position, works cited.

William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a comedy of Athenian origin. The entire set up consisting of a captivating atmosphere makes the tale to be a remarkable one. This set up is suitable for romantic adventures as it provides the right atmosphere as well as favorable scenes for love escapades. Nonetheless, Shakespeare’s works are never to be judged from their face value. For instance, in the case of this romantic tale, he hypothesizes a very contemptuous understanding about love.

The book, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” ends up being an interpretation of the secrets of adoration. It further reveals how the lovers are ashamed because of their actions, particularly in the incidences that involve the youthful characters. In this tale, a lover is brought out as an indecisive individual who constantly alters his or her decisions (Shakespeare 34).

It also highlights love as a sensation that never lasts forever. Consequently, the tale proposes that love is not a deep and compassionate feeling but rather a harsh sentiment that brings pain to those who get into it. This notion is highlighted throughout the tale and in the long run, the conception of real affection is stained with uncertainty. It is seen as something that can change from its intended course. Generally, love is brought out as a terrifying and harsh sentiment.

According to the laws set in Athens, a woman is not entitled to posses anything, including her body. However, she was expected to listen, and adhere to whatever their male counterparts directed them to do. With regard to Athenian laws, a father was given the mandate to choose a husband for his daughter. Consequently, a girl was expected to marry the selected man without questioning. In case she declined his father’s choice, the consequences were very severe as death was part of it.

In this society, a woman could not contribute to anything that affected the society. Furthermore, they could not even decide anything for themselves. Men dominated the society while women were used as objects of love and procreation. Even though the women married the men their father’s chose for them, their situation never improved in any way.

The women were hopeless as they could not even make choices that would improve their lives. The lack of voice among the women made their men to be fully in charge of everything, including their lives. Athenian regulations empowered a father to sentence his child to death in case she refused to adhere to whatever he directed her to do.

The daughter of Theseus, Herima, declines to marry Demterius, his father’s choice as her groom. As a reaction to her decision, Herima’s father threatens to exterminate her if she did not accept his choice. This whole idea is ridiculous since it is out of this world that a father would kill his daughter for refusing to marry a man he had chosen for her (Shakespeare 67). This episode substantiates how these Athenian laws oppressed women in this society.

The women in this tale play ‘second-fiddle’ roles. For instance, Oberon and Titania, King and Queen respectively, were thought to be wielding similar powers. Nonetheless, Oberon manages to accomplish his desires and emerges as the ultimate ruler of the Kingdom. There existed no equal treatment of the sexes in this tale.

In addition, women were never given leadership roles. In fact, women were manipulated into marriages. For instance, Puck puts a love concoction in Demetreuis’ as well as Lysander’s eyes in order to compel them to fall in love with each other. He does this with full knowledge about Helena’s intentions. Helena loved Demetrious but he did not care about her.

Helena puts a lot of effort to make him think about her love for him. She utilizes convincing words and constantly praises him. However, Demetrius is not bothered by this and he persistently drives her away. This is shown in the manner in which he addresses her. He advices her, “Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit; for I am sick when I do look on thee” (Shakespeare 82). This statement emphasizes on the women’s inability to choose their own husbands.

From the tale, it is evident that Hermia and Lysander, as a couple, are much better and smarter as compared to the union of Demetrius and Helena as a couple. I believe that Hermia is more conservative and has a conformist character as compared to Helena. This is because Helena is not presented in a similar way as Hermia. At various instances, Helena was totally out of control. This brings out her masculinity character that makes her to stand out from the rest of the women in this tale, particularly Hermia.

The author has evidently managed to express the themes of oppression and inequality in this tale. As much as the tale is thought to a comic one, the events that place in this tale are not funny. The manner in which women are treated is not amusing at all. The existing laws were intended to oppress the women and the less fortunate in this tale. Generally, the tale addresses the injustices that existed in this society.

Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night’s Dream . New York, NY: Norton & Company, 2002. Print.

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Best midsummer night dream questions and answers

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William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a comedic play that follows the adventures and misadventures of four young lovers and a group of amateur actors who find themselves in a magical forest ruled by fairies. As with many of Shakespeare’s works, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” raises numerous thought-provoking questions about love, reality, and the power of the imagination. In this article, we will explore some of the most frequently asked questions about the play and provide answers to help deepen your understanding of this enchanting masterpiece.

What makes “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” a comedy? – “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is classified as a comedy because it has a happy ending. Despite the complications and misunderstandings that arise throughout the play, the characters ultimately find love and resolve their conflicts. The play also includes elements of mistaken identity, physical comedy, and witty wordplay that contribute to its comedic nature.

What is the significance of the forest in the play? – The forest in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” represents a realm of enchantment and transformation. It is a place where the rules of reality are suspended, and the characters’ true natures are revealed. The forest serves as a metaphor for the subconscious mind, where individuals can explore their desires and confront their fears. It is within this magical setting that the events of the play unfold.

See these Midsummer Night Dream Questions and Answers

What is the meaning of the title “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”?
Who is Puck and what is his role in the play?
What are the different types of love depicted in the play?
How does Shakespeare use humor in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”?
What is the significance of the play within the play?
How does Shakespeare explore the theme of gender in the play?
What is the relationship between Oberon and Titania?
What is the purpose of the character Bottom?
How does the theme of magic and illusion contribute to the play?
What is the role of fate in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”?
Why is the play often performed on Midsummer’s Eve?
What is the role of dreams in the play?
How does “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” challenge traditional ideas of love and marriage?
What are the similarities between the four lovers in the play?
What is the significance of the character Helena?
How does Shakespeare use language and poetry in the play?
What is the role of the fairies in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”?
What is the relationship between the supernatural and the natural in the play?
How does the play explore the theme of identity?
What is the role of music and dance in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”?
What is the significance of the love potion in the play?
What is the purpose of the character Egeus?
How does “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” reflect the social hierarchy of Elizabethan England?
What is the role of comedy in the play?
What is the significance of the play’s ending?
How does the play explore the theme of imagination?
What is the moral of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”?
What is the role of the mechanicals in the play?
How does the play challenge traditional ideas of masculinity?
What is the significance of the moon in the play?
What is the role of love in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”?
What is the significance of the character Theseus?
How does Shakespeare use symbolism in the play?
What is the impact of the play’s setting on the events that unfold?
What is the relationship between reality and illusion in the play?
How does “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” explore the theme of transformation?
What is the significance of the character Hermia?
How does the play challenge traditional gender roles?
What is the role of magic in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”?
What is the purpose of the mechanicals’ play within the play?
How does “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” explore the theme of madness?
What is the significance of the character Lysander?
How does Shakespeare use irony in the play?
What is the role of the character Demetrius?

These questions and answers provide a starting point for further exploration of the complex themes and ideas present in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Whether you are studying the play or simply interested in delving deeper into its enchanting world, we hope that this article has sparked your curiosity and provided valuable insights.

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Essays on A Midsummer Night's Dream

William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream is a timeless comedy that has been the subject of study and analysis for centuries. As a student, choosing the right essay topic is crucial to crafting a compelling and well-researched paper. In this guide, we will discuss the importance of choosing the right topic and provide a detailed list of recommended essay topics, divided by category.

Choosing the right essay topic is crucial for several reasons. First, it allows you to explore themes, characters, and literary devices in the play. Second, a well-chosen topic can make your essay more engaging for both you and your audience. Finally, it allows you to showcase your analytical and critical thinking skills.

Advice on Choosing a Topic

When choosing a topic for your A Midsummer Night's Dream essay, consider your interests and the aspects of the play that resonate with you. Think about the themes, characters, and literary elements that you find most compelling. Additionally, consider the scope of your assignment and choose a topic that allows for in-depth analysis within the given parameters.

Literary Elements

An analysis of the use of imagery and symbolism in the play
The role of the supernatural in driving the plot forward
An exploration of the use of language and wordplay in the play
The significance of the play within a play structure in A Midsummer Night's Dream
An examination of the use of comedy and its impact on the audience

Comparative Topics

Comparing the theme of love in A Midsummer Night's Dream with another Shakespearean play
An analysis of the portrayal of women in A Midsummer Night's Dream and another work of literature
Comparing the use of supernatural elements in A Midsummer Night's Dream and another play or novel
An exploration of the role of the fool or comedic character in A Midsummer Night's Dream and another play
Comparing the themes of reality and illusion in A Midsummer Night's Dream with another work of literature

Love and Relationships

Discuss the theme of love in A Midsummer Night's Dream
Compare and contrast the different relationships in the play
Explore the concept of unrequited love in the play
Analyze the role of magic in influencing the characters' love lives
Examine the portrayal of gender roles and relationships in the play

Magic and Fantasy

Discuss the significance of the fairy world in the play
Analyze the role of magic in shaping the events of the play
Compare and contrast the use of magic by different characters
Explore the theme of illusion and reality in the play
Examine the portrayal of supernatural elements in the play

Conflict and Resolution

Discuss the conflicts that arise in the play and how they are resolved
Analyze the role of misunderstandings and mistaken identities in the play
Compare and contrast the different types of conflicts in the play
Explore the theme of reconciliation in A Midsummer Night's Dream
Examine the role of comedy in resolving conflicts in the play

Social and Historical Context

Discuss the portrayal of class and social hierarchy in the play
Analyze the influence of Greek mythology on the play
Compare and contrast the societal norms of the time with the events of the play
Explore the role of the supernatural in Elizabethan England
Examine the portrayal of love and marriage in the play

The Enigmatic Symbolism in a Midsummer Night’s Dream

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William Shakespeare’s Description of The Difference of Imagination and Realism as Illustrated in His Play, a Midsummer Night's Dream

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Representation of Love in a Midsummer Night's Dream

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The Significant Role of Nick Bottom in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

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c. 1595 or 1596, by William Shakespeare

The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict among four Athenian lovers. Another follows a group of six amateur actors rehearsing the play which they are to perform before the wedding. Both groups find themselves in a forest inhabited by fairies who manipulate the humans and are engaged in their own domestic intrigue.

The main themes and motifs of the play are: lovers' bliss, carnivalesque, love, problem with time, loss of individual identity, ambiguous sexuality, and feminism.

Theseus, Puck, Oberon, Titania, Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia, Helena, Egeus, Philostrate, Peter Quince, Nick Bottom, Francis Flute, Tom Snout, Snug

Though it is not a translation or adaptation of an earlier work, various sources such as Ovid's Metamorphoses and Chaucer's "The Knight's Tale" served as inspiration. Aristophanes' classical Greek comedy The Birds (also set in the countryside near Athens) has been proposed as a source due to the fact that both Procne and Titania are awakened by male characters (Hoopoe and Bottom the Weaver) who have animal heads and who sing two-stanza songs about birds.

One of the “great” or “middle” comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with its multilayered examination of love and its vagaries, has long been one of the most popular of Shakespeare’s plays.

“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.” “Though she be but little, she is fierce!” “The course of true love never did run smooth.” “And yet,to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays.”

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream Questions & Answers

Hi Everyone!! This article will share A Midsummer Night’s Dream Questions & Answers.

In my previous posts, I have shared questions and answers of The Great Mouse Plot , Romeo and Juliet and The Comedy of Errors so, you can check these posts as well.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Questions & Answers

Question 1: what was the strange law in athens.

Answer: The strange law in Athens was that the girl had to marry according to her father’s wish. If she would not do so, she would have to live the life of nunnery or die.

Question 2: To whom Hermia’s father wanted her to marry?

Answer: Hermia’s father wanted her to marry to Demetrius.

Question 3: How much time did Duke give Hermia to think?

Answer: The Duke gave four days to Hermia to think.

Question 4: What plan did Lysander make to marry Hermia?

Answer: Lysander planned that Hermia should run to his aunt’s house that was away from the reach of the law. Then, later, he would go there and marry her.

Question 5: What would be Hermia’s fate if she refused to marry a man chosen by her father?

Answer: Hermia would have to live a life in the nunnery or die if she refused to marry a man chosen by her father.

Question 6: Whom did Hermia tell about her plan?

Answer: Hermia told about her plan to Helena.

Question 7: Why did Helena tell Demetrius about Hermia’s plan?

Answer: Helena realized that if Demetrius learnt that Hermia is going to the woods outside Athens, he would follow Hermia. Then, Helena too could follow Demetrius to the woods. So, she told Demetrius about Hermia’s plan.

Question 8: What were the woods of Athens full of?

Answer: The woods of Athens were full of fairies.

Question 9: Who were the king and queen of fairies?

Answer: Oberon was the king and Titania was the queen of the fairies.

Question 10: Why had Oberon and Titania quarreled with each other?

Answer: Oberon and Titania quarreled with each other over a little Indian boy. Titania had taken the boy as one of her followers but Oberon wanted the boy to be one of his fairy knights. The queen refused to give the boy to the king and this was the reason for their disagreement.

Question 11: What do you know about Puck?

Answer: Puck was a mischievous but the King’s favourite fairy who used to sneak into the dairies and steal the cream and get into the churn to prevent the formation of butter. He used to lead the people astray on dark nights and then mock them. He also used to topple people’s seats as they were about to sit down and spill their drinks over their chins as they were about to take a sip.

Question 12: What was the name of the flower that Oberon asked Puck to bring?

Answer: The name of the flower was ‘Love-in-idleness’.

Question 13: What was unusual or special about that purple flower?

Answer: The unusual or special about that flower was that if its juice is dropped on the eyes of those who are asleep, it will make them love the first thing they see when they wake up.

Question 14: What was Oberon’s plan that he discussed with Puck?

Answer: Oberon’s plan was to put the juice of that magic flower on Titania’s eyes so that when she wakes up, she will love the first thing that she sees – be it a lion, bear or wolf, a meddling monkey or a busy ape.

Question 15: Why did Oberon feel sorry for poor Helena?

Answer: Oberon felt sorry for Helena when he saw Demetrius denying his promises made to Helena.

Question 16: What orders did Oberon give to Puck?

Answer: Oberon ordered Puck to follow Demetrius and put some juice on his eyes so that when he wakes up, he would love Helena as much as she loved him.

Question 17: What blunder did Puck make?

Answer: Instead of Demetrius, Puck dropped the juice on Lysander’s eyes. On waking up, Lysander saw Helena first and fell in love with her.

Question 18: What did Oberon do when found that Puck has made a blunder?

Answer: Oberon himself went looking for Demetrius to put some juice on his eyes. Demetrius also saw Helena and fell in love with her. So, in the end, both Demetrius and Lysander were in love with Helena.

Question 19: Why did Hermia start quarreling with Helena?

Answer: When Hermia saw fighting Demetrius and Lysander over Helena, she started quarreling with Helena.

Question 20: What did Oberon tell Puck to make everything right?

What did oberon ask puck to do to prevent lysander and demetrius from fighting.

Answer: Oberon told Puck to cover the night with fog and lead the two young men away from each other so that they don’t fight. When they are exhausted, they will fall asleep and then, drop some juice on Lysander’s eyes so he will love Hermia again. In this way, each man will get the lady who loves him. They will all think that this had been only ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.

Question 21: What did Oberon do with Titania?

Answer: Oberon dropped the juice on Titania’s eyes. When she woke up, the first thing she saw was donkey headed clown. So, she fell in love with that clown. While she was under the spell of enchantment, Oberon persuaded her to give him little Indian boy. But then, taking pity on her he dropped some disenchanting juice on her eyes. At once, Titania realized her foolishness. Oberon took the ass’s head off from the clown and left him asleep.

So, these were A Midsummer Night’s Dream Questions & Answers.

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23 great essay topic suggestions on a midsummer night’s dream.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of the most popular plays by W. Shakespeare. Teachers often ask students to write essays on this play. If you want to get a high score for your paper, you should come up with an interesting idea to focus your analysis on. If you cannot come up with a good topic on your own, look at the list below for inspiration.

The play within a play in Act V.
The use of contrasting tones and characters.
The unusual structure of the play.
The comparison and contrast of Puck and Bottom.
The comparison and contrast of Athenian lovers and the craftsmen.
The roles of Theseus and Hippolyta in the play.
The lack of differentiation in characters of Athenian lovers.
The significance of the settings.
The meaning of the title of the play.
The aspects of love demonstrated by different couples in the play.
The significance of gender issues in the play.
The reasons for Theseus and Oberon to be played by the same actor.
Your favorite member of Athenian lovers.
A sinister erotic play or a light romantic comedy?
The role of the supernatural in the play.
The meaning of the phrase about love looking not with the eyes, but with the mind.
The analysis of the physical appearance of Demetrius in the play.
Te significance of the role of Puck in the play.
The main examples of gratitude.
The comparison of two different productions of the play.
The comparison of fairies in three different productions of the play.
The analysis of any film version of the play.
The comparison and contrast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest.

Tips for Writing Your Paper

Selecting a good topic isn’t enough to earn an excellent grade. You should also put a lot of effort into your analysis and writing. Make sure to read the actual play before writing your essay. This is the only way to form your own opinion on the plot, characters, and atmosphere of the piece of literature.

Divide your paper into different sections before you start writing so that you exactly know what you want to include in each paragraph. Revise your paper after writing to get rid of different mistakes.

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Essay on Love

A Midsummer Nights Dream Questions Essay Sample

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Love , Night , Audience , A Midsummer Night's Dream , Speech , Rhetoric , Shakespeare , Relationships

Words: 1700

Published: 02/18/2020

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1. What specific changes occur in the evolution of the Pyramus and Thisbe play? Look at the scenes with the workers in 1.2, 3.1, 4.2, and the performance in 5.1. Note (in list form if you like) as many changes as you can find. Do you see connections between these alterations to the Pyramus and Thisby play and the larger action of A Midsummer Night's Dream? Among the more significant subplots in the early parts of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is Nick Bottom and the workers’ attempts to stage a production of a play based on the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe. The buffoonery the workmen go through in their myriad changes to this play provides comedic counterpoint to the seriousness of the play’s subject matter; Shakespeare intends for us to laugh (just as the audience does in V.I) at the fact these clownish figures are attempting such heavy material. This has a lot to do with the changes that the workers make to the play. Once the craftsmen all meet up in the woods in order to rehearsal, Nick Bottom simply states that they have to change some parts of the play. Softening the play, in his mind, to cut out the lions' roars and the swordplay would make sure that no ladies would be frightened, which would cause them all to get executed. As a result, they make sure that there is a prologue to state that the lions and swords are fake, and that everything will be all right in the end. Bottom even suggests that, in order to convey that the play takes place at night, that " Some man or other must present Wall: and let him have some plaster, or some loam, or some rough-cast about him, to signify wall; and let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisbe whisper" (III.i.24). The workmen also suggest that a man must actually play the wall that Pyramus and Thisbe talk through, and another must play the moonlight. When Bottom finally returns, he tells everyone to avoid eating garlic or onions before they perform, so they can “utter sweet breath” for their audience (IV.ii.36). The treatment of the Pyramus and Thisbe play by the workers is absolutely a parallel to Shakespeare’s attitude toward the main romantic plot of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. By making jokes about the serious Pyramus and Thisbe play, this by extension mocks the earnest love that Hermia, Lysander, Helena and Demetrius feel for each other, taking an irreverent approach to the genre of romantic theater in general. 2. How do you interpret the fact that Puck does not take the charm off Demetrius's eyes? Maybe Shakespeare doesn't expect us to notice? or do you think he does? Does it make sense in terms of the play? and in terms of the Demetrius-Helena relationship (as opposed to the Lysander-Hermia relationship)? Does it mean Demetrius's love for Helena isn't going to be "real"? If you think it is real, what specifically in Demetrius’s / Helena’s language and character makes you think so? Puck’s failure to not take the charm off Demetrius’ eyes could be interpreted in any number of ways. Perhaps the simplest explanation is that, since Oberon was the one to charm Demetrius and not Puck, Puck does not necessarily know to lift the charm off him. Earlier in the play, Puck accidentally charms Lysander instead of Demetrius, so it is possible he still has the two confused. The fact that he does not un-charm Demetrius is definitely glossed over in the play, but I do still think the move is intentional; it is the cap on the fairies’ plan to settle the romantic dispute, even if it is through unscrupulous means (like the love potion). Regardless of Puck’s ignorance, however, it is very important to notice the fact that Demetrius’ love for Helena is false. Helena is unwanted by either man at the start of the play; Demetrius pursues Hermia, who is in love with Lysander, who loves her back. However, Helena holds unrequited love for Demetrius, thus inserting her into the romantic tension of the play. Oberon’s desire to charm Demetrius to settle the score leads him to consider Helena through means other than his own free will; the charm is doing the talking for him. Given the fact that Hermia is persistently the two men’s chief pursuit throughout the course of the play, before their emotions were altered by the fairies’ intervention, it is safe to say that Demetrius’ sudden change of heart toward Helena is false. While it may give Helena what she wants, and provides the ‘happy ending’ so necessary for plays of this type, the love is untrue since it came under false pretenses. This provides a somewhat dark or cynical undercurrent to the romantic outcomes of the play, which may have been Shakespeare’s intention – as mentioned earlier, he uses this play to take a tongue-in-cheek look at the romantic comedy, and so having the way everything turns out be somewhat unearned is possibly his point. 3. What makes Hippolyta able to see what Theseus cannot, in "the story of the night"? (5.1.23). This is a speculative question, but you should answer by considering all the evidence available to you in the play. Look at all of Hippolyta's other speeches and behavior. What helps to build up the sense of her special capacity revealed in this speech (5.1.23-27), a capacity perhaps unequalled by that of any other character? Hippolyta is most certainly one of the more interesting characters in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, despite not having as much to do as, say, the fairies, the workmen and the Athenian lovers. She represents a kind of strict order and sensibility that is unmatched by other characters; while they strut and fret themselves about the sage, Hippolyta is full of wisdom as Queen of the Amazons. She exhibits a great deal of control over her king; as Theseus says in Act I, scene I: “Hippolyta, I woo'd thee with my sword,And won thy love, doing thee injuries;But I will wed thee in another key,With pomp, with triumph and with reveling” (I.i.15-19) The fact that she can convince him to do things her way is dramatically different from the way things were in Shakespeare’s day; typically, women were meant to be more submissive. To that end, Hippolyta’s strength and ability to run the show is something to be respected and admired. In Act V, scene I, she imparts a great deal of wisdom to Theseus as well, when he doubts the incredible nature of the lovers’ story. Hippolyta wisely points out that the stories each person told were remarkably similar: “But all the story of the night told over,And all their minds transfigured so together,More witnesseth than fancy's imagesAnd grows to something of great constancy;But, howsoever, strange and admirable” (V.I. 23-27) Her stature and power makes it seem as though she has a greater grasp of what is going on around her than Theseus, and her tales of foreign adventure (like the tale she retells of her journey with Hercules and Cadmus) allow her a different perspective that perhaps her Athenian king lacks. It is for these reasons that she can see through to the truth of the lover’s situation. 4. Puck’s last speech inside the play (not counting his epilogue) begins “Now the hungry lion roars . . .” (p. 76, 5.1.363). Who hears this speech? How would you describe its images, its mood, its effects? Why do you think Shakespeare gave Puck these particular lines at this point in the play? In what ways does this speech resonate with other elements of the play? Puck’s “hungry lion” speech, heard right before Oberon and Titania reenter the stage in Act V, scene II, is only heard by the audience. Unlike the rest of the play, which provides a somewhat happy ending, Puck’s pontificating here seems ominous and portentous; he evokes images of wolves and moons, mentioning shrouds and graves. The atmosphere of his speech lends one to believe it refers to the horrors of the night; he also speaks of spirits (“every one lets forth his sprite”) and contemplation of death (“remembrance of a shroud”) (V.ii.370, 373). At the same time, he also notes the role of fairies like him – they adore and look forward to the coming night – and his job is to make sure that this “hallowed house” is clean before Oberon and Titania arrive (V.I.379). Overall, Puck’s speech seems somewhat a spooky note to introduce into the play this late in the game. There are several reasons why Shakespeare would include this speech in the play. For one, as previously mentioned, there is a subversive undercurrent to the happy ending provided by the main plot – everyone is together, has a mate, and is happy. However, Demetrius’ love for Helena is false due to the tears, and Bottom and the workmen are deluded as to the reason they delighted people so during their performance. Many of these people are living lies in some form or another, and Puck’s dark speech makes this seedy subtext manifest. Puck reminds us that, at the end of the day, these characters will die just as we all do, so we should not forget that just because we have had so much fun watching or reading this play. It also provides a bit of metatextual establishment for the audience – the play is about over, night is about to fall, and he and the fairies are ‘cleaning up’ the stage of actors, plot and staging before the play itself ends. Given Puck’s later speech to the audience about the content of the play itself, this kind of breaking of the fourth wall is not unwelcome or unexpected.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

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“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”: the Role of Women

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A Midsummer Night's Dream

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream Essay

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Essays on A Midsummer Night's Dream

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Literary Elements

Comparative Topics

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Social and Historical Context

The Enigmatic Symbolism in a Midsummer Night’s Dream

William Shakespeare’s Description of The Difference of Imagination and Realism as Illustrated in His Play, a Midsummer Night's Dream

Representation of Love in a Midsummer Night's Dream

The Significant Role of Nick Bottom in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream Questions & Answers

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Questions & Answers

Question 2: To whom Hermia’s father wanted her to marry?

Question 3: How much time did Duke give Hermia to think?

Question 4: What plan did Lysander make to marry Hermia?

Question 5: What would be Hermia’s fate if she refused to marry a man chosen by her father?

Question 6: Whom did Hermia tell about her plan?

Question 7: Why did Helena tell Demetrius about Hermia’s plan?

Question 8: What were the woods of Athens full of?

Question 9: Who were the king and queen of fairies?

Question 10: Why had Oberon and Titania quarreled with each other?

Question 11: What do you know about Puck?

Question 12: What was the name of the flower that Oberon asked Puck to bring?

Question 13: What was unusual or special about that purple flower?

Question 14: What was Oberon’s plan that he discussed with Puck?

Question 15: Why did Oberon feel sorry for poor Helena?

Question 16: What orders did Oberon give to Puck?

Question 17: What blunder did Puck make?

Question 18: What did Oberon do when found that Puck has made a blunder?

Question 19: Why did Hermia start quarreling with Helena?

Question 20: What did Oberon tell Puck to make everything right?

Question 21: What did Oberon do with Titania?

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A Midsummer Nights Dream Questions Essay Sample

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“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”: the Role of Women

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