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Act 2, Scene 2

Act 2, Scene 2. Enter Queen of Fairies [ Titania ], with her train. This scene follows Act 2 Scene 1 without any apparent interruption of time. We do, however, seem to have moved place : to the bower Oberon has just described. .

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Act 2, Scene 2

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  1. Act 2, Scene 2

  2. Enter Queen of Fairies [Titania], with her train This scene follows Act 2 Scene 1 without any apparent interruption of time. We do, however, seem to have moved place: to the bower Oberon has just described. AO2: Titania issues instructions in blank verse to her fairies. What does she tell them to do? What is the purpose of this in terms of the action of the play? Come now, a roundel and a fairy song. Then for the third part of a minute, hence— Some to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds, Some war with reremice for their leathern wings To make my small elves coats, and some keep back The clamorous owl that nightly hoots and wonders At our quaint spirits. Sing me now asleep. Then to your offices and let me rest.

  3. AO4: This is the first of the play’s delicate and spell-like songs. Lacking the original music, directors have set these to a range of tunes and styles, each creating a different mood. FIRST FAIRY(sings) You spotted snakes with double tongue, Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen. Newts and blindworms, do no wrong. Come not near our fairy queen. FAIRIES(sing) Philomel, with melody Sing in our sweet lullaby. Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby. Never harm Nor spell nor charm Come our lovely lady nigh. So good night, with lullaby. FIRST FAIRY(sings) Weaving spiders, come not here. Hence, you long-legged spinners, hence! Beetles black, approach not near. Worm nor snail, do no offence. FAIRIES(sing) Philomel, with melody Sing in our sweet lullaby. Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby. Never harm Nor spell nor charm Come our lovely lady nigh. So good night, with lullaby. Cf. serpent in Hermia’s dream: a threatening presence AO2: Does this suggest that Oberon’s spell will result in no lasting harm to Titania? Or that her spells hold no power against him?

  4. “One aloof, stand sentinel” [Titania sleeps. Exeunt fairies.] [Enter Oberon] AO3: What happens to this ‘aloof, sentinel’ fairy to allow Oberon his swift access to the bower and instant application of the love juice to Titania’s eyes? As a director, what choice would you make?

  5. AO2: Oberon’s swift anointing of Titania’s eyes changes the atmosphere of the scene from one of enchantment and delicacy to something darker and more dangerous. How does his language use add to this? What thou seest when thou dost wake, Do it for thy true love take. Love and languish for his sake. Be it ounce or cat or bear, Pard or boar with bristled hair, In thy eye that shall appear, When thou wakest, it is thy dear. Wake when some vile thing is near. What is the effect of this last line on the audience?

  6. Enter Lysander and Hermia The swift pace of the scene continues, as Lysander and Hermia quickly settle down to sleep. Before this, however, Lysander makes a brief attempt to share Hermia’s sleeping-place. A consideration of pace: why do the events of this scene happen so quickly? How does it set the tone of the scene?

  7. Enter Lysander and Hermia A consideration of pace: the move away from the slow, magical world of enchantment to fast-paced action takes us into farce: comedy based on dramatic features such as improbable situations, mistaken identities, sexual infidelities and wild coincidences. The fast pace ensures we know these events are comedic, not tragic.

  8. LYSANDER: Fair love, you faint with wandering in the wood. And to speak troth, I have forgot our way. We’ll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good. And tarry for the comfort of the day. HERMIA: Be it so, Lysander. Find you out a bed, For I upon this bank will rest my head. LYSANDER: One turf shall serve as pillow for us both. One heart, one bed, two bosoms, and one troth. HERMIA: Nay, good Lysander. For my sake, my dear, Lie further off yet. Do not lie so near. LYSANDER: O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence. Love takes the meaning in love’s conference. I mean that my heart unto yours is knit So that but one heart we can make of it. Two bosomsinterchainèd with an oath— So then two bosoms and a single troth. Then by your side no bed room me deny. For, lying so, Hermia, I do not lie. HERMIA: Lysander riddles very prettily. AO2: verse form – Lysander starts with a quatrain, then the lovers switch to rhyming couplets. What is the effect of these end-stopped lines on our interpretation of the lovers’ conversation? What is the significance of these two lines? AO2: Lysander’s language – how does the repetition of the bolded words add to our interpretation of this exchange?

  9. LYSANDER: Fair love, you faint with wandering in the wood. And to speak troth, I have forgot our way. We’ll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good. And tarry for the comfort of the day. HERMIA: Be it so, Lysander. Find you out a bed, For I upon this bank will rest my head. LYSANDER: One turf shall serve as pillow for us both. One heart, one bed, two bosoms, and one troth. HERMIA: Nay, good Lysander. For my sake, my dear, Lie further off yet. Do not lie so near. LYSANDER: O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence. Love takes the meaning in love’s conference. I mean that my heart unto yours is knit So that but one heart we can make of it. Two bosomsinterchainèd with an oath— So then two bosoms and a single troth. Then by your side no bed room me deny. For, lying so, Hermia, I do not lie. HERMIA: Lysander riddles very prettily. AO2: The end-stopped lines make the lovers’ exchange seem a little clichéd. This is an expected and obvious exchange. These two lines present the couple as united. AO2: The bolded words give us the impression that Lysander is attempting to seduce Hermiawith some mild innuendo.

  10. “And then end life when I end loyalty!” AO2: What is the significance of this quote? What expectations does it create for the audience, within the context of the themes and tone of the play so far? Enter Robin/Puck ... and how does this entrance add to them? Look at Puck’s speech: how does Shakespeare use dramatic irony?

  11. Note: sense of movement and action Through the forest have I gone. But Athenian found I none,  On whose eyes I might approve  This flower’s force in stirring love. (sees LYSANDER and HERMIA)  Night and silence! Who is here? Weeds of Athens he doth wear.  This is he, my master said, Despisèd the Athenian maid.  And here the maiden, sleeping sound  On the dank and dirty ground.  Pretty soul! She durst not lie  Near this lack-love, this kill-courtesy. (squeezes flower juice on LYSANDER’s eyelids) Churl, upon thy eyes I throw  All the power this charm doth owe.  When thou wakest, let love forbid  Sleep his seat on thy eyelid.  So awake when I am gone,  For I must now to Oberon. AO2: Puck speaks in tetrameter here, the same form used by Oberon and Titania. The rest of the scene is in rhyming couplets.

  12. Enter Demetrius and Helena, running AO2: How does this stage direction increase or add to the expectations of the audience? HELENA: Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius.DEMETRIUS: I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus.HELENA: O, wilt thou darkling leave me? do not so.DEMETRIUS: Stay, on thy peril: I alone will go. Exit Demetrius AO2: What is the significance of this short exchange? Think about language, form and audience response.

  13. Enter Demetrius and Helena, running AO2: ‘running’ suggests action, adding to the fast pace of the scene and sense of comedy, distancing the audience from the seriousness of the events taking place HELENA: Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius.DEMETRIUS: I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus.HELENA: O, wilt thou darkling leave me? do not so.DEMETRIUS: Stay, on thy peril: I alone will go. Exit Demetrius AO2: 1) the rhyming couplets are shared, suggesting a united ending for the pair 2) it leaves Helena alone, setting an expectation that Lysander will see and fall in love with her

  14. “I am as ugly as a bear” AO3: How do we feel about Helena at this point in the play? Is she a figure of comedy? Of sympathy? Are her words ridiculous or a sign of how demoralised she has become? matches the pace of the scene O, I am out of breath in this fond chase!The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace.Happy is Hermia, wheresoe'er she lies;For she hath blessed and attractive eyes.How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears:If so, my eyes are oftener wash'd than hers.No, no, I am as ugly as a bear;For beasts that meet me run away for fear:Therefore no marvel though DemetriusDo, as a monster fly my presence thus.What wicked and dissembling glass of mineMade me compare with Hermia'sspheryeyne?But who is here? Lysander! on the ground!Dead? or asleep? I see no blood, no wound.Lysander if you live, good sir, awake. AO4: the 1935 film shows an actual bear slinking away from Helena!

  15. AO2: How does Lysander’s speech after he awakes link to his earlier exchange with Hermia? How does it create a sense of comedy? Helena: Lysander if you live, good sir, awake. Lysander: And run through fire I will for thy sweet sake. • Transparent Helena! Nature shows art,That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart.Where is Demetrius? O, how fit a wordIs that vile name to perish on my sword!

  16. AO2: How does Lysander’s speech after he awakes link to his earlier exchange with Hermia? How does it create a sense of comedy? Helena: Lysander if you live, good sir, awake. Lysander: And run through fire I will for thy sweet sake. • Transparent Helena! Nature shows art,That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart.Where is Demetrius? O, how fit a wordIs that vile name to perish on my sword! use of rhyming couplet to highlight new pairing- this is comedic Hyperbolic = humorous Repetition of the words he earlier used in his attempted seduction of Hermia. This reinforces her point that language can be used ‘prettily’, i.e. cleverly but without honesty

  17. Theme: reason versus seeming / illusion Lysander claims his new love for Helena is due to reason. This adds to the humour of the scene, as does her mistaken belief that he is mocking her which means that the more he professes his love, the more disgusted she becomes. This adds to the earlier treatment of love as separate to reason. The love juice has become a symbol for this irrationality. Lysander: Content with Hermia! No; I do repentThe tedious minutes I with her have spent.Not Hermia but Helena I love:Who will not change a raven for a dove?The will of man is by his reasonsway'd;And reason says you are the worthier maid.Things growing are not ripe until their seasonSo I, being young, till now ripe not to reason;And touching now the point of human skill,Reason becomes the marshal to my willAnd leads me to your eyes, where I o'erlookLove's stories written in love's richest book. Helena: Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born?When at your hands did I deserve this scorn? Note: this situation foreshadows what is likely to occur when Titania wakes up, whilst also diverting our attention from the fact that she is still asleep on stage. At this point we are much more interested in Hermia’s awakening.

  18. AO2: How does Hermia’s awakening create a contrast to the comedy we have witnessed? • Consider: • language • rhythm • theme Help me, Lysander, help me! do thy bestTo pluck this crawling serpent from my breast!Ay me, for pity! what a dream was here!Lysander, look how I do quake with fear:Methought a serpent eat my heart away,And you sat smiling at his cruel pray.Lysander! what, removed? Lysander! lord!What, out of hearing? gone? no sound, no word?Alack, where are you speak, an if you hear;Speak, of all loves! I swoon almost with fear.No? then I well perceive you all not nighEither death or you I'll find immediately.

  19. Help me, Lysander, help me! do thy bestTo pluck this crawling serpent from my breast!Ay me, for pity! what a dream was here!Lysander, look how I do quake with fear:Methought a serpent eat my heart away,And you sat smiling at his cruel pray.Lysander! what, removed? Lysander! lord!What, out of hearing? gone? no sound, no word?Alack, where are you speak, an if you hear;Speak, of all loves! I swoon almost with fear.No? then I well perceive you all not nighEither death or you I'll find immediately. Symbol of danger (cf. Titania’s spell; Genesis). The sudden pauses, questions and exclamations here vary the rhythm of Hermia’s speech and show her uncertainty and surges of emotion, cf. earlier, trite end-stops. Her fear is a strong contrast to the comedy we’ve just witnessed and brings some real human emotion to the scene. Repetition of Lysander’s name = loneliness. A reminder of how vulnerable she is without him. Theme: reason Hermia’s dream is more reliable than reason.

  20. Do you agree? Write a response on your sheet, explaining your answer.

  21. Revision Task: Pick one of the below essay questions. Plan and write up your answer, setting out your arguments clearly and trying to cover all assessment objectives. Try to write 2-3 sides of A4. “ It is only the presence of the fairies that makes the four lovers’ quarrels entertaining.” How far do you agree with this statement? “The most important source of comedy in the play is dramatic irony.” How far do you agree with this statement?

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