A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Study Guide
Mr. Watson
English II
What is truth and what is a lie? William Shakespeare challenges the audience throughout
A Midsummer Night’s Dream with that predicament. Is Midsummer any more real than
the artisans’ production of “Pyramus and Thisbe”? Is the fate of warring fairies any less
real than the fate of the fighting Athenian lovers? If you act like a donkey, is that any
different than looking like an ass? When, if ever, does a dream become real?
What would you do for love? Various characters in Midsummer will answer that question
different ways.
What if you were suddenly given great power – would it change your beliefs, personality,
ethics, attitude? This is Bottom’s predicament in Midsummer.
What rights do women have in a relationship? Consider the situations of Hippolyta,
Titania, Hermia, and Helena.
Midsummer is considered a comedy / farce, with highly unrealistic and fantastical
elements. However, like all great literature, it reveals deeper insight into humanity (see
themes below). It is one of the few Shakespeare plays where the plot is entirely created
by him, with elements alluding to mythology and other sources.
Possible themes of the play:
 The nature of reality – what is real and what is false?
 The politics of love:
Love is warfare; all’s fair in love and war.
Love is blind (“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind” [I:i]),
unreasonable, and unpredictable.
 The politics of power and government: Absolute power can corrupt (Oberon,
Egeus); Good rulers do not condescend to his/her citizens (Theseus, Bottom).
 The rights of women: Women should have a say in who they are with (Hermia,
Helena); the best couples are partners (Titania’s struggle with Oberon).
ACT I
Scene 1

Theseus, “Duke” of Athens, prepares for festival in honor of his upcoming
marriage to _________________ .

Hermia wants to marry ____________________, but her father wants her to
marry Demetrius.
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Study Guide
Mr. Watson
English II

If Hermia does not marry Demetrius, Theseus offers her two choices: go to a
_____________, or death. Does this remind you of other Shakespeare plays?

Hermia and _______________ agree to run off to the woods the following night
to get married.

Helena arrives. Helena is in love with __________________, and resents that he
loves Hermia instead of her. Helena learns of Hermia’s plans. In her soliloquy at
the end of the scene, what does she decide to do? What does she hope to gain by
doing so?
Scene II
 The artisans gather to practice their play for the Duke’s wedding, led by the
carpenter ________________________.
 They decide to perform a play based on myth of Pyramus and Thisbe.
(Paradoxically, it will be both a comedy and a tragedy.) We read this myth earlier
in the semester. What is the story?

Snug is worried about memorizing his lines for the Lion – which only consists of
roaring! However, Quince brings up a concern about the roaring. What is it?
How does Bottom propose to resolve Quince’s fear? In what way could
Shakespeare be ironically winking to the audience about Midsummer?

They all agree to meet in the woods the next night to rehearse the play. (Hmm,
this sounds familiar.) What do you predict will happen next?
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Study Guide
Mr. Watson
English II
ACT II
Scene 1

We meet Puck, also known as ___________ _____________, who meets a
Fairy in a wooded glade. Puck warns the Fairy that Oberon is coming; the Fairy
warns him that Titania is coming.

What is the reason for Oberon and Titania’s dispute?

Give a few examples of what “tricks” Puck plays on mortals. What does this
reveal about Puck’s character?

What is happening to Earth because of Oberon and Titania’s fighting?

After Titania leaves, Oberon plots revenge. He reveals his plan in a very poetic
speech. What is his plan? What does his scheming (all in the name of love)
remind you of?

Find the line numbers where the speech above begins and ends. Is this speech a
monologue or a soliloquy? Explain your answer.

While Oberon is scheming, Demetrius runs into the glade, pursued by Helena.
(Oberon is invisible.) He wants to kill ___________________ and win Hermia;
Helena makes it clear that her own dignity is second to her desire for Demetrius.
Demetrius runs out, trying to shake her; Helena continues the chase.

When Puck returns, what does Oberon ask Puck to do? How do you infer this
will lead to problems?
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Study Guide
Mr. Watson
English II
Scene II
 Oberon finds Titania asleep. What does Oberon do? What will happen when
Titania awakens?

Lysander and ___________ enter (Titania remains invisible to them). Tired,
they lay down to sleep. Why does she ask him to sleep with some distance
between them? Does her judgment about men, and Lysander in particular, seem
fair?

Puck enters and anoints Lysander’s eyes. What two things from Oberon’s
instructions leads Puck to believe this is the couple that Oberon was referring to?
A.
B.

Demetrius enters the glade, still chased by Helena. At first, neither notices the
sleeping couple. Demetrius runs off, but Helena stays and finally notices
Lysander. What happens when Helena awakens Lysander?

______________ finally awakens, alone and scared. She runs off in search of
Lysander.
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Study Guide
Mr. Watson
English II
ACT III
Scene I

The earnest amateur actors rehearse “Pyramus and Thisbe.” However, they have
two ongoing concerns: How will they not affright the ladies in the audience?
How will they keep the play (in their analysis) “realistic”?
A. How does Bottom propose to solve the problem of Pyramus’s “scary” suicide?
B. Snout worries again about Lion being too frightful. What is his solution? What
does Bottom suggest they also do?
C. Next, the actors worry how they will realistically portray the lovers meeting by
moonlight. Luckily, there is a full moon the night of the performance, but what
does Quince propose they also do?
D. An essential plot element of the myth is that the lovers speak through a wall.
How does Quince make sure a wall is in the play?
E. Think of plays or movies you have seen. Did you ever forget you were watching
a fictional presentation and were moved to tears or scared? If so, what made you
blur the line between reality and illusion?

Puck decides to make a little mischief. What does he do to Bottom? How do the
other actors react?

Titania awakens, and as Oberon plans, her potion makes her fall in love with
Bottom. Give an example of one of her lines and why it is ironic.
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Study Guide
Mr. Watson
English II

Reacting to Titania’s infatuation, Bottom says, “And yet, to say the truth, reason
and love keep little company together nowadays.” This could be an excellent
theme for the play! What is something from earlier in the story that proves
Bottom’s statement as true?

Bottom is outwardly transformed. Does he seem to act or talk any differently?
Explain. What do you think this reveals about his character?

At the end of the scene, Titania leads Bottom off to her bower . . .
Scene II

Puck comes to Oberon and fills him in on his tricks, and Oberon is pleased.
However, when Demetrius and Hermia enter, Oberon gets angry. Why?

What does Hermia think that Demetrius has done to Lysander?

In an effort to help fix things, Oberon anoints the eyes of sleeping Demetrius.
Who awakens him? What does Demetrius immediately do?

Puck ironically remarks, “Lord, what fools these mortals be!” Do you think the
(immortal) fairies are acting any less foolish? Explain.
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Study Guide
Mr. Watson
English II

Lysander enters, chased by Hermia. Now all four lovers are on stage, with
Helena thinking the other three are pranking her. Meanwhile, Hermia is moved
first to tears of sorrow, then anger. What are two ways that Hermia’s physical
appearance is insulted in the scene?

Hermia threatens to scratch Helena’s eyes out (“But that my nails can reach unto
thine eyes”); Helena calls on Lysander and Demetrius to protect her; the two men
exit to square off in a fight, and Helena eventually runs away for fear of Hermia’s
wrath. How might Hermia’s very specific threat connect to one of the play’s
themes?

At the end of the scene, what is Oberon’s plan to solve the mix-up?
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Study Guide
Mr. Watson
English II
ACT IV
Scene I
 With the four lovers still sleeping on stage, Titania, her fairies, and Bottom enter.
They do not notice the sleeping mortals. Titania orders her fairies to attend to
Bottom, and Oberon watches, unseen. Titania and Bottom fall asleep.
 How has Oberon’s attitude toward Titania changed? Just prior to the scene
(offstage), what has Oberon finally gotten Titania to do?

Oberon and Puck undo their enchantments on Titania and Bottom. The fairies
leave. Although Bottom sleeps undiscovered and unseen, the other four are found
by whom?

The above people are on a hunt with hounds when they discover the four lovers.
How might this be another metaphor that echoes not only the main part of the
story, but one of the play’s themes?

Like Oberon, Demetrius has a change of heart. What does Demetrius tell Egeus
(Hermia’s father)?

What do you infer is Egeus’s feelings about Demetrius’s change of heart above?
Explain why.

The lovers, not sure exactly what happened last night, leave the stage. Finally,
Bottom wakes up. What does Bottom’s soliloquy suggest about so-called
“reality”?

At the end of his soliloquy, Bottom mentions at the “end of a play” he will sing
the ballad of his dream “at her death” (my italics). Assuming his vagueness is not
the result of still being half-asleep, whose death do you think Bottom is talking
about? Explain.
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Study Guide
Mr. Watson
English II
Scene II
 Quince, Flute, Snout and _______________ desperately look for Bottom, but they
cannot find him.
 The artisans hear the news that two other couples will also get married. Name the
three couples that will now have simultaneous weddings.

Throughout the play, Bottom is often called “bully,” a word that meant something
different in Shakespeare’s day than it does now.
A. What do you infer is the artisans’ intended meaning of “bully”?
B. In our time, what connotative or denotative meanings of “bully” would also fit a
description of Bottom’s personality?

Why is Flute sad that Bottom may miss the performance?

Finally, Bottom arrives! After promising to “tell [them] everything right as it fell
out,” he refuses to speak further of his “dream”: “Not a word of me.” What are
three pieces of advice he gives to his fellow actors before they go to the palace?
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Study Guide
Mr. Watson
English II
ACT V, Scene I



With the weddings completed, the three couples are ready for entertainment.
______________, the “manager of mirth,” gives Theseus a list of possible
amusements. Although the mirth-manager warns against it (it made him weep
tears of laughter, not sadness), Theseus chooses “Pyramus and Thisbe” to be
presented.
Theseus defends his choice to Hippolyta, and makes an analogy to love: “Love,
therefore, and tongue-tied simplicity / In least speak most, to my capacity.”
What is Theseus saying about what makes love “true”?
And so, with the three couples making a running (and humorous) commentary,
the play begins. The earnest but inept actors make two mistakes repeatedly in
their unintentionally hilarious production: they “tell” instead of “show,” and they
“break character” (speaking and acting as themselves, often directly at their
audience, instead of staying in character in speech and action). Name one
example of each:
A. TELL INSTEAD OF SHOW:
B. BREAKING CHARACTER:

“Pyramus and Thisbe” ends, and after a dance, Bottom and the players exit. The
three couples go to their honeymoon beds. The fairies return for three final
speeches:
A. First, Puck explains that it is now night, and he is sweeping the floor clean (to
clean up after all of the messes in the play, perhaps?). Give one example of
imagery that Puck uses in his speech.
B. In the second speech, what does Oberon promise to do?
C. In the final speech, what two things does Puck ask from the audience? (Hint:
the second one involves hands.)
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