"Shakespeare wants us to smile kindly at the craftsmen, not scorn them." Do you agree? Refer closely to the scenes in whihc the craftsmen appear and discuss Shakespeare's portrayal of them in the play.
Possible viewpoints:
YES. Shakespeare wants us to ‘smile kindly’ at them; he has them appear ridiculous, but he also shows how innocent and earnest they are
NO. Shakespeare sets them up as bumbling fools, reinforcing the stereotype that those from the lower classes are simpletons
SMILE KINDLY
- Show that the mechanicals are portrayed as earnest and sincere, trying their best to put up a good show (look for evidence to support this: their efforts at rehearsing)
- Bottom, the most outstanding of the group, is a comic figure, but he spouts wisdom at times: ‘love and reason keep little company together nowadays’. His behavior borders on arrogance, yet we cannot help but admire his positive attitude and ‘can do’ spirit (look for evidence to support this- for example, his reaction upon waking up from his night in the woods, ‘I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of this dream.’
- Talk about their performance of the play ‘Pyramus and Thisbe’. The performance was terrible by all accounts, but Theseus’ reminder to the rest that ‘If we imagine no worse of them than they of / themselves, they may pass for excellent men’ could reflect Shakespeare’s own view, that we should not be so haughty, and appreciate the craftsmen’s play for its ‘might, not merit’. (Look for similar evidence)
- The craftsmen have a significant role in the play, especially Bottom. They are written as comical figures, but even the nobles (the four lovers) go crazy in the woods, of course aided by the love juice. It is the craftsmen who keep their composure more, persevering in the face of difficulty, when Bottom was ‘missing’. If even the nobles are ‘fools’ as Puck gleefully comments, the surely Shakespeare does not single out the craftsmen for ridicule or scorn. (Look for evidence that shows the craftsmen’s positive attitude, and the lovers’ wild, foolish behavior)
SCORN
- Show how the mechanicals are portrayed as bumbling fools (Evidence should be given to show their ignorance about the conventions of stagecraft, and the numerous errors they make in speech)
- Describe how Bottom, the group’s de-facto leader, is transformed into a lowly animal, a ‘beast’ used to humiliate the fairy Queen. There are numerous references to Bottom as an ass, whether or not he was transformed. It seems as though the lower class is being made fun of, as they are portrayed as hapless simpletons.
- The play, Pyramus and Thisbe, is performed so badly that the audience is in stitches, unable to disguise their contempt for the play. Demetrius, Lysander, Theseus and Hippolyta all interrupt the play several times, making critical comments. Once, Bottom actually ‘stopped acting’, breaking the fourth wall, and reassuring the Duke that they were on cue. There was very little respect shown to the craftsmen by their audience, although Theseus apparently is sympathetic towards them. It is worth noting though that he too makes critical comments.
- The craftsmen are brought in for comic relief, and appear to be manipulated by forces beyond their control. They are shown to be at the bottom of the food chain, subject to the whims and fancies of their ‘superiors’. Provide relevant evidence—Puck’s convenient use of Bottom in Oberon’s scheme for revenge.
It is okay to take either stand, as long as you can justify your answers with appropriate evidence.
Some other things to mention / possible observations / relevant facts
- The names of the mechanicals suggest their occupations. They are described by Puck as ‘hempen homespuns’, and by Philostrate as ‘hard-handed men who work in Athens here.’
- Philostrate’s description of the play reveals his contempt for their efforts, probably having previewed it earlier—according to him, it is ‘brief’, yet even this is ‘too long’, and ‘tedious’. It is supposed to be ‘tragical’ yet his tears were ‘merry’ tears, as he couldn’t stop laughing! He says the mechanicals ‘have never labored in their minds till now.’
- He discourages Theseus from choosing the play as it is ‘nothing, nothing in the world’, and feels that surely they do not wish to ‘find sport in their intents / extremely stretched and conned with cruel pain / To do you service.’
- Hippolyta is wary of watching the play, as she ‘love(s) not to see wretchedness
o’ercharged / And duty in his service perishing.’ She feels that perhaps that it would be cruel to choose their play and possibly put the mechanicals in a situation where they are out of their depth, or will make fools of themselves. (This could be linked to the idea of ‘scorn’ in the question). Ironically though, her comments about the play later are quite scathing.
- Theseus’ magnanimous (magnanimous= high-minded; noble: a just and magnanimous ruler. Preceding from or revealing generosity or nobility of mind, character etc.: a magnanimous gesture of forgiveness.) Comments about the play and the craftsmen seem to put things into perspective.
- For never anything can be amiss / When simpleness and duty tender it.
- The kinder we, to give them thanks for nothing / Our noble sport shall be to take what they mistake; / And what poor duty cannot do, noble respect / Takes it in might, not merit.
- Love, therefore, and tongue-tied simplicity / In least speak most, to my capacity.
- The best in this kind are but shadows, and the / worst are no worse, if imagination amend them.
- If we imagine no worse of them than they of / themselves, they may pass for excellent men.
Theseus’ words / sentiments reveal a generous attitude towards the craftsmen, and this may show that Shakespeare wants us to ‘smile kindly’ at them. After all, we witness their earnest efforts to prepare for the play, and their naïve (and ridiculous) ideas about staging a play. They are innocent in nature, however, and we forgive them their mistakes as Shakespeare makes them endearing in their errors. Bottom, with his immensely positive disposition (disposition= the predominant or prevailing tendency of one’s spirits; natural mental and emotional outlook or mood; characteristic attitude: a girl with a pleasant disposition) is an inspiration to his fellows, and to us as well. He reacts positively to any situation, and never looks back.
(Feel free to take an opposing view—you would then have to present the points above in a negative light i.e. endearing becomes ignorant etc)
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
EXTENSION WEEK (ANNOUNCEMENT 1)
Hi all,
Just a friendly reminder of the things you are to prepare for lessons during extension week:)
EOY EXAMINATIONS 2008 ENGLISH LITERATURE
Instructions:
Write your full response to Paper 1 Section 2, as corrections. (ALL THREE QUESTIONS)
The corrections are due on the FIRST Literature lesson during the EXTENSION WEEK.
Non-submission = ZERO
Please include the following points in your corrections.
1. What do you find most memorable and attractive about the character of Oberon?
Remember to refer closely to key moments when he appears in the play.
Points may overlap BUT substantiation (elaboration & explanation) MUST be made
Memorable
1. Amorous / Flirtatious
2. Possessive / Patriarchal / Chauvinist
3. Stubborn / Hard headed
4. Sly / shrewd / cunning
5. Well-versed/ knowledgeable in the uses of plants (herbology)
Attractive
1. Able to sympathize with others /Wishes to help those in need / Magnanimous
2. Benevolent
3. Practical
4. Soft-hearted
5. Responsible
2. Describe the transitory and deceptive nature of love in the relationship between the four lovers Hermia, Lysander, Helena, and Demetrius. Substantiate your answer with evidence from relevant parts of the play.
Should ideally define or limit the scope/focus of the two key words:
1. Transitory
- does not last long (transient), changes rather quickly (almost mercurial) and once change
has taken place, no one remembers what happened prior to that (events/feelings are
forgotten).
2. Deceptive
- love that is ‘faked’ or brought about by the use of deception and trickery
- the illusions or tricks that being in Love makes you susceptible to
- being blinded by the notion of love and reacting in an inexplicable manner (acting out of
character) because of Love
- being misled into believing things that are not really there (the mirage that Love creates)
Transitory
1. Demetrius & Helena
2. Lysander & Hermia
3. Lysander & Demetrius
Deceptive
1. Egeus & Lysander
2. Lysander & Hermia
3. Helena & Demetrius
4. Demetrius & Helena
5. Lysander & Hermia
PASSAGE BASED QUESTION
THESEUS:
What say you, Hermia? be advised fair maid:
To you your father should be as a god;
One that composed your beauties, yea, and one
To whom you are but as a form in wax
By him imprinted and within his power
To leave the figure or disfigure it.
Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.
HERMIA:
So is Lysander.
THESEUS:
In himself he is;
But in this kind, wanting your father's voice,
The other must be held the worthier.
HERMIA:
I would my father look'd but with my eyes.
THESEUS:
Rather your eyes must with his judgment look.
HERMIA:
I do entreat your grace to pardon me.
I know not by what power I am made bold,
Nor how it may concern my modesty,
In such a presence here to plead my thoughts;
But I beseech your grace that I may know
The worst that may befall me in this case,
If I refuse to wed Demetrius.
THESEUS:
Either to die the death or to abjure
For ever the society of men.
Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires;
Know of your youth, examine well your blood,
Whether, if you yield not to your father's choice,
You can endure the livery of a nun,
For aye to be in shady cloister mew'd,
To live a barren sister all your life,
Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon.
Thrice-blessed they that master so their blood,
To undergo such maiden pilgrimage;
But earthlier happy is the rose distill'd,
Than that which withering on the virgin thorn
Grows, lives and dies in single blessedness.
3. i) What aspect of Theseus’s character is revealed through his lines in this passage and how is his stand here different from his stand at the end of the play?
- Firm / unwavering / decisive (Example?)
- Patient /placating (Example?)
- Patriarchal (Example?)
- Law-abiding/ upholds the law (Example?)
Difference: Lies in his decision making.
ii) Describe how this exchange between Hermia and Theseus is a turning point in the play? Support your answer with close reference to subsequent events in the play.
Turning point:
- Ultimatum forces Hermia and Lysander to think of ways in which to remain true to their oaths and vows of love to each other.
- To escape the ‘harsh Athenian laws’, Lysander proposes that they elope to his aunt’s place which is seven leagues away from Athens.
Impact on the play:
- How does the decision to elope impact subsequent events.
- Outline the necessary events and substantiate how the events were brought about by the event in the passage.
- Relate the events (in passage and elsewhere) to the overall themes in the play.
Elaborate with specific examples from the play.
Submission of corrections is compulsory. Sample essays will be distributed to those who submit their EOY corrections. Thank you!
Just a friendly reminder of the things you are to prepare for lessons during extension week:)
EOY EXAMINATIONS 2008 ENGLISH LITERATURE
Instructions:
Write your full response to Paper 1 Section 2, as corrections. (ALL THREE QUESTIONS)
The corrections are due on the FIRST Literature lesson during the EXTENSION WEEK.
Non-submission = ZERO
Please include the following points in your corrections.
1. What do you find most memorable and attractive about the character of Oberon?
Remember to refer closely to key moments when he appears in the play.
Points may overlap BUT substantiation (elaboration & explanation) MUST be made
Memorable
1. Amorous / Flirtatious
2. Possessive / Patriarchal / Chauvinist
3. Stubborn / Hard headed
4. Sly / shrewd / cunning
5. Well-versed/ knowledgeable in the uses of plants (herbology)
Attractive
1. Able to sympathize with others /Wishes to help those in need / Magnanimous
2. Benevolent
3. Practical
4. Soft-hearted
5. Responsible
2. Describe the transitory and deceptive nature of love in the relationship between the four lovers Hermia, Lysander, Helena, and Demetrius. Substantiate your answer with evidence from relevant parts of the play.
Should ideally define or limit the scope/focus of the two key words:
1. Transitory
- does not last long (transient), changes rather quickly (almost mercurial) and once change
has taken place, no one remembers what happened prior to that (events/feelings are
forgotten).
2. Deceptive
- love that is ‘faked’ or brought about by the use of deception and trickery
- the illusions or tricks that being in Love makes you susceptible to
- being blinded by the notion of love and reacting in an inexplicable manner (acting out of
character) because of Love
- being misled into believing things that are not really there (the mirage that Love creates)
Transitory
1. Demetrius & Helena
2. Lysander & Hermia
3. Lysander & Demetrius
Deceptive
1. Egeus & Lysander
2. Lysander & Hermia
3. Helena & Demetrius
4. Demetrius & Helena
5. Lysander & Hermia
PASSAGE BASED QUESTION
THESEUS:
What say you, Hermia? be advised fair maid:
To you your father should be as a god;
One that composed your beauties, yea, and one
To whom you are but as a form in wax
By him imprinted and within his power
To leave the figure or disfigure it.
Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.
HERMIA:
So is Lysander.
THESEUS:
In himself he is;
But in this kind, wanting your father's voice,
The other must be held the worthier.
HERMIA:
I would my father look'd but with my eyes.
THESEUS:
Rather your eyes must with his judgment look.
HERMIA:
I do entreat your grace to pardon me.
I know not by what power I am made bold,
Nor how it may concern my modesty,
In such a presence here to plead my thoughts;
But I beseech your grace that I may know
The worst that may befall me in this case,
If I refuse to wed Demetrius.
THESEUS:
Either to die the death or to abjure
For ever the society of men.
Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires;
Know of your youth, examine well your blood,
Whether, if you yield not to your father's choice,
You can endure the livery of a nun,
For aye to be in shady cloister mew'd,
To live a barren sister all your life,
Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon.
Thrice-blessed they that master so their blood,
To undergo such maiden pilgrimage;
But earthlier happy is the rose distill'd,
Than that which withering on the virgin thorn
Grows, lives and dies in single blessedness.
3. i) What aspect of Theseus’s character is revealed through his lines in this passage and how is his stand here different from his stand at the end of the play?
- Firm / unwavering / decisive (Example?)
- Patient /placating (Example?)
- Patriarchal (Example?)
- Law-abiding/ upholds the law (Example?)
Difference: Lies in his decision making.
ii) Describe how this exchange between Hermia and Theseus is a turning point in the play? Support your answer with close reference to subsequent events in the play.
Turning point:
- Ultimatum forces Hermia and Lysander to think of ways in which to remain true to their oaths and vows of love to each other.
- To escape the ‘harsh Athenian laws’, Lysander proposes that they elope to his aunt’s place which is seven leagues away from Athens.
Impact on the play:
- How does the decision to elope impact subsequent events.
- Outline the necessary events and substantiate how the events were brought about by the event in the passage.
- Relate the events (in passage and elsewhere) to the overall themes in the play.
Elaborate with specific examples from the play.
Submission of corrections is compulsory. Sample essays will be distributed to those who submit their EOY corrections. Thank you!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
ANSWERS TO KEY QUESTIONS (ACT3 SCENE2)
Act 3 Scene 2
A) Puck thinks that Bottom is the most stupid, insensitive blockhead of the bunch. This is a rather extreme, scornful view. Bottom does speak some good sense into Titania in Act 3 Scene 2 lines 140-144 and exhibits enthusiasm and initiative in rehearsal which can be seen as endearing if not intelligent. Despite his drawbacks, it is almost certain that his character is more ‘alert’ than Starveling, Snout or Snug. Although he is self-opinionated, he does, at least, have an opinion. He may be dim but never dull.
B) Puck compares the craftsmen running away at the sight of Bottom to wild birds that are startled when they spy the huntsman / hear the sound of his gun. Like the birds that noisily scatter and frantically fly away, the craftsmen flee in noisy/fearful/wild panic and confusion. As well as being an extremely vivid image, it also suggests the simple foolishness of the craftsmen.
C) gleeful (at what has happened- he finds it funny)
Exultant (he was successful at his task)
Scornful (of the crude mechanicals)
D) She thinks that Demetrius has murdered him because:
i) She cannot believe that Lysander would have left her voluntarily
ii) Demetrius has a forbidding / joyless/ ‘deadly’ look
E) i) She begins in an imploring/ importunate/ solicitous/ entreating/ coaxing manner (line 63) but ends with a fierce/ impassioned denunciation of Demetrius. She scornfully rebukes/ attacks him for being a cowardly, underhand murderer, calling him a dog and a snake.
This change is due to Demetrius’ insensitive/ scornful/ provocative response (line 64) to her initial plea.
ii) Helena is right when, later in the scene, she calls Hermia ‘keen’ (sharp-tongued) and ‘fierce’. Hermia seems to be a volatile character with a temper.
iii) At the end of Act 2, Scene 2 (lines 151-156) when Hermia recounts her nightmare in which a serpent ate her heart while Lysander sat smiling. She might connect the snake with Demetrius who has broken her heart because he has (or so she thinks) murdered Lysander. Lysander’s previous attestation that he and Hermia’s hearts are knit together as one (Act 2 Scene 2 lines 53-54) may add ominous forces to her foreboding.
F) i) In an insinuating/ wheedling manner with the suggestion of sexual blackmail (ie: what would you give me in exchange if I assured you that Lysander was safe)
ii) She is indignant/ outraged/ shocked by his insinuation which she obviously finds offensive to her honor.
G) i) He is concerned where Puck is amused. He takes the mistake seriously whereas Puck regards it as relatively unimportant.
ii) He is shown to be benevolent and/ caring/ concerned/ protective.
H) Demetrius has just compared Hermia to Venus (Act 3 Scene 2 lines 60-61) which is ironic given his imminent (and dramatic) change of affection.
I) He is typically scornful and enjoys watching the mortals make fools of themselves with mischievous relish.
J) This depends partly on Oberon’s overall attitude to Puck’s mistake. If his tone was harsh/scolding/ reprimanding in lines 88-91 (‘What hast thou done?’) then he could have been more exasperated and irritated here by Puck’s lack of concern/ gloating coupled with the possibility of Lysander’s unwanted presence complicating matters.
If however, his reaction was more indulgent/ paternal, we could imagine him partly sharing in Puck’s amusement whilst still retaining a more concerned/responsible air.
A mixture of all three emotions is probable with the emphasis determined by the actor’s overall reading of Oberon’s character/ how the actor chooses to interpret Oberon’s character or how it is brought to life.
K) His mischievous nature.
L) Dramatic irony: the audience knows that the reverse is true—contrary to what he believes, the enchanted Lysander is now behaving irrationally whereas previously he was in his proper senses. The effect is comic.
M) i) There is dramatic contrast between Lysander’s bald statement and Demetrius suddenly waking to contradict him by lavishly professing his love for Helena. They are surprised, we are amused.
ii) See Stage 3, page 15
N) i) Compliments: goddess, nymph, perfect, divine, princess, seal of bliss
Comparisons: eyes clearer than crystal, lips like cherries, skin (hand0 whiter than the purest snow.
ii) shallow, clichéd, extravagant, artificial
iii) We should be amused by their antics—all the more so because they are taking themselves so seriously.
O) Indignant, offended, angry
She thinks the two gentlemen are making fun of her. She feels that it is cruel and ungentlemanly of them to mock at her misfortune.
P) Bewildered rather than hurt (not fierce, indignant or accusatory)
Q) Helena thinks that Hermia is part of the conspiracy to mock her i.e. she is in ‘cahoots’ with Demetrius and Lysander. She believes this because it seems that Hermia is feigning ignorance/ bewilderment/ confusion/ distress to give Lysander’s ‘performance’ credibility.
R) Descriptions: closed confidantes (shared counsel), promises of fidelity (sister’s vows), schoolfriends (schooldays’ friendship) and old/intimate friends (ancient love)
Comparisons: Like two skilled gods, they ‘created’ (embroidered) one flower as if they were one person. (Note the emphasis on unity: ‘one flower’, ‘one sampler’, ‘one cushion’, ‘one song’, ‘one key’, and the deliberate suggestion of the two women being in total harmony in the last two images). They are like two cherries on the same stem—they appear separate but are in fact joined.
Two bodies with one heart like two coat of arms joined together—as in the case of a man and woman after their marriage—so that the new shield carries both and yet has a single, unifying crest above the two sets of arms.
All Helena’s comparisons effectively stress the intimate and inseparable nature of their friendship.
S) Hurt and betrayed.
T) She probably means that she has only herself to blame because she is such an easy target (i.e.: she invites ridicule). She may also be referring to the fact that she betrayed Hermia and told Demetrius of her plan to elope with Lysander. Hence, she is responsible for all subsequent proceedings. Even if Helena does not have a sense of this ironic retribution, the audience does.
U) Ethiope, cat, burr, vile thing, serpent (by inference), tawny Tartar, loathed med’cine, hated potion, dwarf, minimus, hindering knotgrass, bead, acorn.
Most of the insults refer to either her darker complexion or her small stature.
V) It suggests that Hermia is clinging tenaciously to Lysander whilst he is trying to brush her off—it is an amusing almost farcical situation. The comparison implies that Lysander finds Hermia an unwelcome and irritating hindrance/ nuisance/ pest—she is ‘cramping his style’ and spoiling his chances of success in wooing Helena.
W) Hermia dreamt that a serpent ate her heart away whilst Lysander
X) It is not just Hermia but Lysander who is bewithed/deluded by Puck’s love juice.
Y) She enquires falteringly whether or not Lysander is serious in line 281 (In earnest, shall I say?) and immediately confirms her worst fears (Ay, by my life). When she replies, ‘O me!’ (line 286) she is sure Lysander is serious.
Z) i) Helena could be referring to Hermia’s putative (alleged) part in the ‘conspiracy’ to mock her. She might be accusing Hermia of perfidious (deceitful) play-acting i.e. she is the ‘puppet’ of the two men who are pulling her strings according to her designated role in their plot to ridicule her.
ii) ‘Because she is something lower than myself…’ (line 307)
‘And though she be but little…’ (line 310)
They could be played as intentional—this would give the conversation a ‘catty’ flavor with Helena giving as good as she gets. Hence, instead of being timorous/ timid/ naïve/ guileless in her comments, they are intentionally barbed/ cutting (this could be made particularly apparent in lines such as: ‘…I was never curst; / I have no gift at all in shrewishness;’ where the ‘I’ could be ironically emphasized and the invidious (unpleasant) comparison made evident.
Helena’s present hostility/ backbiting/ snide innuendo would then form an amusing contrast to her previous heart-rending depiction of their close friendship. (Act 3 Scene 2 lines 199-220)
On the other hand, if Helena were to be played as a totally innocent/guileless, the effect would be equally amusing. Watching her grow more frightened/tense as she intentionally made Hermia more angry by her innocent / inadvertent remarks would highlight the pantomine-like nature of the situation and add a farcical element.
a) timidly/ timorously/ imploringly
They reveal her more ‘feminine’, timid, gentle, sensitive nature (It is possible, of course, to regard Helena in a less sympathetic light and view her as insipid (bland), cringing, cowardly, …)
b) i) The way she ‘turns’ on Demetrius (Act 3 Scene 2 lines 65-81)
ii) Her fierce verbal attack on Helena ‘You juggler, you canker blossom…’ (line 286)
iii) Her attempted physical ‘assault’ on Helena at the end of the scene (act 3 Scene 2 line 345)
c) Probably stern/ reprimanding, maybe annoyed/ angry, definitely serious/ authoritative.
d) (b)
e) i) Evil, ‘dammed’, restless spirits of the night (see Puck’s previous description of them (Act 3 Scene 2 lines 388-394) and later (Act 5 Scene 1 lines 371-374) who leave their graves and haunt the night.
ii) Oberon, Puck and other fairies are good/benevolent spirits who are kind to mortals and in harmony with nature. Shakespeare does not want us to confuse them with malevolent ghosts of demons.
f) An open discussion is called for here. Students might like to discuss how the scene could have been played in Shakespeare’s time (as a daytime performance with limited scenery and props) and how it could be played in a modern theatre (sound effects to echo voices, noise made chaos in the forest takes place etc.) The most difficult part of is to convey a sense of ‘ordered confusion’ as opposed to chaotic disarrangement i.e: the action (chaos) needs to be highly structured in order to avoid awkward/ accidental/ unnecessary distraction.
g) He could be sympathetic (shaking his head and ‘tutting’ sorrowfully) or he could be gleefully gloating at the foolish mortals’ ‘fond pageant’. Probably the former is more apposite (appropriate) given the woebegone, bedraggled nature of Hermia and Helena.
h) They have both been subject to delusions.
They have both been driven to distraction.
They have both been engaged in a mad/ frenzied flight.
They have both been frightened / confused.
They are both made weary/ exhausted from their flight.
They are both torn with briers/ thorns.
i) Her love of and loyalty to Lysander despite his infidelity.
j) A sense of silent rest/ relief/ reconciliation/ restoration of order/ harmony is established in contrast to the noisy/ hectic/ feverish confusion of the rest of the scene.
A) Puck thinks that Bottom is the most stupid, insensitive blockhead of the bunch. This is a rather extreme, scornful view. Bottom does speak some good sense into Titania in Act 3 Scene 2 lines 140-144 and exhibits enthusiasm and initiative in rehearsal which can be seen as endearing if not intelligent. Despite his drawbacks, it is almost certain that his character is more ‘alert’ than Starveling, Snout or Snug. Although he is self-opinionated, he does, at least, have an opinion. He may be dim but never dull.
B) Puck compares the craftsmen running away at the sight of Bottom to wild birds that are startled when they spy the huntsman / hear the sound of his gun. Like the birds that noisily scatter and frantically fly away, the craftsmen flee in noisy/fearful/wild panic and confusion. As well as being an extremely vivid image, it also suggests the simple foolishness of the craftsmen.
C) gleeful (at what has happened- he finds it funny)
Exultant (he was successful at his task)
Scornful (of the crude mechanicals)
D) She thinks that Demetrius has murdered him because:
i) She cannot believe that Lysander would have left her voluntarily
ii) Demetrius has a forbidding / joyless/ ‘deadly’ look
E) i) She begins in an imploring/ importunate/ solicitous/ entreating/ coaxing manner (line 63) but ends with a fierce/ impassioned denunciation of Demetrius. She scornfully rebukes/ attacks him for being a cowardly, underhand murderer, calling him a dog and a snake.
This change is due to Demetrius’ insensitive/ scornful/ provocative response (line 64) to her initial plea.
ii) Helena is right when, later in the scene, she calls Hermia ‘keen’ (sharp-tongued) and ‘fierce’. Hermia seems to be a volatile character with a temper.
iii) At the end of Act 2, Scene 2 (lines 151-156) when Hermia recounts her nightmare in which a serpent ate her heart while Lysander sat smiling. She might connect the snake with Demetrius who has broken her heart because he has (or so she thinks) murdered Lysander. Lysander’s previous attestation that he and Hermia’s hearts are knit together as one (Act 2 Scene 2 lines 53-54) may add ominous forces to her foreboding.
F) i) In an insinuating/ wheedling manner with the suggestion of sexual blackmail (ie: what would you give me in exchange if I assured you that Lysander was safe)
ii) She is indignant/ outraged/ shocked by his insinuation which she obviously finds offensive to her honor.
G) i) He is concerned where Puck is amused. He takes the mistake seriously whereas Puck regards it as relatively unimportant.
ii) He is shown to be benevolent and/ caring/ concerned/ protective.
H) Demetrius has just compared Hermia to Venus (Act 3 Scene 2 lines 60-61) which is ironic given his imminent (and dramatic) change of affection.
I) He is typically scornful and enjoys watching the mortals make fools of themselves with mischievous relish.
J) This depends partly on Oberon’s overall attitude to Puck’s mistake. If his tone was harsh/scolding/ reprimanding in lines 88-91 (‘What hast thou done?’) then he could have been more exasperated and irritated here by Puck’s lack of concern/ gloating coupled with the possibility of Lysander’s unwanted presence complicating matters.
If however, his reaction was more indulgent/ paternal, we could imagine him partly sharing in Puck’s amusement whilst still retaining a more concerned/responsible air.
A mixture of all three emotions is probable with the emphasis determined by the actor’s overall reading of Oberon’s character/ how the actor chooses to interpret Oberon’s character or how it is brought to life.
K) His mischievous nature.
L) Dramatic irony: the audience knows that the reverse is true—contrary to what he believes, the enchanted Lysander is now behaving irrationally whereas previously he was in his proper senses. The effect is comic.
M) i) There is dramatic contrast between Lysander’s bald statement and Demetrius suddenly waking to contradict him by lavishly professing his love for Helena. They are surprised, we are amused.
ii) See Stage 3, page 15
N) i) Compliments: goddess, nymph, perfect, divine, princess, seal of bliss
Comparisons: eyes clearer than crystal, lips like cherries, skin (hand0 whiter than the purest snow.
ii) shallow, clichéd, extravagant, artificial
iii) We should be amused by their antics—all the more so because they are taking themselves so seriously.
O) Indignant, offended, angry
She thinks the two gentlemen are making fun of her. She feels that it is cruel and ungentlemanly of them to mock at her misfortune.
P) Bewildered rather than hurt (not fierce, indignant or accusatory)
Q) Helena thinks that Hermia is part of the conspiracy to mock her i.e. she is in ‘cahoots’ with Demetrius and Lysander. She believes this because it seems that Hermia is feigning ignorance/ bewilderment/ confusion/ distress to give Lysander’s ‘performance’ credibility.
R) Descriptions: closed confidantes (shared counsel), promises of fidelity (sister’s vows), schoolfriends (schooldays’ friendship) and old/intimate friends (ancient love)
Comparisons: Like two skilled gods, they ‘created’ (embroidered) one flower as if they were one person. (Note the emphasis on unity: ‘one flower’, ‘one sampler’, ‘one cushion’, ‘one song’, ‘one key’, and the deliberate suggestion of the two women being in total harmony in the last two images). They are like two cherries on the same stem—they appear separate but are in fact joined.
Two bodies with one heart like two coat of arms joined together—as in the case of a man and woman after their marriage—so that the new shield carries both and yet has a single, unifying crest above the two sets of arms.
All Helena’s comparisons effectively stress the intimate and inseparable nature of their friendship.
S) Hurt and betrayed.
T) She probably means that she has only herself to blame because she is such an easy target (i.e.: she invites ridicule). She may also be referring to the fact that she betrayed Hermia and told Demetrius of her plan to elope with Lysander. Hence, she is responsible for all subsequent proceedings. Even if Helena does not have a sense of this ironic retribution, the audience does.
U) Ethiope, cat, burr, vile thing, serpent (by inference), tawny Tartar, loathed med’cine, hated potion, dwarf, minimus, hindering knotgrass, bead, acorn.
Most of the insults refer to either her darker complexion or her small stature.
V) It suggests that Hermia is clinging tenaciously to Lysander whilst he is trying to brush her off—it is an amusing almost farcical situation. The comparison implies that Lysander finds Hermia an unwelcome and irritating hindrance/ nuisance/ pest—she is ‘cramping his style’ and spoiling his chances of success in wooing Helena.
W) Hermia dreamt that a serpent ate her heart away whilst Lysander
X) It is not just Hermia but Lysander who is bewithed/deluded by Puck’s love juice.
Y) She enquires falteringly whether or not Lysander is serious in line 281 (In earnest, shall I say?) and immediately confirms her worst fears (Ay, by my life). When she replies, ‘O me!’ (line 286) she is sure Lysander is serious.
Z) i) Helena could be referring to Hermia’s putative (alleged) part in the ‘conspiracy’ to mock her. She might be accusing Hermia of perfidious (deceitful) play-acting i.e. she is the ‘puppet’ of the two men who are pulling her strings according to her designated role in their plot to ridicule her.
ii) ‘Because she is something lower than myself…’ (line 307)
‘And though she be but little…’ (line 310)
They could be played as intentional—this would give the conversation a ‘catty’ flavor with Helena giving as good as she gets. Hence, instead of being timorous/ timid/ naïve/ guileless in her comments, they are intentionally barbed/ cutting (this could be made particularly apparent in lines such as: ‘…I was never curst; / I have no gift at all in shrewishness;’ where the ‘I’ could be ironically emphasized and the invidious (unpleasant) comparison made evident.
Helena’s present hostility/ backbiting/ snide innuendo would then form an amusing contrast to her previous heart-rending depiction of their close friendship. (Act 3 Scene 2 lines 199-220)
On the other hand, if Helena were to be played as a totally innocent/guileless, the effect would be equally amusing. Watching her grow more frightened/tense as she intentionally made Hermia more angry by her innocent / inadvertent remarks would highlight the pantomine-like nature of the situation and add a farcical element.
a) timidly/ timorously/ imploringly
They reveal her more ‘feminine’, timid, gentle, sensitive nature (It is possible, of course, to regard Helena in a less sympathetic light and view her as insipid (bland), cringing, cowardly, …)
b) i) The way she ‘turns’ on Demetrius (Act 3 Scene 2 lines 65-81)
ii) Her fierce verbal attack on Helena ‘You juggler, you canker blossom…’ (line 286)
iii) Her attempted physical ‘assault’ on Helena at the end of the scene (act 3 Scene 2 line 345)
c) Probably stern/ reprimanding, maybe annoyed/ angry, definitely serious/ authoritative.
d) (b)
e) i) Evil, ‘dammed’, restless spirits of the night (see Puck’s previous description of them (Act 3 Scene 2 lines 388-394) and later (Act 5 Scene 1 lines 371-374) who leave their graves and haunt the night.
ii) Oberon, Puck and other fairies are good/benevolent spirits who are kind to mortals and in harmony with nature. Shakespeare does not want us to confuse them with malevolent ghosts of demons.
f) An open discussion is called for here. Students might like to discuss how the scene could have been played in Shakespeare’s time (as a daytime performance with limited scenery and props) and how it could be played in a modern theatre (sound effects to echo voices, noise made chaos in the forest takes place etc.) The most difficult part of is to convey a sense of ‘ordered confusion’ as opposed to chaotic disarrangement i.e: the action (chaos) needs to be highly structured in order to avoid awkward/ accidental/ unnecessary distraction.
g) He could be sympathetic (shaking his head and ‘tutting’ sorrowfully) or he could be gleefully gloating at the foolish mortals’ ‘fond pageant’. Probably the former is more apposite (appropriate) given the woebegone, bedraggled nature of Hermia and Helena.
h) They have both been subject to delusions.
They have both been driven to distraction.
They have both been engaged in a mad/ frenzied flight.
They have both been frightened / confused.
They are both made weary/ exhausted from their flight.
They are both torn with briers/ thorns.
i) Her love of and loyalty to Lysander despite his infidelity.
j) A sense of silent rest/ relief/ reconciliation/ restoration of order/ harmony is established in contrast to the noisy/ hectic/ feverish confusion of the rest of the scene.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
ANSWERS TO KEY QUESTIONS (ACT 3 SCENE 1)
Act 3 Scene 1
A) Objection 1: Pyramus’ suicide will be too shocking / disturbing for the ladies
Solution: to write Bottom a prologue assuring the audience that Pyramus is not really Pyramus but Bottom the weaver and that the suicide is not real but merely play-acting.
Objection 2: The lion will frighten the ladies
Solution: Ensure that half of Snug’s face can be seen below the lion’s mask and have him plainly announce his true identity so that everyone will understand that he is not a ‘real’ lion.
B) Rather than recognizing the absurdity of the discussion, Quince appears to genuinely share the concerns of his comrades. Since he seems deferential towards Bottom and accommodating in his response to his other suggestions, it is likely that his reaction is more positive than negative. Even if he is not enthusiastic, he will be compliant.
C) i) effect
ii) line 56- disfigure – figure (represent/symbolize)
line 77- odious-- odors
line 93- Ninny – Ninus
D) Problems:
i) to ‘bring moonlight’ into the great hall of the Duke’s palace where they will be performing
ii) to bring in a wall which is required as a ‘prop’ in the play.
Solutions:
i) Either: leave a window open so that the moon can shine through
Or: have an actor represent the man in the moon with a thorn brush or lantern
ii) Have an actor wearing a costume covered in roughcast to represent a wall on stage, using his fingers to signify the chink/hole.
E) i) With deference
They listen attentively to his criticism; are influenced by his points; solicit his advice (line 61); and appear impressed by his solutions.
ii) Some commentators have noted in consistency, confusion /contradiction in their approach. On the one hand they do not want the audience to ‘believe’ that Pyramus and the lion are real; on the other, they want to make the setting as ‘literal’ as possible by providing physical renditions of the wall and the moonshine. This could reflect a general ignorance of/insensitivity towards/ lack of thought about the nature and purpose of drama (which would include a suspension of reality and the flight of the imagination).
Alternatively, one could say that they are consistent in the sense that they have a very naïve view of drama- considering it as a ‘copy’ of real life rather than an interpretation of/exploration of experience. Their interpretation of reality is self-conscious and childlike requiring the audience to appreciate/admire rather than suspend belief.
Either way, we can say that the craftsmen have a very limited/ superficial/ restricted/ naïve appreciation of their theatrical medium and role.
F) i) Presumably, the craftsmen are rehearsing in a rather ridiculous, self-important, exaggerated fashion.
ii) He is contemptuous / scornful of the craftsmen whom he regards as
bumpkins. He is amused by their absurd attempts at acting. He might
consider them impudent./audacious for rehearsing ‘so near the cradle of
the Fairy Queen’ (although they are admittedly not aware of her presence, they might inadvertently disturb her sleep).
G) The content is absurdly contradictory (lily-white of hue/ color like the red rose), the language is stilted/ affected (brisky juvenal), the rhyme is trite, the superlatives are excessive (‘most’, ‘truest’, ‘never’), the comparison comical (‘as true as the truest horse’), and the words are wrong (‘Jew’, ‘Ninny’s’). It is very bad verse, deliberately.
H) i) Thisbe (Flute) has just compared Pyramus (Bottom) to a horse (in terms of dedication/faithfulness) and he enters (ironically) looking like an ass.
ii) Probably because of his asinine nature.
I) If the commas are omitted after ‘fair’, the adjective is yoked (attached to) Thisbe (ie: beautiful Thisbe) rather than linked to Pyramus.
‘If I were’ then becomes a reply to Thisbe’s previous remark that Pyramus is ‘As true a horse that yet would never tire’.
So, the new sense becomes:
‘If I were the most faithful man, it would only be to you and you alone.’
ii) By putting the comma after ‘fair’, Bottom changes the above to (presumably intending to do so) meaning to:
‘If I were handsome, I would only be yours.’
This is ironically appropriate given that Bottom’s appearance and the craftsmen horrified reaction.
J) He thinks that they are playing a trick on him. They are running away/ leaving him alone to frighten him.
K) i) The dramatic irony is obvious: Bottom believes that his fellow craftsmen are trying to make him, figuratively speaking, appear an ass when he is unaware that he looks like one.
ii) No. Witness his indignant reaction to his fellow craftsmen’s flight and his self-possessed manner with Titania, none of which suggests he is aware of his transformation.
L) The remark is absurdly incongruous— Bottom’s bestial appearance and discordant singing are the antithesis of angelic.
M) Words such as ‘much enamored’, ‘enthralled’, ‘fair’s virtue force’, ‘swear’, all underline the emphatic/ intense nature of her attraction to Bottom— the delusion is total and she is thoroughly captivated.
It is interesting that her physical infatuation with Bottom (‘Mine ear is much enamored’, ‘mine eye enthralled’) persuades Titania to imagine that Bottom is also virtuous and wise. In this sense, her behavior is a perfect illustration of Helena’s observation in Act 1 Scene 1 line 232-241 regarding the effects of dotage.
N) Present situation: Titania’s love is obviously irrational based on the
delusion caused by Oberon’s love juice.
Previous action: the various rash/ irrational actions of the young lovers due to:
- Helena’s infatuation with Demetrius
- Demetrius’ infatuation with Hermia
- Lysander and Hermia’s rash/reckless elopement
- The enchanted Lysander’s rejection/ desertion of Hermia and infatuation with Helena.
Theme: Unpredictable nature of Love. (‘Love and reason keep little company’)
O) The fairies will:
- Fetch Bottom jewels from the sea-bed
- Sing to him while he sleeps on a bed of flowers
- Dance for him
- Feed him with apricots, berries etc.
- Give him stolen honey stolen from the bees
- Light candles for him made from beeswax
- Fan him with butterfly wings
- Minister / attend to him/ obey him dutifully
The atmosphere created is exotic / luxurious / magical / ethereal / quaint.
P) (c) composed and self-assured
He speaks to them in much the same confident/ self-assured/ familiar/ self-possessed manner as he does with the craftsmen.
Is Bottom imperturbable/ unflappable because he is so thick-skinned / un-poetic/earth bound or is he merely putting his acting skills to good use?
It is worth mentioning that at least one critic has disagreed with the view that Bottom is composed and self-assured. He believes that Bottom should not be portrayed as oblivious/ insensitive to his predicament. In his view, whilst Bottom is trying to appear nonchalant, he is in fact unsuccessfully trying to cover up his nervousness and this should be made apparent in performance.
Q) Either i) despite her infatuation, Titania has had enough of Bottom’s foolishness by this time and does not want him to speak to Moth in a similar vein
Or: ii) The amorous/captivated Titania is keen to have Bottom all to herself and grows impatient with his prolonged pleasantries.
R) We might imagine Bottom behaving like a donkey throughout the scene, making unpleasant ‘hee-haw’ noises.
S) Bottom
Appearance: bestial, ugly, gross
Behavior: brutish, unrefined/coarse, noisy/clumsy
Language: mundane prose, trite, banal, colloquial
Fairies
Appearance: ethereal, enchanting, diminutive
Behavior: graceful, charming, lively/dainty
Language: poetic verse (Titania), beautiful, exotic, imaginative
A) Objection 1: Pyramus’ suicide will be too shocking / disturbing for the ladies
Solution: to write Bottom a prologue assuring the audience that Pyramus is not really Pyramus but Bottom the weaver and that the suicide is not real but merely play-acting.
Objection 2: The lion will frighten the ladies
Solution: Ensure that half of Snug’s face can be seen below the lion’s mask and have him plainly announce his true identity so that everyone will understand that he is not a ‘real’ lion.
B) Rather than recognizing the absurdity of the discussion, Quince appears to genuinely share the concerns of his comrades. Since he seems deferential towards Bottom and accommodating in his response to his other suggestions, it is likely that his reaction is more positive than negative. Even if he is not enthusiastic, he will be compliant.
C) i) effect
ii) line 56- disfigure – figure (represent/symbolize)
line 77- odious-- odors
line 93- Ninny – Ninus
D) Problems:
i) to ‘bring moonlight’ into the great hall of the Duke’s palace where they will be performing
ii) to bring in a wall which is required as a ‘prop’ in the play.
Solutions:
i) Either: leave a window open so that the moon can shine through
Or: have an actor represent the man in the moon with a thorn brush or lantern
ii) Have an actor wearing a costume covered in roughcast to represent a wall on stage, using his fingers to signify the chink/hole.
E) i) With deference
They listen attentively to his criticism; are influenced by his points; solicit his advice (line 61); and appear impressed by his solutions.
ii) Some commentators have noted in consistency, confusion /contradiction in their approach. On the one hand they do not want the audience to ‘believe’ that Pyramus and the lion are real; on the other, they want to make the setting as ‘literal’ as possible by providing physical renditions of the wall and the moonshine. This could reflect a general ignorance of/insensitivity towards/ lack of thought about the nature and purpose of drama (which would include a suspension of reality and the flight of the imagination).
Alternatively, one could say that they are consistent in the sense that they have a very naïve view of drama- considering it as a ‘copy’ of real life rather than an interpretation of/exploration of experience. Their interpretation of reality is self-conscious and childlike requiring the audience to appreciate/admire rather than suspend belief.
Either way, we can say that the craftsmen have a very limited/ superficial/ restricted/ naïve appreciation of their theatrical medium and role.
F) i) Presumably, the craftsmen are rehearsing in a rather ridiculous, self-important, exaggerated fashion.
ii) He is contemptuous / scornful of the craftsmen whom he regards as
bumpkins. He is amused by their absurd attempts at acting. He might
consider them impudent./audacious for rehearsing ‘so near the cradle of
the Fairy Queen’ (although they are admittedly not aware of her presence, they might inadvertently disturb her sleep).
G) The content is absurdly contradictory (lily-white of hue/ color like the red rose), the language is stilted/ affected (brisky juvenal), the rhyme is trite, the superlatives are excessive (‘most’, ‘truest’, ‘never’), the comparison comical (‘as true as the truest horse’), and the words are wrong (‘Jew’, ‘Ninny’s’). It is very bad verse, deliberately.
H) i) Thisbe (Flute) has just compared Pyramus (Bottom) to a horse (in terms of dedication/faithfulness) and he enters (ironically) looking like an ass.
ii) Probably because of his asinine nature.
I) If the commas are omitted after ‘fair’, the adjective is yoked (attached to) Thisbe (ie: beautiful Thisbe) rather than linked to Pyramus.
‘If I were’ then becomes a reply to Thisbe’s previous remark that Pyramus is ‘As true a horse that yet would never tire’.
So, the new sense becomes:
‘If I were the most faithful man, it would only be to you and you alone.’
ii) By putting the comma after ‘fair’, Bottom changes the above to (presumably intending to do so) meaning to:
‘If I were handsome, I would only be yours.’
This is ironically appropriate given that Bottom’s appearance and the craftsmen horrified reaction.
J) He thinks that they are playing a trick on him. They are running away/ leaving him alone to frighten him.
K) i) The dramatic irony is obvious: Bottom believes that his fellow craftsmen are trying to make him, figuratively speaking, appear an ass when he is unaware that he looks like one.
ii) No. Witness his indignant reaction to his fellow craftsmen’s flight and his self-possessed manner with Titania, none of which suggests he is aware of his transformation.
L) The remark is absurdly incongruous— Bottom’s bestial appearance and discordant singing are the antithesis of angelic.
M) Words such as ‘much enamored’, ‘enthralled’, ‘fair’s virtue force’, ‘swear’, all underline the emphatic/ intense nature of her attraction to Bottom— the delusion is total and she is thoroughly captivated.
It is interesting that her physical infatuation with Bottom (‘Mine ear is much enamored’, ‘mine eye enthralled’) persuades Titania to imagine that Bottom is also virtuous and wise. In this sense, her behavior is a perfect illustration of Helena’s observation in Act 1 Scene 1 line 232-241 regarding the effects of dotage.
N) Present situation: Titania’s love is obviously irrational based on the
delusion caused by Oberon’s love juice.
Previous action: the various rash/ irrational actions of the young lovers due to:
- Helena’s infatuation with Demetrius
- Demetrius’ infatuation with Hermia
- Lysander and Hermia’s rash/reckless elopement
- The enchanted Lysander’s rejection/ desertion of Hermia and infatuation with Helena.
Theme: Unpredictable nature of Love. (‘Love and reason keep little company’)
O) The fairies will:
- Fetch Bottom jewels from the sea-bed
- Sing to him while he sleeps on a bed of flowers
- Dance for him
- Feed him with apricots, berries etc.
- Give him stolen honey stolen from the bees
- Light candles for him made from beeswax
- Fan him with butterfly wings
- Minister / attend to him/ obey him dutifully
The atmosphere created is exotic / luxurious / magical / ethereal / quaint.
P) (c) composed and self-assured
He speaks to them in much the same confident/ self-assured/ familiar/ self-possessed manner as he does with the craftsmen.
Is Bottom imperturbable/ unflappable because he is so thick-skinned / un-poetic/earth bound or is he merely putting his acting skills to good use?
It is worth mentioning that at least one critic has disagreed with the view that Bottom is composed and self-assured. He believes that Bottom should not be portrayed as oblivious/ insensitive to his predicament. In his view, whilst Bottom is trying to appear nonchalant, he is in fact unsuccessfully trying to cover up his nervousness and this should be made apparent in performance.
Q) Either i) despite her infatuation, Titania has had enough of Bottom’s foolishness by this time and does not want him to speak to Moth in a similar vein
Or: ii) The amorous/captivated Titania is keen to have Bottom all to herself and grows impatient with his prolonged pleasantries.
R) We might imagine Bottom behaving like a donkey throughout the scene, making unpleasant ‘hee-haw’ noises.
S) Bottom
Appearance: bestial, ugly, gross
Behavior: brutish, unrefined/coarse, noisy/clumsy
Language: mundane prose, trite, banal, colloquial
Fairies
Appearance: ethereal, enchanting, diminutive
Behavior: graceful, charming, lively/dainty
Language: poetic verse (Titania), beautiful, exotic, imaginative
Thursday, September 18, 2008
ANSWERS TO KEY QUESTIONS (ACT 4 SCENE 1&2)
Act 4 Scene 1
A)
- She is adoring
-She tries to make him comfortable, caresses his cheeks, adorns his head with flowers & kisses his cheeks (lines 1-4)
-She embraces him in her arms & unabashedly proclaims her love for him (lines 40-45)
-Note her besotted description of Bottom ‘amiable cheeks’ ‘sleek smooth head’ ‘fair large ears’ ‘gentle joy’ ‘sweet love’
- She is also very attentive.
- Asks Bottom if he would like to hear music (line 28) or if he wanted something to eat (line 31)
B)
- He does not respond directly to Titania’s questions nor does he take her up on her offers to put him at ease.
- He seems more keen on to have the fairy Peaseblossom scratch him than having Titania embrace him lovingly.
- His requests are bland/pedestrian/base and he is more concerned with making himself comfortable/satisfy himself.
C)
i) His surroundings are magical /ethereal, his attendants are beautiful/graceful/delicate/exotic but his requests are crass/vulgar/coarse/prosaic- he wants to fairies to scratch him, prefers to eat oats and peas and wants crude musical instrument to listen to.
ii) Overall effect is comic. Titania’s fawning over him seems all the more pathetic/absurd/ridiculous.
iii) The same. He is courteous, but indifferent.
D)
•He has got what he wanted- Titania has surrendered the changeling child (lines 59-60)
•She has changed her attitude (line 58)
•He feels that she has suffered enough and pities her predicament.
•He feels she has learnt her lesson.
•He feels disgraced by her shameful behavior(?)- Line 49
•He is jealous(?)- Line 49
•He is ashamed/ thinks he has gone too far(?)
E)
-She is so infatuated with Bottom that she no longer cares about what happens to the changeling child.
-The love potion has rendered her placid; she is more agreeable with Oberon’s plans.
-She feels the force and justification of Oberon’s rebuke about falling in love with an ass (line 50) and is shamed by his taunts.
-She now considers Oberon’s request reasonable.
F)
Yes- the lovers awake confused/puzzled/bewildered and find it difficult to distinguish dream fro reality.
• Note the use of words such as ‘seem’ ‘like’ ‘methinks’ ‘seems double’ and
• Demetrius’ lines ‘Are you sure / That we are awake? It seems to me / That yet we sleep, we dream.
G)
i) Initially, we can imagine Titania being in a half-daze/ bewildered state. She seems unsure whether her experiences have been real or merely a dream. After Oberon points out sleeping Bottom, she registers shock, amazement, disgust (and shame?)
ii) Her present abhorrence / loathing / disgust is in stark contrast to her previous fawning / adulation of Bottom.
H)
-It is a dramatic ploy to account for the fact that neither Bottom nor the lovers are awakened by the music or dancing. They ‘sleep’ a charmed sleep; likened to being under a spell.
-The music also signals the new ‘amity’ or reconciliation between Titania & Oberon. Music here is probably soothing, calming and has such an effect on the sleeping mortals who will wake up refreshed and reconciled.
I)
• The dance symbolizes the reunion of Titania & Oberon.
• Significance? When they quarreled, Oberon refused Titania’s offer to ‘patiently dance in our round / And see our moonlight revels’.
• Here, the music, the holding hands and the dancing signify the personal reconciliation coupled with the restoration of harmony to the previously tumultuous world of man.
J)
•The fairies’ music (calm / soothing / soporific / lulling / enchanting)
•The hunting horn ‘blaring’
Effect?
•It dispels the magic-like / dream-like atmosphere quite effectively.
•Attention is now drawn away from the world of fairies and to the world of men as represented by the appearance of Theseus and his train.
K)
‘the musical confusion / of hounds and echo in conjunction’
‘I never heard / so musical a discord, such sweet thunder’
• Concord comes from discord. The discordant sound of the hounds come together harmoniously during the hunt. This mirrors the way the discord in the last two acts have been resolved
(THINK quarrel between Titania & Oberon and confusion between amongst the young lovers.)
There is still a sense of incongruity. Although the sounds of the baying hounds are harmonious, the unrestrained nature of the animals, the excitement of the pack and their frenzied cries still evoke the impression of roaring noise / tumult/ confusion.Hence, there is a suggestion of the thin line that exists between order/disorder, concord/discord, dreaming/being awake etc. Impressions are subjective and open to interpretation.
L)
Theseus definitely says this in a teasing manner.He was probably trying to put the couples (rudely awakened by the blaring of the hunting horn) at ease. He is not chiding them and has no intention of embarrassing them, probably.
M)
Refer back to answer to question K. Music as a symbol of resolution of previous conflicts.
N)
Lysander- half asleep, half waking- I truly cannot say- But, as I think…And now I do bethink me
Demetrius- …I know not by what power- plus lines 187-195
O)
i) He is similarly testy/ irascible/ impatient/ intolerant.
ii) - He is the only discordant note in an otherwise harmonious scene.
- He insists on revenge / retribution (“I beg the law, upon his head.”)
even while the rest embody a sense of reconciliation
- He is the only main character without a love partner.
P)
- His love for Hermia is melted like snow.
- It now seems like a toy which, as a child, he was obsessed with but now recognizes it as being trivial / trifling.
- Like a sick man rejects his usual healthy diet, so her rejected Helena. Now that he is well, he has reverted to his ‘natural taste’. The 1st comparison stresses the way his infatuation with Hermia has completely disappeared.
2nd suggests the childishness of his infatuation3rd reflects the unnatural & unhealthy nature of his previous obsession.
Q)
i) We now see him in a more favorable / sympathetic light.
He humbly and freely confesses his fault of forsaking Helena (…To her, my lord, / Was I betrothed ere I saw Hermia) and vows to be true to Helena henceforth.ii) In one sense, this is highly ironic because, strictly speaking, Demetrius is the only character that is still under the spell of Puck’s love juice.
However, this is quite cynical. If we accept that Demetrius was behaving irrationally because of his obsession with Hermia, then we could view Puck’s love potion as having a restorative effect.Instead of making him deluded (as Lysander was when he fell for Helena), it brings Demetrius to his senses. Demetrius’ speech (lines 160-176) is obviously heartfelt. The sincere, simple style is in stark contrast to his previous contrived declarations of love which sounded too exaggerated to be true.
R)
i)Theseus had previously insisted that he was powerless to change the law, but now, he overrides it.
ii)Theseus’ decision to be compassionate or merciful instead of ‘siding’ with Egeus and dispensing strict justice is consistent with the specific dramatic context and overall spirit of the play. This is Theseus’ eagerly awaited wedding day with Hippolyta and it should not be marred by the tragic forced separation of other lovers. Instead, the weddings of Demetrius/Helena and Lysander/Hermia reinforce the prevailing sense of harmony, pomp and celebration.
-Also, as a romantic comedy, we expect a happy ending and a sense that ‘all’s well that ends well’
- Another reason could be that the situation has now changed considerably. Initially, both Egeus and Demetrius insisted upon their ‘rights’ over Hermia. Now, Demetrius has renounced his claim and declared his love for Helena. Hence, all the lovers are now content with their respective partners. Only Egeus remains an unreasonable obstacle to the lovers’ happiness. Hence, Theseus’ decision to overrule Egeus now seems fair and reasonable.
- Also, we must remember how Egeus’ insistence that Lysander be punished comes before Demetrius’ declaration of love for Helena. This announcement would come as a major shock to Egeus who assumed that Demetrius would be on his side: ‘They would have stol’n away, they would, Demetrius, / Thereby to have defeated you and me- / You of your wife, and me of my consent, / Of my consent that she should be your wife.’ (lines 156-159)
Although Egeus is not given any more lines after Demetrius’ speech, we can imagine him being flabbergasted by what he has just heard. He might een shrug his shoulders and bemusedly accept Theseus’ decision, realizing that there is no point in pursuing his claim without Demetius’ compliance.
S)
i)Our experiences seem remote and vague/ indistinct, like distant mountains appear to transform/dissolve into cloud (Demetrius)
I seem to have double-vision (with the suggestion that everything is blurred / confused / unreal) (Hermia)
I feel like I have found a jewel (Demetrius) which I would like to keep but am afraid may not be rightfully mine (might be taken away from me) (Helena)
ii)They are all confused/bewildered/ unsure whether their experiences were real or merely dreams.
T)
Based on what he says and his reaction, we can fairly deduce that Bottom still thinks that he is still at the rehearsal.
U)
•‘Vision’ suggests something extraordinary / rare / mystical involving a revelationary insight. It also suggests a vivid experience.
•Bottom (typically, but also, this time, accurately) conceives his experience as being no ordinary dream but a unique and profound experience.
•Oberon uses the word in 3. 2. 378
•Titania uses the word in 4.1.76
•Puck uses the word in 5.1. 418
V)
•We can imagine him either
-Feeling about for/ touching his ass’s head / ears / nose
OR
- re-enacting the embrace of Titania / his manner with his fairy attendants
W)
i)Bottom (typically) has comically transposed the sense impression.
ii)It reflects his own uncertainty regarding the credibility, nature and meaning of his experience.
- He is disoriented and confused. Although Bottom says he will get Quince to portray his dream in a ballad, we see that he is actually incapable of articulating (or understanding?) his experience.
Indeed, he ironically insists that it would be both foolish and impossible to try and describe his dreams in words.
Just how much Bottom is ‘awake’ to the rarity of his vision and changed by it is open to question, although it must be said that the audience are more amused than moved by his waking reaction and he himself appears unaltered by his experience.
X)
Similarity
Both are confused / bewildered / unsure whether their experiences were real or dreamed.
They are unsure whether they are still asleep or awake. (Refer to answers N, S & W)
Difference
Bottom views his vision in a more profound / mystical / revelationary light (see answer to U) and regards himself as a unique and privileged individual
Act 4 Scene 2
A)
He is anxious / tense / concerned / agitated.
B)
i)He enters energetically / purposefully / enthusiastically and speaks heartily / cheerfully with his usual exuberant / irrepressible / genial self-confidence.
ii)They are happily surprised and wholly relieved / elated. We could imagine the men rushing towards Bottom and embracing him warmly.
C)
No. he is supremely confident / hearty / foolish
(“…if I tell you, I am no true Athenian- I will tell you everything, right as it fell out.”)
He is also vociferous and conceited / assertive (notice the way in which he immediately takes charge and issues orders).
A)
- She is adoring
-She tries to make him comfortable, caresses his cheeks, adorns his head with flowers & kisses his cheeks (lines 1-4)
-She embraces him in her arms & unabashedly proclaims her love for him (lines 40-45)
-Note her besotted description of Bottom ‘amiable cheeks’ ‘sleek smooth head’ ‘fair large ears’ ‘gentle joy’ ‘sweet love’
- She is also very attentive.
- Asks Bottom if he would like to hear music (line 28) or if he wanted something to eat (line 31)
B)
- He does not respond directly to Titania’s questions nor does he take her up on her offers to put him at ease.
- He seems more keen on to have the fairy Peaseblossom scratch him than having Titania embrace him lovingly.
- His requests are bland/pedestrian/base and he is more concerned with making himself comfortable/satisfy himself.
C)
i) His surroundings are magical /ethereal, his attendants are beautiful/graceful/delicate/exotic but his requests are crass/vulgar/coarse/prosaic- he wants to fairies to scratch him, prefers to eat oats and peas and wants crude musical instrument to listen to.
ii) Overall effect is comic. Titania’s fawning over him seems all the more pathetic/absurd/ridiculous.
iii) The same. He is courteous, but indifferent.
D)
•He has got what he wanted- Titania has surrendered the changeling child (lines 59-60)
•She has changed her attitude (line 58)
•He feels that she has suffered enough and pities her predicament.
•He feels she has learnt her lesson.
•He feels disgraced by her shameful behavior(?)- Line 49
•He is jealous(?)- Line 49
•He is ashamed/ thinks he has gone too far(?)
E)
-She is so infatuated with Bottom that she no longer cares about what happens to the changeling child.
-The love potion has rendered her placid; she is more agreeable with Oberon’s plans.
-She feels the force and justification of Oberon’s rebuke about falling in love with an ass (line 50) and is shamed by his taunts.
-She now considers Oberon’s request reasonable.
F)
Yes- the lovers awake confused/puzzled/bewildered and find it difficult to distinguish dream fro reality.
• Note the use of words such as ‘seem’ ‘like’ ‘methinks’ ‘seems double’ and
• Demetrius’ lines ‘Are you sure / That we are awake? It seems to me / That yet we sleep, we dream.
G)
i) Initially, we can imagine Titania being in a half-daze/ bewildered state. She seems unsure whether her experiences have been real or merely a dream. After Oberon points out sleeping Bottom, she registers shock, amazement, disgust (and shame?)
ii) Her present abhorrence / loathing / disgust is in stark contrast to her previous fawning / adulation of Bottom.
H)
-It is a dramatic ploy to account for the fact that neither Bottom nor the lovers are awakened by the music or dancing. They ‘sleep’ a charmed sleep; likened to being under a spell.
-The music also signals the new ‘amity’ or reconciliation between Titania & Oberon. Music here is probably soothing, calming and has such an effect on the sleeping mortals who will wake up refreshed and reconciled.
I)
• The dance symbolizes the reunion of Titania & Oberon.
• Significance? When they quarreled, Oberon refused Titania’s offer to ‘patiently dance in our round / And see our moonlight revels’.
• Here, the music, the holding hands and the dancing signify the personal reconciliation coupled with the restoration of harmony to the previously tumultuous world of man.
J)
•The fairies’ music (calm / soothing / soporific / lulling / enchanting)
•The hunting horn ‘blaring’
Effect?
•It dispels the magic-like / dream-like atmosphere quite effectively.
•Attention is now drawn away from the world of fairies and to the world of men as represented by the appearance of Theseus and his train.
K)
‘the musical confusion / of hounds and echo in conjunction’
‘I never heard / so musical a discord, such sweet thunder’
• Concord comes from discord. The discordant sound of the hounds come together harmoniously during the hunt. This mirrors the way the discord in the last two acts have been resolved
(THINK quarrel between Titania & Oberon and confusion between amongst the young lovers.)
There is still a sense of incongruity. Although the sounds of the baying hounds are harmonious, the unrestrained nature of the animals, the excitement of the pack and their frenzied cries still evoke the impression of roaring noise / tumult/ confusion.Hence, there is a suggestion of the thin line that exists between order/disorder, concord/discord, dreaming/being awake etc. Impressions are subjective and open to interpretation.
L)
Theseus definitely says this in a teasing manner.He was probably trying to put the couples (rudely awakened by the blaring of the hunting horn) at ease. He is not chiding them and has no intention of embarrassing them, probably.
M)
Refer back to answer to question K. Music as a symbol of resolution of previous conflicts.
N)
Lysander- half asleep, half waking- I truly cannot say- But, as I think…And now I do bethink me
Demetrius- …I know not by what power- plus lines 187-195
O)
i) He is similarly testy/ irascible/ impatient/ intolerant.
ii) - He is the only discordant note in an otherwise harmonious scene.
- He insists on revenge / retribution (“I beg the law, upon his head.”)
even while the rest embody a sense of reconciliation
- He is the only main character without a love partner.
P)
- His love for Hermia is melted like snow.
- It now seems like a toy which, as a child, he was obsessed with but now recognizes it as being trivial / trifling.
- Like a sick man rejects his usual healthy diet, so her rejected Helena. Now that he is well, he has reverted to his ‘natural taste’. The 1st comparison stresses the way his infatuation with Hermia has completely disappeared.
2nd suggests the childishness of his infatuation3rd reflects the unnatural & unhealthy nature of his previous obsession.
Q)
i) We now see him in a more favorable / sympathetic light.
He humbly and freely confesses his fault of forsaking Helena (…To her, my lord, / Was I betrothed ere I saw Hermia) and vows to be true to Helena henceforth.ii) In one sense, this is highly ironic because, strictly speaking, Demetrius is the only character that is still under the spell of Puck’s love juice.
However, this is quite cynical. If we accept that Demetrius was behaving irrationally because of his obsession with Hermia, then we could view Puck’s love potion as having a restorative effect.Instead of making him deluded (as Lysander was when he fell for Helena), it brings Demetrius to his senses. Demetrius’ speech (lines 160-176) is obviously heartfelt. The sincere, simple style is in stark contrast to his previous contrived declarations of love which sounded too exaggerated to be true.
R)
i)Theseus had previously insisted that he was powerless to change the law, but now, he overrides it.
ii)Theseus’ decision to be compassionate or merciful instead of ‘siding’ with Egeus and dispensing strict justice is consistent with the specific dramatic context and overall spirit of the play. This is Theseus’ eagerly awaited wedding day with Hippolyta and it should not be marred by the tragic forced separation of other lovers. Instead, the weddings of Demetrius/Helena and Lysander/Hermia reinforce the prevailing sense of harmony, pomp and celebration.
-Also, as a romantic comedy, we expect a happy ending and a sense that ‘all’s well that ends well’
- Another reason could be that the situation has now changed considerably. Initially, both Egeus and Demetrius insisted upon their ‘rights’ over Hermia. Now, Demetrius has renounced his claim and declared his love for Helena. Hence, all the lovers are now content with their respective partners. Only Egeus remains an unreasonable obstacle to the lovers’ happiness. Hence, Theseus’ decision to overrule Egeus now seems fair and reasonable.
- Also, we must remember how Egeus’ insistence that Lysander be punished comes before Demetrius’ declaration of love for Helena. This announcement would come as a major shock to Egeus who assumed that Demetrius would be on his side: ‘They would have stol’n away, they would, Demetrius, / Thereby to have defeated you and me- / You of your wife, and me of my consent, / Of my consent that she should be your wife.’ (lines 156-159)
Although Egeus is not given any more lines after Demetrius’ speech, we can imagine him being flabbergasted by what he has just heard. He might een shrug his shoulders and bemusedly accept Theseus’ decision, realizing that there is no point in pursuing his claim without Demetius’ compliance.
S)
i)Our experiences seem remote and vague/ indistinct, like distant mountains appear to transform/dissolve into cloud (Demetrius)
I seem to have double-vision (with the suggestion that everything is blurred / confused / unreal) (Hermia)
I feel like I have found a jewel (Demetrius) which I would like to keep but am afraid may not be rightfully mine (might be taken away from me) (Helena)
ii)They are all confused/bewildered/ unsure whether their experiences were real or merely dreams.
T)
Based on what he says and his reaction, we can fairly deduce that Bottom still thinks that he is still at the rehearsal.
U)
•‘Vision’ suggests something extraordinary / rare / mystical involving a revelationary insight. It also suggests a vivid experience.
•Bottom (typically, but also, this time, accurately) conceives his experience as being no ordinary dream but a unique and profound experience.
•Oberon uses the word in 3. 2. 378
•Titania uses the word in 4.1.76
•Puck uses the word in 5.1. 418
V)
•We can imagine him either
-Feeling about for/ touching his ass’s head / ears / nose
OR
- re-enacting the embrace of Titania / his manner with his fairy attendants
W)
i)Bottom (typically) has comically transposed the sense impression.
ii)It reflects his own uncertainty regarding the credibility, nature and meaning of his experience.
- He is disoriented and confused. Although Bottom says he will get Quince to portray his dream in a ballad, we see that he is actually incapable of articulating (or understanding?) his experience.
Indeed, he ironically insists that it would be both foolish and impossible to try and describe his dreams in words.
Just how much Bottom is ‘awake’ to the rarity of his vision and changed by it is open to question, although it must be said that the audience are more amused than moved by his waking reaction and he himself appears unaltered by his experience.
X)
Similarity
Both are confused / bewildered / unsure whether their experiences were real or dreamed.
They are unsure whether they are still asleep or awake. (Refer to answers N, S & W)
Difference
Bottom views his vision in a more profound / mystical / revelationary light (see answer to U) and regards himself as a unique and privileged individual
Act 4 Scene 2
A)
He is anxious / tense / concerned / agitated.
B)
i)He enters energetically / purposefully / enthusiastically and speaks heartily / cheerfully with his usual exuberant / irrepressible / genial self-confidence.
ii)They are happily surprised and wholly relieved / elated. We could imagine the men rushing towards Bottom and embracing him warmly.
C)
No. he is supremely confident / hearty / foolish
(“…if I tell you, I am no true Athenian- I will tell you everything, right as it fell out.”)
He is also vociferous and conceited / assertive (notice the way in which he immediately takes charge and issues orders).
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