ANSWERS TO KEY QUESTIONS (ACT 2 SCENE 2)

Act 2 Scene 2

A) It reinforces / adds to our sense of their:
- smallness (rosebuds/ reremice)
- speed (for the third part of a minute)
- delicacy (to make my small elves coats)
- dependence / lack of self-will / devotion
- obedient/ willing nature (their unquestioning / enthusiastic / immediate compliance)
- goodness/ benignity (kill cankers / keep back the clamorous owl)
- closeness to Nature

B) Because Oberon is about to enact his plan of revenge. Also, the fact that harm will befall Titania but not from a poisonous animal but rather from Titania’s counterpart, Oberon.

C) Excluding the melodious nightingale
- spotted snakes
- thorny hedgehogs
- newts
- blindworms
- weaving spiders
- black beetles
- worms
- snails
The common associations are all negative relating to danger / poison / darkness / evil/ witchcraft. The elves sing to cast these animals as far away from Titania’s bower as is possible.

D) Being a lullaby, the song is appropriately soothing / rhythmic/ melodic / incantatory to ‘lull’ Titania to sleep. The simple, full rhymes; the chorus (with its long lingering line sand vowels); the abundant alliteration (especially of the letter ‘I’) and chant-like repetition all convey a sense of relaxed drowsiness.

E) It would probably be a mixture of both. Oberon’s displeasure is tinged with mischeviousness. He may be annoyed still when he recalls Titania’s refusal to give him the changeling. He is however, playfully hoping that Titania will awaken ‘when some vile thing is near!” (line 40, p.91)

F) Tired/ exhausted / weary / slow /stumbling
Evidence: Fair love, you faint with wand’ring in the wood;
And- to speak troth- I have forgot our way.

G) i) Her modesty/virtue / virginity (to protect her reputation)
ii) Friendly but firm (she is affectionate / gentle in her coaxing)

H) i) I did not mean that I would literally lie down beside you. Instead, I meant that, because our two hearts are as one/ inseparable, wherever you lie, I also (figuratively speaking) will be.
ii) Lysander’s remarks in lines 47-48 can accommodate both meanings. Possibly this is a deliberate ploy. He could be ‘testing the water’ by making a playfully provocative proposal to see how Hermia will react. His remark is sufficiently ambiguous (just in case Hermia vehemently rejects his proposal and/or is horrified by it) for him to protect his ostensible innocence and feign righteous indignation! This situation is comically familiar. Basically, his response would have depended highly on Hermia’s reaction to his bold ‘suggestion’.

I) Sense / innocence
To lie (speak falsely /to lie down)

J) Playful and teasing

K) Far from lasting until death, Lysander’s love for Hermia is about to be rapidly dissolved by Puck’s flower juice. In this light, Hermia’s wish in line 67 and Lysander’s subsequent declaration of loyalty are equally ironic. ‘With half that wish the wisher’s eyes be pressed.’ Ironically foreshadows Puck physically applying the love juice to Lysander’s eyelids.

L) Addressing the audience would probably be more effective but either interpretation is admissible.

M) i) Scornful / derisory / derogatory—he calls Lysander (whom he mistakes for Demetrius) ‘lack-love’, ‘kill-courtesy’ and ‘churl’. He obviously considers him to be rude, insensitive and ill-mannered.
ii) Lysander is wearing Athenian garments. He is sleeping at a distance form Hermia (which Puck interprets as him shunning her).

N) Infatuation is often based on surface appearances and superficial impression. It is usually a product of the senses, particularly the eyes.

O) Unlike Lysander and Hermia who would enter together (possibly holding hands), Demetrius and Helena will be apart, the latter in pursuit of the former.
Whereas Lysander and Hermia enter in a slow, tired fashion, Demetrius and Helena are running. The weary sighs of the former will be sharp contrast to the breathless gasps of latter.

P) We know, but Helena does not, that, because of Puck’s love juice, Lysander will no longer consider Hermia’s eyes blessed and attractive. When he awakes, Lysander will find Hermia ‘hateful’ to behold and Hermia will be left alone distraught.
Note how Hermia’s subsequent situation is an ironic counterpart to Helena’s—she too is destined to faithfully ‘pursue’ a man who both spurns her affection and is infatuated with her best friend.

Q) i) Helena is obviously dispirited/ dejected/ despondent. Her self-esteem is very low; she considers herself unworthy / unattractive/ undesirable and compares herself unfavorably with Hermia.
Most would sympathize with Helena’s predicament although some might feel that she is feeling unnecessarily sorry for herself/ wallowing in self- pity.
Either way, we must remind ourselves that Shakespeare presents the lovers’ self-indulgent antics in a comic light. Hence, while Helena earnestly bemoans her sorry plight, the sympathy of the audience is accompanied by a mile.
We are divided in our reactions. We may pity her because Demetrius does not love her in spite of her ‘mad’ infatuation with him. However, we also would like her to retain some dignity as a woman and not debase herself in such a manner.

ii) A person’s self- esteem inevitably suffers when suddenly and inexplicably rejected by a loved one. It can lead to excessive / unhealthy introspection (we question our self worth). We brood, blame ourselves unfairly, and brand ourselves as failures. Hence, Helena’s hyper-critical reaction is a psychologically credible and familiar reaction.

R) *I am sure you can figure this out for yourself :)

S) Physical description
- Hermia is dark like a raven.

- Helena is fair / white like a dove.


Character /Personality
- Hermia is more aggressive/ energetic like a raven
- Helena is timid/ meek like a dove

T) i) He claims that he is now more mature/ sensible/ reasonable. Whereas previously he was governed by youthful impetuosity, reason now controls his desire and directs him more wisely.
ii) The dramatic irony is obvious. The audience sees clearly that the reverse is true: far from behaving logically, Lysander is being irrational.
Instead of seeing clearly, he is self-deluded. Whilst we realize that he is infatuated, he is convinced that he is truly in love. Whilst we know that his condition is an artificial product of Puck’s love juice, he believes that he is making a genuine choice of his own free will.

U) Helena thinks that Lysander is making fun of her/ mocking her inability to attract Demetrius.

V) Indignant, hurt, shocked, reproachful, bemused

W) Surfeit: someone who has eaten too many sweet things will be bloated and feels sick at the thought of consuming more.
Heresy: The false beliefs which men reject are despised the most by those who were once deceived by them.

X) Lysander’s intense loathing for Hermia is reflective in his powerfully emotive language (‘loathing’, ‘hated’) and extreme declarations (‘never’, ‘deepest’, ‘most’, ‘all’). This revulsion is similar to Demetrius’ strong aversion to Helena. It is almost as though the extent of both men’s dislike for their old loves is in inverse proportion to the strength of their affection for their new ones.
Again, such revulsion is psychologically credible. Often, the disgust a person feels for a rejected lover is either a symptom of their own guilt or an attempt to justify / excuse their own unpardonable betrayal. Another reason for both men’s extreme positions is the fact that they are both infatuated ad therefore impassioned and irrational. Their lack of self-control, impulsive outbursts and exaggerated declamations are comically absurd and illustrate the excesses of young love.

Y) The dream is ironically appropriate given the fact that (unbeknownst to Hermia) Lysander has just ‘betrayed’ and forsaken her. We know that her nightmare is about to become a reality.

Z) Confused, frightened, distraught, concerned, desperate.