A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Act I Sc ii

• A recap quiz on Act I Sc i…I know how much you love them!

1. Where is the play set?

a) In and around Londonb) In and around Athensc) In and around Veronad) In and around Venice

2. What is Theseus planning as the play opens?

a) His wedding to Titaniab) His wedding to Hermiac) His wedding to Helenad) His wedding to Hippolyta

3. Why has Egeus come to see Theseus?

a) His daughter won’t marry the man he wants her to marry

b) His daughter refuses to attend Theseus’s wedding

c) His daughter refuses to act as Hippolyta’s lady in waiting

d) His daughter wants to perform in the entertainments planned to celebrate the wedding

4. What famous phrase from the scene emphasises the play’s theme of romantic complication?

a) “Lord, what fools these mortals be!”b) “The course of true love never did run

smooth.”c) “I have had a most rare vision.”d) “Ay, love! What has happened to me?”

5. What does Lysander propose to Hermia?

a) That they have a double wedding with Helen and Demetrius

b) That they ask the fairies for help overthrowing Theseus

c) That they run away to the home of Lysander’s aunt

d) That they join the band of fairies who live in the woods

In what ways is Northrop Frye’s concept of the ‘old world’ established in Act I Sc i?

• The old world - a world belonging to older people, often parental or other authority figures. It is usually repressive or constraining in some way, and usually urban. Laws or the established way of doing things result in a lack of freedom. This world is resisted by the young people. Often, this world is only seen on stage for a short while, but its structures will be clear.

Act I Sc ii

• How does Act I Sc ii contrast with the previous scene?

• Why does Shakespeare choose to contrast the scenes in this way?

• Extension: How does this link to the concepts of bathos and Burlesque?

What is bathos?

Bathos is an abrupt transition in style from the exalted to the commonplace, producing a ludicrous effect. While often unintended, bathos may be used deliberately to produce a humorous effect. If bathos is overt, it may be described as Burlesque.

Burlesque

A kind of dramatic comedy that mocks a more sombre literary work perhaps by treating a serious subject in an undignified way or by applying a grand style to a frivolous or silly subject.