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A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Summary Notes. Act 1. Egeus wanted a young man named Demetrius to marry his daughter, Hermia . Hermia refused to obey her father , because she loved Lysander and he loved her. This made Egeus very angry with both of them.
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream Summary Notes
Act 1 • Egeus wanted a young man named Demetrius to marry his daughter, Hermia. • Hermiarefused to obey her father, because she loved Lysander and he loved her. This made Egeus very angry with both of them. • Theseus told Hermia that she must obey her father and marry Demetrius. If she did not, she must either die or become a nun.
Act 1 • In order to escape this fate, Lysander asked Hermia to meet him in the woods, so they could plan an escape. • They decided it would be best to run away together and stay with Lysander’s aunt, far away from the laws of Athens.
Act 1 • Prior to all this, Demetrius stopped loving Helena (who is Hermia’s childhood friend), because he saw Hermia and fell in love with her. • This caused a rift in their friendship, as Helena grows to resent Hermia for “stealing” her man.
Act 1 • The craftsmen (performers) were rehearsing a play about the death of Pyramus and Thisbe. They were hoping that they could act it out on the Duke’s wedding day. • Pyramusand Thisbeis the story of two lovers in the city of Babylon who occupy connected houses/walls, forbidden by their parents to be wed, because of their parents' rivalry. Through a crack in one of the walls, they whisper their love for each other.
Act 1 • Pyramus and Thisbe face parental disapproval in the play-within-a-play, just as Hermia and Lysander do. • The theme of romantic confusion is enhanced by the darkness of night, as Pyramusmistakenly believes that Thisbehas been killed by the lion, just as the Athenian lovers experience misery because of the mix-ups caused by the fairies’ meddling.
Act 1 • Nick Bottom – Plays the part of Pyramus • Francis Flute – Plays Thisbe • Snug – Plays the lion • Peter Quince directed the play and read the prologue (introduction/opening lines). • Peter Quince also played the part of the wall. See Character Map Handout
Act 2 • Titania(Queen of the Fairies) had a little Indian boy. She was very fond of the child, but Oberon (King of the Fairies) wanted him too • Puck is the fairy servant to Oberon • Known to cause mischief wherever he went • Examples of trouble Puck causes includes: • He frightened young girls, took the cream off the milk and at night, he made people lose their way
The Love Potion theory (Act 2) • The juice from a flower had a special power • It could be squeezed into the eyes of a sleeping person • When they woke, they would fall in love with the first living thing that they saw
As a Result…(Act 2) • Demetrius came to the palace wood to find Lysander and Hermia • Oberon put some of the love juice on Titania’seyes • Puck put some of the same love juice on Lysander’s eyes • Lysander spoke to Helena with loving words, which was strange, because before he went to sleep, he had loved Hermia