classic repertory company STUDY GUIDE A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM

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1 classic repertory company STUDY GUIDE A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM by William Shakespeare Education Outreach Supporters Funded in part by generous individual contributors, the National Endowment for the Arts, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Roy A. Hunt Foundation, Fuller Foundation, Watertown Community Foundation, and the Foundation for MetroWest. This program is also supported in part by grants from the Billerica Arts Council, Brookline Commission for the Arts, Canton Cultural Council, Brockton Cultural Council, Lawrence Cultural Council, Lexington Council for the Arts, Marlborough Cultural Council, Newton Cultural Council, Watertown Cultural Council, and Wilmington Cultural Council, local agencies which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. administrative office 200 dexter avenue watertown, ma artistic director jim petosa managing director harriet sheets the professional theatre company in residence at the arsenal center for the arts

2 Contents 2 Biography of William Shakespeare 3 A Timeline of Shakespeare s Life 3 A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM Summary 4 The Influence of Greek and Roman Mythology 5 Shakespearean Insults 6 About Pyramus and Thisbe: the Play within a Play 6 Scansion in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM 7 Why Do We Still Stage and Study Shakespeare? 7 Other Plays by William Shakespeare 8 Pre-Show and Post-Show Questions 8 Works Cited If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended: That you have but slumbered here, While these visions did appear; And this weak and idle theme, No more yielding but a dream, Gentles, do not reprehend. If you pardon, we will mend. Puck Act 5, scene 1 Biography of William Shakespeare ( ) William Shakespeare is widely accepted as one of literature s most influential writers. Much of the biographical knowledge of his life, however, is taken from records and speculation. Although no birth records exist, church records indicate that he was born around April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, and was the third child of heiress Mary Arden and leather merchant John Shakespeare. He most likely attended the local elementary school, the King s New Grammar School, but never continued on to a university. We know little about his teenage years until he married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18. She was 26 at the time, and pregnant. Their first child, Susanna Shakespeare, was born seven months later. Two years later, Anne gave birth to twins Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet, sadly, only lived to be eleven years old, dying of the Black Plague in The Shakespeares moved to London in 1585, the year the twins were born. Shakespeare began working as an actor and writer for touring theatre troupes, including Strange s Men, Pembroke s Men, and Sussex s Men. These troupes were in constant need of new material and often one of their actors would write their own material. Shakespeare was not the only writer of his time to lack of formal training; several other established playwrights the portrait of shakespeare that appears on the cover of the first folio were tradesmen s sons or provincial men. During his first few years in London, Shakespeare developed a reputation for his poetry. His first published poem Venus and Adonis was immensely popular. In 1594, Shakespeare joined the Lord Chamberlain s Men, and began writing many of the more famous plays we have today. They performed for Queen Elizabeth in many local theaters and toured the surrounding towns. The Lord Chamberlain s Men often performed at The Theatre. However, in 1597 it was forced to close due to an expired lease. This loss prompted Shakespeare and a few of his peers to construct the Globe Theatre, a home specifically for their troupe. It opened in 1599, burned in 1613 due to sparks from a cannon fired on stage, and was quickly rebuilt. When King James VI ascended to the throne in 1603, The Lord Chamberlain s Men became known as The King s Men. Shortly thereafter, Shakespeare retired from acting but continued to write. During his lifetime, he is thought to have written thirty-seven plays. Shakespeare died on his birthday, April 23 in 1616, but his plays have lived on and thrived all over the world. He is easily the most produced playwright of all time, inspired countless others, and revolutionized the English language and literature. His plays are staged all over the world with unmistakable relevancy to a wide variety of issues and human psychology. Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare To digg the dust encloased heare Blessed by y man y spares hes stones And curst be he y moves my bones Inscribed on Shakespeare s tombstone A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM Study Guide 2

3 A Timeline of Shakespeare s Life 1564 Born in Stratford-upon-Avon 1582 Marries Anne Hathaway 1585 Moves to London to pursue theatre career 1589 Writes his first play HENRY VI, PART I 1592 London closes theatres due to plague 1593 Starts to write sonnets 1594 Publishes first works of poetry 1594 Starts managing, as well as writing for, the Lord Chamberlain s Men 1600 Writes HAMLET, one of his greatest plays 1603 The Lord Chamberlain s Men is renamed the King s Men in honor of the new King James patronage 1604 Retires from acting 1605 Writes MACBETH to pay homage to the King s heritage 1613 The Globe theatre burns down 1614 The Globe is rebuilt 1616 Shakespeare dies and is buried at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-Upon-Avon adapted from sketch of the inside of the globe theatre A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM Summary Theseus, duke of Athens, prepares for his marriage to Hippolyta. He tells his Master of the Revels, Philostrate, to find entertainment for the celebration. Egeus marches into Theseus s court with his daughter, Hermia, and two young men, Demetrius and Lysander. Egeus wants Hermia to marry Demetrius (who loves Hermia), but Hermia is in love with Lysander and won t marry Demetrius. Egeus asks Hermia to be punished because she won t do what he says. Theseus gives Hermia until his wedding to decide if she will marry Demetrius or not, warning her that she will be punished if she does not. Hermia and Lysander plan to escape the following night and marry in the house of Lysander s aunt. They tell Helena, who used to be engaged to Demetrius and still loves him even though he left her for Hermia. Hoping to regain his love, Helena tells Demetrius that Hermia and Lysander are eloping. That night, Demetrius follows Hermia and Lysander into the woods; Helena follows too. In the woods are two other groups of characters. The first are craftsmen rehearsing a play that they hope to perform for the duke and his bride. The second are fairies. Oberon, the fairy king, and Titania, the fairy queen, are arguing over a young Indian prince given to Titania by the prince s mother; Oberon wishes to make him a knight, but Titania refuses. Seeking revenge, Oberon sends his servant, Puck, to acquire a magical flower, the juice of which can be spread over a sleeping person s eyelids to make that person fall in love with the first thing he or she sees upon waking. Oberon tells him to spread its juice on the sleeping Titania s eyelids. Having seen Demetrius reject Helena s love, Oberon also orders Puck to spread the juice on the eyelids of Demetrius. Puck finds Lysander and Hermia. He thinks that Lysander is Demetrius and uses the love potion on him. Lysander happens to see Helena when he wakes up and falls deeply in love with her. As the night progresses and Puck attempts to undo his mistake, both Lysander and Demetrius end up in love with Helena. Helena is angry at both because she thinks that they are tricking her. Hermia is so jealous that she tries to fight Helena. Demetrius and Lysander almost fight over Helena, but Puck leads them apart until they are lost separately in the forest. When Titania wakes, the first creature she sees is Bottom, a craftsmen, whose head Puck transformed into that of an donkey. Titania falls in love with him. Meanwhile, Oberon obtains the Indian boy, Puck spreads the love potion on Lysander s eyelids, and by morning all is well. Theseus and Hippolyta discover the sleeping lovers in the forest and take them back to Athens to be married Demetrius now loves Helena, and Lysander now loves Hermia. After the group wedding, the lovers watch Bottom and his fellow craftsmen perform their play, PYRAMUS AND THISBE. When the play is completed, Puck asks the audience for its forgiveness and approval and to urge it to remember the play as though it had all been a dream. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM Study Guide 3

4 The Influence of Greek and Roman Mythology Because A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM takes place in Athens, Greece, Shakespeare includes many references to Greek and Roman myth. Most of the references actually correspond to ancient Roman belief. The following is a glossary of some of the main mythological names and terms that occur in the play, and where they are mentioned. THESEUS: National hero of Athens. He was known for many heroic adventures including slaying the Minotaur, a creature who is half man, half bull. Although he is a major character in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM, Shakespeare actually borrowed this character from Greek mythology. HIPPOLYTA: Queen of the Amazons, a group of female warriors. Shakespeare also borrowed this character from Greek mythology. PYRAMUS AND THISBE: Ancient Roman myth written by Ovid. (See section About Pyramus and Thisbe: the Play within a Play ) DIANA: (I.i.94) Roman name of Artemis, who is the goddess of the moon and hunt. Also known as Phoebe. CUPID: (I.i.175) Roman name for the Greek god of love, Eros, who shoots arrows at humans to make them fall in love. He is also the son of Venus. VENUS: (I.i.177) Roman name for the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite. DIDO: (I.i.179) Founder and queen of Carthage, who stabbed herself when deserted by Aeneas in The Aeneid. AENEAS: (I.i.180) Trojan son of Anchises and Aphrodite. After the fall of Troy, he led his followers to Italy. The Aeneid tells the tales of his journey. ADRIADNE: (II.i.84) Daughter of King Minos who fell in love with Theseus and helped him kill the minotaur. NEPTUNE: (II.i.131) Roman name for the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon. APOLLO: (II.i.239) Pursuer of Daphne in the Roman myth Apollo and Daphne. theseus DAPHNE: (II.i.239) While she was being chased by Apollo, she prayed to the gods for help and was turned into a laurel tree. HERCULES: (IV.i.98) The Greek hero, son of Jupiter and Alcmene, a mortal woman, who was famous for his strength. He performed twelve labors to free himself from the bondage under Eurystheus. Once he died, he became immortal. CADMUS: (IV.i.98) Brother of Europa. He planted dragon seeds from which the first Thebans came. HELEN: (V.i.12) The daughter of Zeus and Leda and wife of Menelaus. She was kidnapped and taken to Troy, which caused the Trojan war. JOVE: (V.i.181) Roman name for the Greek god Zeus, the leader of the gods and god of sky and thunder. HECATE: (V.i.374) Greek goddess of sorcery and witchcraft MUSES: (V.i.55) The goddesses of arts and sciences. Ay me! for aught that ever I could read, Could ever hear by tale or history, The course of true love never did run smooth. Lysander Act 1, scene 1 A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM Study Guide 4

5 Shakespearean Insults Shakespeare was famous for not only the invention of new words, but also the invention of specific, often crude insults, particularly in his comedies. Here are some noted examples: You juggler! You canker-blossom! (III.ii.290) Fine, i faith! Have you no modesty, no maiden shame, No touch of bashfulness? What, will you tear Impatient answers from my gentle tongue? Fie, fie! you counterfeit, you puppet, you! Helena Act 3, scene 2 You hard-hearted adamant! (II.i.180) Out, tawny Tartar, out! Out, loathed medicine! O hated potion, hence! (III.ii ) Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 artless base-court apple-john beslubbering beef-witted barnacle churlish boil-brained boar-pig cockered clapper-clawed bugbear dankish dismal-dreaming canker-blossom dissembling dizzy-eyed coxcomb fawning earth-vexing dewberry gleeking flap-mouthed foot-licker goatish fly-bitten fustilarian gorbellied folly-fallen giglet loggerheaded half-faced hedge-pig mammering hedge-born hugger-mugger mewling idle-headed lewdster pribbling ill-nurtured maggot-pie qualling motley-minded measle rank onion-eyed minnow roguish pottle-deep moldwarp ruttish pox-marked mumble-news spleeny rough-hewn pigeon-egg spongy rude-growing pignut venomed swag-bellied skainsmate Try making your own Shakespearian insult by picking a word from each column, combining it in one phrase, and prefacing with the word you! A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM Study Guide 5

6 The mechanicals, the acting troupe of Peter Quince, Nick Bottom, Francis Flute, Robin Starveling, Tom Snout, and Snug, make up a portion of the plot of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM. The players gather together in the forest to produce Pyramus and Thisbe as a staged play for the Duke and Duchess. The story of Pyramus and Thisbe is a Roman myth originally written in Latin by Ovid in his collection of stories, The Metamorphoses. The story surrounds two young lovers living in Babylon forbidden to marry each other due to their families rivalry. Pyramus and Thisbe live in their separate houses connected by a wall and converse through a tiny crack. The two decide to bring their love beyond the wall and arrange to meet in person near Ninus tomb under a mulberry tree to confess their love face to face. At the time of the meeting, Thisbe arrives first and is greeted by a bloodthirsty lion whose mouth is bloody from a recent kill. Afraid for her life, she runs away, leaving her veil behind. The lion destroys her veil, leaving it torn up and bloody. When Pyramus arrives, he sees the destroyed veil and assumes the lion killed Thisbe, and overcome with emotion he stabs himself to death. His blood erupts all over the white mulberry leaves and fruit, turning them dark. Thisbe returns to find Pyramus dead and after mourning, she stabs herself with the same sword. From then on, the mulberry fruits were stained forever in honor of the forbidden love. Shakespeare reproduces the plot of Pyramus and Thisbe twice in his works. The most obvious is the plot of ROMEO AND JULIET, which is very much based on Ovid s story. The second appears here in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM, where, as you may see from this production, the mechanicals produce a rather crude and funny portrayal of Pyramus and Thisbe. The cast list is as follows: About PYRAMUS AND THISBE: the Play Within a Play Scansion in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM Directed by Peter Quince Pyramus... Nick Bottom Thisbe...Francis Flute Lion...Snug The Wall... Tom Snout Moonshine...Robin Starveling Lord, what fools these mortals be! Puck Act 3, scene 2 While Shakespeare mainly spoofs the story in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM, the works are highly connected through the themes of dreams, fantasies, and forbidden love. Shakespeare used a type of meter called iambic pentameter when writing his plays in verse. Each line has five pairs of alternating stressed and unstressed syllables. These pairs of syllables are often called feet. The rhythm in each line would sound like galloping: da-dum / da-dum / da-dum / da-dum / da-dum Shakespeare wrote in this way to make sure the actors stressed certain syllables. For instance, a line in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM might sound like this: to-mo rrow TRU ly WILL i MEET with THEE. (I.1.184) john william waterhouse portrait of thisbe at the wall in pyramus and thisbe For instance, here is how we would scan a line in MIDSUMMER: / / / / / How ha ppy some o er o ther some can be! (I.i.231) Now, you try! Grab a pencil and scan the lines below: Often when studying Shakespeare, actors and scholars may decide to scan Shakespeare lines to help decide what words and phrases should be stressed. This method, called scansion, is a way to mark the metrical patterns in poetry. This especially helps when actors are performing a Shakespeare piece. We usually mark the stressed, or long, syllable with a ( ) and the unstressed, or short, syllable with a ( / ) to make it easier to read. We then divide each pair of syllables, or feet, by a ( ). Four days will quickly steep themselves in night; Four nights will quickly dream away the time; And then the moon, like to a silver bow New-bent in heaven, shall behold the night (I.i.7-10) A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM Study Guide 6

7 Why Do We Still Stage and Study Shakespeare? OTHER PLAYS BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE The Histories King John Richard II Henry IV, part I Henry IV, part II Henry V Henry VI, part I Henry VI, part II Henry VI, part III Richard III Henry VIII The Tragedies Romeo and Juliet Coriolanus Titus Andronicus Timon of Athens Julius Caesar Macbeth Hamlet Troilus and Cressida King Lear Othello, The Moor of Venice Antony and Cleopatra Cymbeline The Comedies All s Well That Ends Well As You Like It The Comedy of Errors Love s Labour s Lost Measure for Measure The Merchant of Venice The Merry Wives of Windsor A Midsummer Night s Dream Much Ado About Nothing Pericles, Prince of Tyre The Taming of the Shrew The Tempest Twelfth Night, or What You Will The Two Gentlemen of Verona The Two Noble Kinsmen Shakespeare s works are over 400 years old. Since then, so many other books and plays have been written. So why do we still care to read and perform his works? There are many ways we can answer this question, depending on what we look at. First, let s consider what they re about. People often refer to Shakespeare s work as timeless and universal because the deep issues and themes prevalent in his works apply to humans of all ages and backgrounds; the themes of love, self-discovery, relationships, and political strife are relevant in any society, whether in 1600, 1850, or Through watching or reading Shakespeare, we can easily draw parallels to contemporary and other historical issues. His plays are also very much driven by human psychology. His characters are so well developed that we cannot only view the wide range of human emotions and the changes that each character experiences, but we also identify with these characters and their personal struggles throughout each play. Aside from the deep meanings present in his works, Shakespeare also made many contributions to the English language. He invented thousands of new words and phrases that we still use today. For instance, the common phrase all s well that ends well actually comes from the title of one of Shakespeare s comedies! One might even say that Shakespeare s plays were part of the birth of modern English due to his creative words, clever imagery, and fascinating yet sometimes crude analogies. So, why do we still want to read and watch Shakespeare today? Because we can solve the riddles of our lives and societies just by reading his plays. We learn so much about society at that time and issues that are still around today, and we can enhance our vocabulary greatly through his use of and contributions to the English language. In watching or reading his plays, challenge yourself and try to find something that applies to you and your life. It could be a character, it could be a specific line, it could be one of the main themes, or it could even be a relationship that reminds you of your own life. Anyone can connect to and identify with these plays in some capacity, so find the reason or multiple reasons his plays apply to you. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM Study Guide 7

8 Questions Pre-Show Questions 1) What is the significance of the play within a play that we see in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM? Think about why Shakespeare chose this particular play for the Mechanicals to produce. How does it tie in with the rest of the play? 2) Put yourself in the position of the scenic designer in the play. Often times, designers choose to set the play in different locations. How would you design the woods? How would that setting differ from the Athens setting? 3) Think about the many contrasts we see in the play. What are some of them that you noticed? Where can you find opposites, and why do you think Shakespeare presented these opposites? 4) Think about the imagery in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM. What kind of specific dreamlike images did Shakespeare include? What kind of mood does this set for the audience? 5) A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM is written almost completely in couplets, where the ends of every two lines rhyme. Why do you think Shakespeare writes in this way? What does this say about the play as a whole, and how does it contribute to the mood of the play? Works Cited Post-Show Questions 6) After watching the play, think about scansion and iambic pentameter. Did you notice any instances where the actor used the scansion of iambic pentameter to deliver a line? How did it help the character and the context of the scene? 7) Although Shakespeare did include some literal examples of Greek and Roman mythology in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM, can you make any other connections between the play and Greek and Roman myth? Think about the characters. Are there any characters that resemble those in Greek mythology? 8) Shakespeare s language is specific, complex, and often difficult to understand. Did you struggle to understand the text when you read the play? Was it any easier to comprehend when you heard it spoken by the actors? Why do you think one way made more sense to you than the other? Do you think your experience of seeing the play would have been different if you hadn t read it first? 9) A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM is one of Shakespeare s most famous comedies. In seeing the play, what made you laugh? Did you feel the same way in reading the play? 10) Look through your local newspapers or online for theatre reviews. Read a few, then write your own review of Classic Repertory Company s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM, based on the form and content of those reviews. Think about what parts of the show you enjoyed, what parts you didn t understand, how the performers embodied the characters, and whether any production elements hindered or enhanced the telling of the story. Feel free to send the review over to us when you re done! Bellinger, Martha Fletcher. William Shakespeare: A Short History of the Drama. New York: Henry Holt & Company, , 234. Greek and Roman Mythology. Information Please. Pearson Education, Web. 15 Mar < Greenblatt, Stephen. Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare. W.W. Norton & Company: New York Print. Mabillard, Amanda. Shakespeare s Language. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug < Mabillard, Amanda. William Shakespeare of Stratford. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug Mar < A Midsummer Night s Dream. Wikipedia. Web. 15 Mar < s_dream>. Muir, Kenneth. Pyramus and Thisbe: A Study in Shakespeare s Method. Shakespeare Quarterly. Vol. 5.: Folger Shakespeare Library, Print. Ovid, Metamorphoses, iv Seidel, Chris. Shakespeare Insult Kit. Pangloss. Web. 15 Mar < William Shakespeare Biography. Bio. A+E Television Networks, Web. 15 Mar < A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM Study Guide 8