Sample Activity Sheet on Drama Genre
Q. 5 (A) Complete the activities given below
A1. State whether the following statements are true or false. 2
1. A one act play is a shortened drama.
2. The action in one act play occurs at one place.
3. Conflict is the body of drama.
4. A theme is a central idea around which the plot revolves.
A2. Odd one out . Find out which one is odd . 2
1. Plot, setting, stage, language .
2. Romantic comedy, Classical Comedy, Sentimental comedy , tragic comedy.
3. Thomas Kyd , Charlie Chaplin, Shakespeare, Christopher Morlow .
4. The Doll’s House, Ghosts, Oscar Wild, An Enemy of the People.
(B)Write answers of the following activities in about 50 words.
A1. Throw light on the dialogues used in the ‘The Rising of the Moon’. 2
A2. State about the life of the singer appeared in the ‘The Rising of the Moon’. 2
(C)Write answers of the following activities in about 50 words.
A1. A Midsummer-Night’s Dream is not a one act play. Justify. 2
A2 State the theme of ‘A Midsummer-Night’s Dream’. 2
(D)Write answers of the following activities in about 50 words.
A1. Describe conflict in ‘An Enemy of the people’. 2
A2. Draw a character sketch of Dr. Stockmann 2

Answer Key
1. A one act play is a shortened drama. False
2. The action in one act play occurs at one place. True
3. Conflict is the body of drama.False
4. A theme is a central idea around which the plot revolves.True
A2. Odd one out . Find out which one is odd .
1. Plot, setting, humour, language. Humour Plot ,setting and language are the features of drama.
2. Romantic comedy, Classical Comedy, Sentimental comedy , tragic comedy. Tragic Comedy Romantic comedy, Classical Comedy, Sentimental comedy are the types of comedy drama.
3. Thomas Kyd , Charlie Chaplin, Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe . Charlie Chaplin Thomas Kyd , Shakespeare, Christopher Morlow were the dramatist of Elizabethan era.
4. The Doll’s House, Ghosts, Oscar Wild, An Enemy of the People. Oscar Wild The Doll’s House, Ghosts, An Enemy of the People are the dramas .
B. A1 The dialogues used in 'The Rising of the Moon' are short but effective. They give us enjoyment. They add beauty to the main story. They enhance the impact of the one act play. Some effective dialogues are "Back to the town is it?" "You would be as wise as myself" and "Nothing was known for certain."
A2. The singer is a poor man. He sings on the streets and fairs for livelihood. He walked through the hills to view rocks and streams.An Irish patriot has disguised as singer.
(C) A1. A Midsummer-Night’s Dream is not a one act play.It is a drama written by William Shakespeare. It is not confined to one place.The action takes place in the palace, Queen's cottage and in different parts of the woods. There are many characters in it . These elements prove that it is not a one act play.
A2. The dominant theme in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is love. The drama shows how people tend to fall in love with a beautiful person. The attraction towards beauty appear to be love.The real love is much more than mere physical attraction.
(D) A1 Conflict in ‘An Enemy of the people’ is a significant element. It deals with the extent to which individual's desires and beliefs are compromised by society. The protagonist wants to expose the corruption. but he was warned of terrible consequences. He was declared as the enemy of the people b his own brother.
A2. Dr. Stockmann is the main character of the play. He is a medial officer by profession. He suspects that the bath water is contaminated. He proves it with clinical tests. He was against the corruption. He wanted to fight for the social cause. He believes in 'what is convenient is not always right

Compering for Prize Distribution Ceremony


Imagine that you are a compere of a ‘Prize Distribution Ceremony’ of your college. Write a script of the same.


1. Introduction – A brief introduction of the programme / function / show.

Good morning to one and all present here. We are gathered here for ………. . The guests have arrived here. Let’s welcome them with a thunder of applause.
2. Lighting the lamp
I call upon the honourable chief guest ……. And the Principal of our college ........to light the lamp and garland the photos of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Savitribai Fule and Fatima Sheikh.
I request all the dignitaries to take their respective seats on the stage. Please come over here sirs.

3. Welcome song
Now I request Mrs. ………. Madam and her team to recite the welcome song.

4. Welcome speech – Welcome of all guests. Felicitation – felicitation of the guests (the principal, vice principal etc.)
I request honourable Prinicipal ….. to welcome the chief guest honourable ……. with bouquet and book, also felicitate with shawl and shreefal.
I urge the vice Principal ….. to welcome The Principal by offering bouquet . ……… Thank you.





5. Main events
Now I request the honourable principal …… to deliver an introductory speech on the occasion.
Thank you sir for apprising us with achievement of our college.
Now the Prize Time .
1. I request the honourable chief guest to confer the award of sports.
I call upon SushilKumar and team to receive the trophy for cricket .

Mohan Kusale and team for Kabbadi.

Suhas Aswale and team for volleyball

2. I request honourable principal to confer award for cultural events and academic events.
I call upon Juhi and team to accept the trophy for group dance .

Manish Vasake for Individual dance.
Shruti Thamke for student of the year.

3. I request honourable chief guest ….. to guide us with his mesmerising speech.
Thank you sir for this guidance.

6. Vote of thanks
I call upon Suraj Nahate to propose vote of thanks.


text book

Figures Of Speech

A)  Alliteration



   1.And after I set- back you offer no excuse.
      Repeatation of a sound 'a'

   2. 'If you Crave not for praise when you       win'.
     Repetition of the sound of 'w'

   3. While you Raise yourself in those of  others.
  Repeatation of the sound of 'Y'


4)That the virtue and success do not go side by side.

(reputation of the sound of  'S')

5) We went on our way and we said goodbye.
  ( repetition of the sound of 'w')

6) God's still small voice came to me and said
     Repetition of the sound of 'S')

7) She stood quietly not to spoil the surprise reputation of the sound of 'S'.

8) I celebrate the virtues and vices

(repetition of the sound of 'v'

 9) what are you and what am I and we go on deciding
( repetition of the sound of 'w')

10) The truth of Badri movie by on credit

(reputation of the sound of TH)

11) 'or settle like sterile clouds'
 
      Repeatation of the sound of 'S'

12) 'my father told the tenants to leave'

 repeatation of sound of 'T'

13) ' who lived in the houses surrounding our house on the hill '

repetition of sound of 'h'

14) ' only our own house remained and the tree

repetition of sound ' O '

15) ' Its trunk had a circumference of 50 feet'
 repeatation of the sound of 'f'
'
16)  from 30 feet or more so first they cut the branches

reputation of the sound of 't'

17)  'where there are no trees except the one'

 repetition of the sound of ' T'

18)' it's shafts are laid on a sinking sand .'
repetition of the sound of 'S'.

19) ' It is not gold its kingdoms Grand go down in battle shock.'

 repeatation of the sound of 'G'

20) 'stand fast and suffer long .'

repeatation of the sound of 'S'

21) 'on my winding way to the world's fair.'

 repeatation of the sound of ' w'

22) 'Just like a golden flower faded.'

 repeatation of the sound of 'F'

23)'A moonlight message'

Repeatation of the sound of young 'm'

24) 'peace is indeed a pregnant woman.'

reputation of the sound of ' p'.

25).'....... the snow sprinkled trial.'

 repetition of the sound of 'S'.

26) '.......Playing eye tricks with its tail.'

 repetition of the sound of the 't.'

27) one that is Fur free.'

 repeatation of the sound of 'f'.
28)) foot path in a forest of pine. '

Repetition of sound of 'f'.

29) 'The wind caressing our Crown'.
 Repetition  of the sound of 'c'.

 30)' No more natural goods.'

repetition of the sound of 'b.'






B) Antithesis 

1) if you do not get lowered in your own eyes
while you Raise yourself in those of others
   'lowered' and 'raised 'are contradictory words .

2) if you Crave not for praise when you win
and look not for sympathy for when you lose

('win' and' lose' are contradictory words)

3) if you have the will to live and the courage to die
( ' Live 'and 'Die 'are contradictory words)

4) young and old
     (opposite ideas are Express in the same line))

5)'  all dogs pass leaving them in the dark '

striking a opposition or contrast of words is used for emphasis 'न

6) ' one by one The structures were demolished only our own house remained.'

 demolished and remained are contradictory words '

7)' we watched in terror and fascination this slaughter.'

Terror and fascination are contradictory words.

8) 'it's shafts are laid on sinking sand,
not on a binding Rock .'

'sinking sand' and 'abinding Rock' are two contradictory ideas.'

9)'their glory to decay.'

' glory' and 'decay' are two contradictory ideas in the same line.

10) 'But God has struck its luster down in ashes at his feet.'

 'luster' and 'ashes' are two contradictory ideas.

 11) Brave men who work while others sleep.'

' work' and 'sleep' are two contradictory ideas.

12) 'we used to watch the valley play Hide and Seek.'

Hide and Seek are the contrasting ideas.
13) 'only thinking in the present not learning from the past.'


 14)'no more natural than the over processed food we eat.'

 


C)   Metaphor

 1) you are beacon-light  light for people far and wide

( ' you' is implicitly compared with a 'beacon light')

2) with the fleeting passage of  runners or of a shy hotel for travellers

3) ' the old woman once were continents '

here there is an implicit comparison between old woman and continents

4) leaving only their maps .

here there is an implicit comparison between old woman and maps both can show you the way.

5) whose roots lay deeper than all our lives

 there is an implicit comparison between the roots and the length of the lives

6) 'soon afterwards we left Baroda for Bombay
 Where there are no trees except the one
 which grows and seethes in one's dream, its aerial roots
 looking for ground to strike'

 The Banyan tree and its roots are implicitly compared.

7) 'peace is a woman.'

peace is implicitly compared to a woman .

8)'peace is indeed a pregnant woman.'

 peace is implicitly compared to a pregnant woman.





D) climax

1)  the feeble the braggarts the      unfinished
     The words are arranged in ascending order of importance.

2) ' until they were robbed their laurels their medals their titles their names '

The words are arranged in the ascending orders of importance


E)      Simile

 1) 'trembling like waves '

trembling of the old woman is compared to the movement of the Waves

2)'or settle like  sterile clouds '

the old women waiting hopelessly at the post office are compared to the sterile clouds which have nothing to give

3)' they Whisper like drizzles'

 the weak whispers of the old women are compared to the drizzle of rain


4)'they shiver like December Nights'

the shivering of the old woman is compared to the cold December night

5)' but the huge Banyan trees to like a problem  '
 
here the The Banyan tree and problem are compared

6) 'she had such a wonderful face just like a golden flower.'

 Face is directly compared to a golden flower.


F)      Paradox

1)  I celebrate the virtues and vices

( it is an example of paradox because we cannot celebrate vices)
2) We heroes and poor devils the feeblethe braggarts the unfinished and capable of everything impossible as long as it is not seen or heard


G)      Use of symbols
   1)  Who overwhelm the refrigerators

( hear refrigerator symbolise the things which we have proud)

  2)   manufacturers in indivisible granaries

( granaries symbolise the ordinary monotonous workplaces of the middle class person)


 H)   Transferred epithet

OR OF shy hotel for travellers

( the epithet shy is transferred from the Travellers to the hotel)

I)    Personification

  1) ' they do not fear death they         died long ago '

The Abstract idea like death is given the human quality of arousing fear in the old woman

2) ' It's morning Dew tickling our feet.'

 the morning Dew is given the human quality of tickling someone.

3)  'we use to watch the valley play Hide and Seek.'

 the valley is given human quality.

4)'  the wind caressing our crown.'





J)   Onomatopoeia

1) ' they Whisper like drizzle

   ' Whisper '  is a word indicating sound



 K)   Imagery 

1) old women once were continents they had Deep Woods in them lakes ,mountains ,volcanoes even ranging gulf.





L)   Metonymy

1) 'it is not gold .'

Here gold stand for wealth.

2) '  is it the sword?'

here sword stand for military might.

3) 'Ah ,that bright crown.'

Here bright Crown stand for a proud king.



M)    Conversational tone

1) ' what makes a Nation's pillars high and its Foundation strong?'



N)    Extended metaphor


O)     Rhetorical questions

1) Is it sword?

2) Is it Pride?



P)   Hyperbole 

1) 'she told me her baby was killed in Auschwitz her daughter in Hiroshima and her sons in Vietnam Ireland ,Israel ,Palestine, Lebanon ,Bosnia, Rwanda, Kosovo and Chechnya.'

 Ideas have been exaggerated.

2) A thousand candles then lit in her starry Eyes.'

 Exaggeration of the idea in the words thousand candles.

Q) Repetition

1) ' fifty with axes Chopped and Chopped.'

the reputation of the word Chopped Lays emphasis on the activity.

2)'.....beasts roam , far from town.'

R) Inversion

While dealing with a stranger common courtesy you use
But the children you love you seem to abuse

The correct push order of the words should be
You common courtesy while dealing

Formal E-mail Writing

An email written for business communication or professional use is a formal email. The email written for any government department, school authority, company or any officers are the formal emails. Use of polite and formal words, the reason for writing mail, clarity, proper greeting and closing are some of the features of the formal email.

Sample


Write an email .
You are the college representative and your Principal has assigned you the task of writing an email to the Divisional Officer , Satpuda Mountain Ranges , Nagpur , seeking permission for the mountaineering expedition to be organized by your college.

From: student12@gmail.com

To: divisionalofficerngp@gmail.com

CC/BCC: 

Subject : Regarding permission for the                            mountaineering

Respected Sir,

I am Manoj Bhaye a college representative of Mahatma Gandhi College of Science Chandrapur. Our college has planned some outdoor and adventurous activities. Mountaineering is one of them. The principal has assigned me the task of getting permission for it.
 As a college representative, I request you to grant us permission for the mountaineering on the Satpuda Mountain Ranges. A batch of 20 students will be the participants. We have basic knowledge of the mountaineering. The participants are capable of mountaineering. We all meet the requirements for the expedition. We will be abide by the rules and regulations.
Kindly do the necessary and grant us permission for mountaineering expedition.

Thanking you,

Regards 

Manoj Bhaye
Class : Std 11th
Mahatma Gandhi College of Science
Chandrapur (MS)

Attachment : 1. a list of students 2. Their fitness certificates

Thursday, 17 October 2019

Compering for Prize Distribution Ceremony

Imagine that you are a compere of a ‘Prize Distribution Ceremony’ of your college. Write a script of the same.

1. Introduction – A brief introduction of the programme / function / show. 

Good morning to one and all present here. We are gathered here for ………. . The guests have arrived here. Let’s welcome them with a thunder of applause.
2. Lighting the lamp
I call upon the honourable chief guest ……. And the Principal of our college ........to light the lamp and garland the photos of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Savitribai Fule and Fatima Sheikh.
I request all the dignitaries to take their respective seats on the stage. Please come over here sirs. 

3. Welcome song
Now I request Mrs. ………. Madam and her team to recite the welcome song. 

4. Welcome speech – Welcome of all guests. Felicitation – felicitation of the guests (the principal, vice principal etc.)
I request honourable Prinicipal ….. to welcome the chief guest honourable ……. with bouquet and book, also felicitate with shawl and shreefal.
I urge the vice Principal ….. to welcome The Principal by offering bouquet . ……… Thank you.

5. Main events
Now I request the honourable principal …… to deliver an introductory speech on the occasion.
Thank you sir for apprising us with achievement of our college.
Now the Prize Time .
1. I request the honourable chief guest to confer the award of sports.
I call upon SushilKumar and team to receive the trophy for cricket .

Mohan Kusale and team for Kabbadi.

Suhas Aswale and team for volleyball

2. I request honourable principal to confer award for cultural events and academic events.
I call upon Juhi and team to accept the trophy for group dance .

Manish Vasake for Individual dance.
Shruti Thamke for student of the year. 

3. I request honourable chief guest ….. to guide us with his mesmerising speech.
Thank you sir for this guidance. 

6. Vote of thanks
I call upon Suraj Nahate to propose vote of thanks.
Expansion of Ideas

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If winter comes, can spring be far behind?

If winter comes, can spring be far behind? is a quote of a great nature poet P. B. Shelley. The quote means spring, a symbol of life and joy follows the winter, a symbol of death. It is symbolic of life. As there is cycle of seasons in nature, the life is a web of sorrow and happiness. Pain is not permanent. It is followed by gain of happiness. It makes us optimistic. It gives rise to hopefulness.

    The poet was undergoing a bad patch in poetry. Good poetry wasn't coming of his way. But he didn't give in. He strongly believed in his strength. He was hopeful of good poetry soon. Everyone of us has tough times in life. We should remember that there will be a good time sooner or later. Yuvraj Singh was diagnosed with cancer. He got treatment and came out with a new vigour to play cricket.

    Every cloud has silver lining.  One should have positive attitude towards life. If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you can't. Morning follows night. There is light after darkness.

Eat to live not live to eat'

'Eat to live not live to eat' is an idiom. It stands as an advice of doctor to obese.It is an advice for everyone of us in the age of fast food. Eat to live means eating for survival and to energize the body. Live to eat means taking interest only in food. It is giving more importance to the tongue and belly than to the whole body.

In the world of busy life schedule no one has much time to take care of health. One should not forget that 'Health is Wealth'
Those who live to eat fall prey to innumerable diseases. To much eating or eating all the time gives a shelter to disease. In the school and college students eat fast food. Such food is tasty so they keep eating as if they live to eat. Parents also bring such food at home. Nowadays going to restaurants for weekend,birthdays and anniversaries have become a status symbol. People are taking more interest in eating than jogging. They eat after morning walk; they eat before going to office; they eat during office hours and they eat while reaching home. After reaching they set out with family to eat. Their days are filled with eating and eating.

This practice is not healthy. So we should eat to fuel the body. Breakfast, lunch and dinner is a wise way to be healthy. The food we consume should have nutrients. Increase in diseases like obesity,cardiac arrest, blood pressure, sugar level, hypertension etc. is the effect of too much eating. To live a happy and healthy life we should remember the doctor's advice
'Eat to live not live to eat'. 

Expansion of Idea 

A bad workman blames his tools.*

One who fails in his efforts /work gives excuses. He/she assumes other things responsible for the failure. Instead of taking responsibility of uncompleted work some people find fault with the equipment. They blame the equipment for the their failure. They do not accept their fault.
My friend was repairing a cell phone. He put all the efforts. After a while he handed the phone to the owner. The phone persisted the same problem. When the owner complained, he told him that the cell phone was outdated. It was beyond repair. He suggested to buy a new one. The owner went to another repair store and got his phone repaired. Here it means that my friend had little knowledge of phone repairing and he could not repair it. But he blamed the cell phone itself.

On many occasions people consider them skilled and expert. In spite of their failure they blame on other or equipment. They blame always others for their unfinished work. It means such persons are bad workmen and they blame the tools they are using.

11 th Std oral exam 20 marks
Q no 1 Testing listening 10 marks





          2 Listen to a poem write gist paraphrasing meaning rhyme words

        Or
       Listen to a short story theme moral          values self opinion
3 Speaking skill test
  Speech examples
     1
     2
     3
     4
     5

4 1  Tell a story
   2  Recite a poem
  3   Narrate incident
  4   Report of the day
  5   Role playing
   6  Discuss on any topic


Conversation skill
https://youtu.be/GC3m5CLCtcg
https://youtu.be/GC3m5CLCtcghttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL55DoZVJ5M2QvP-TBcejbq5Ketqb6XKIT
Speech
https://youtu.be/w82a1FT5o88
Interview questions
https://youtu.be/iMS16PUKwCs

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?
Recite poem
list=PLstkPCp3vINFQxEPhLW9TLIeQ-Vp4VD4d
Narrate a incident
https://youtu.be/A5LEhU07keI

https://youtu.be/AxTys2C4t68

https://youtu.be/bj54nKKLBSU
English conversatation
https://youtu.be/uBsyq7_RPNk
Narrate incident
https://youtu.be/5zt4_yxyHfY
Story telling skill
https://youtu.be/iCrq3DfOn7I
Recite poems
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLstkPCp3vINFQxEPhLW9TLIeQ-Vp4VD4d

A Midsummer Night's Dream Summary

Buy Study Guide

A Midsummer Night's Dream takes place in Athens. Theseus, the Duke of Athens, is planning his marriage with Hippolyta, and as a result he is a planning a large festival. Egeus enters, followed by his daughter Hermia, her beloved Lysander, and her suitor Demetrius. Egeus tells Theseus that Hermia refuses to marry Demetrius, wanting instead to marry Lysander. He asks for the right to punish Hermia with death if she refuses to obey.

Theseus agrees that Hermia's duty is to obey her father, and threatens her with either entering a nunnery or marrying the man her father chooses. Lysander protests, but is overruled by the law. He and Hermia than decide to flee by night into the woods surrounding Athens, where they can escape the law and get married. They tell their plan to Helena, a girl who is madly in love with Demetrius. Hoping to gain favor with Demetrius, Helena decides to tell him about the plan.

Some local artisans and workmen have decided to perform a play for Theseus as a way to celebrate his wedding. They choose Pyramus and Thisbe for their play, and meet to assign the roles. Nick Bottom gets the role of Pyramus, and Flute takes the part of Thisbe. They agree to meet the next night in the woods to rehearse the play.

Robin Goodfellow, a puck, meets a fairy who serves Queen Titania. He tells the fairy that his King Oberon is in the woods, and that Titania should avoid Oberon because they will quarrel again. However, Titania and Oberon soon arrive and begin arguing about a young boy Titania has stolen and is caring for. Oberon demands that she give him the boy, but she refuses.

Oberon decides to play a trick on Titania and put some pansy juice on her eyes. The magical juice will make her fall in love with first person she sees upon waking up. Soon after Puck is sent away to fetch the juice, Oberon overhears Demetrius and Helena in the woods.

Demetrius deserts Helena in the forest, leaving her alone. Oberon decides that he will change this situation, and commands Robin to put the juice onto Demetrius's eyes when he is sleeping. He then finds Titania and drops the juice onto her eyelids. Robin goes to find Demetrius, but instead comes across Lysander and accidentally uses the juice on him.

By accident Helena comes across Lysander and wakes him up. He immediately falls in love with her and starts to chase her through the woods. Together they arrive where Oberon is watching, and he realizes the mistake. Oberon then puts the pansy juice onto Demetrius's eyelids, who upon waking up also falls in love with Helena. She thinks that the two men are trying to torment her for being in love with Demetrius, and becomes furious at their protestations of love.

The workmen arrive in the woods and start to practice their play. They constantly ruin the lines of the play and mispronounce the words. Out of fear of censorship, they decide to make the play less realistic. Therefore the lion is supposed to announce that he is not a lion, but only a common man. Bottom also feels obliged to tell the audience that he is not really going to die, but will only pretend to do so. Puck, watching this silly scene, catches Bottom alone and puts an asses head on him. When Bottom returns to his troupe, they run away out of fear. Bottom then comes across Titania, and succeeds in waking her up. She falls in love with him due to the juice on her eyes, and takes him with her.

Lysander and Demetrius prepare to fight one another for Helena. Puck intervenes and leads them through the woods in circles until they collapse onto the ground in exhaustion. He then brings the two women to same area and puts them to sleep as well.

Oberon finds Titania and releases her from the spell. He then tells the audience that Bottom will think is all a dream when he wakes up. He further releases Lysander from the spell. Theseus arrives with a hunting party and finds the lovers stretched out on the ground. He orders the hunting horns blown in order to wake them up.

The lovers explain why they are in the woods, at which point Egeus demands that he be allowed to exercise the law on Hermia. However, Demetrius intervenes and tells them that he no longer loves Hermia, but rather only loves Helena. Theseus decides to overbear Egeus and let the lovers get married that day with him. Together they return to Athens.

Bottom wakes up and thinks that he has dreamed the entire episode. He swiftly returns to Athens where he meets his friends. Together they head over to Theseus's palace. Theseus looks over the list of possible entertainment for that evening and settles on the play of Pyramus and Thisbe. Bottom and the rest of his company perform the play, after which everyone retires to bed.

Puck arrives and starts to sweep the house clean. Oberon and Titania briefly bless the couples and their future children. After they leave Puck asks the audience to forgive the actors is they were offended. He then tells the audience that if anyone disliked the play, they should imagine that it was only a dream.

SUMMARY PLOT OVERVIEW

Theseus, duke of Athens, is preparing for his marriage to Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, with a four-day festival of pomp and entertainment. He commissions his Master of the Revels, Philostrate, to find suitable amusements for the occasion. Egeus, an Athenian nobleman, marches into Theseus’s court with his daughter, Hermia, and two young men, Demetrius and Lysander. Egeus wishes Hermia to marry Demetrius (who loves Hermia), but Hermia is in love with Lysander and refuses to comply. Egeus asks for the full penalty of law to fall on Hermia’s head if she flouts her father’s will. Theseus gives Hermia until his wedding to consider her options, warning her that disobeying her father’s wishes could result in her being sent to a convent or even executed. Nonetheless, Hermia and Lysander plan to escape Athens the following night and marry in the house of Lysander’s aunt, some seven leagues distant from the city. They make their intentions known to Hermia’s friend Helena, who was once engaged to Demetrius and still loves him even though he jilted her after meeting Hermia. Hoping to regain his love, Helena tells Demetrius of the elopement that Hermia and Lysander have planned. At the appointed time, Demetrius stalks into the woods after his intended bride and her lover; Helena follows behind him.

In these same woods are two very different groups of characters. The first is a band of fairies, including Oberon, the fairy king, and Titania, his queen, who has recently returned from India to bless the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. The second is a band of Athenian craftsmen rehearsing a play that they hope to perform for the duke and his bride. Oberon and Titania are at odds over a young Indian prince given to Titania by the prince’s mother; the boy is so beautiful that Oberon wishes to make him a knight, but Titania refuses. Seeking revenge, Oberon sends his merry 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. Puck obtains the flower, and Oberon tells him of his plan to spread its juice on the sleeping Titania’s eyelids. Having seen Demetrius act cruelly toward Helena, he orders Puck to spread some of the juice on the eyelids of the young Athenian man. Puck encounters Lysander and Hermia; thinking that Lysander is the Athenian of whom Oberon spoke, Puck afflicts him with the love potion. Lysander happens to see Helena upon awaking and falls deeply in love with her, abandoning Hermia. As the night progresses and Puck attempts to undo his mistake, both Lysander and Demetrius end up in love with Helena, who believes that they are mocking her. Hermia becomes so jealous that she tries to challenge Helena to a fight. Demetrius and Lysander nearly do fight over Helena’s love, but Puck confuses them by mimicking their voices, leading them apart until they are lost separately in the forest.

When Titania wakes, the first creature she sees is Bottom, the most ridiculous of the Athenian craftsmen, whose head Puck has mockingly transformed into that of an ass. Titania passes a ludicrous interlude doting on the ass-headed weaver. Eventually, 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, a fumbling, hilarious version of the story of Pyramus and Thisbe. When the play is completed, the lovers go to bed; the fairies briefly emerge to bless the sleeping couples with a protective charm and then disappear. Only Puck remains, to ask the audience for its forgiveness and approval and to urge it to remember the play as though it had all been a dream

CHARACTERS CHARACTER LIST

Puck - Also known as Robin Goodfellow, Puck is Oberon’s jester, a mischievous fairy who delights in playing pranks on mortals. Though A Midsummer Night’s Dream divides its action between several groups of characters, Puck is the closest thing the play has to a protagonist. His enchanting, mischievous spirit pervades the atmosphere, and his antics are responsible for many of the complications that propel the other main plots: he mistakes the young Athenians, applying the love potion to Lysander instead of Demetrius, thereby causing chaos within the group of young lovers; he also transforms Bottom’s head into that of an ass.

Read an IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF PUCK.

Oberon - The king of the fairies, Oberon is initially at odds with his wife, Titania, because she refuses to relinquish control of a young Indian prince whom he wants for a knight. Oberon’s desire for revenge on Titania leads him to send Puck to obtain the love-potion flower that creates so much of the play’s confusion and farce.

Titania - The beautiful queen of the fairies, Titania resists the attempts of her husband, Oberon, to make a knight of the young Indian prince that she has been given. Titania’s brief, potion-induced love for Nick Bottom, whose head Puck has transformed into that of an ass, yields the play’s foremost example of the contrast motif.

Lysander - A young man of Athens, in love with Hermia. Lysander’s relationship with Hermia invokes the theme of love’s difficulty: he cannot marry her openly because Egeus, her father, wishes her to wed Demetrius; when Lysander and Hermia run away into the forest, Lysander becomes the victim of misapplied magic and wakes up in love with Helena.

Demetrius - A young man of Athens, initially in love with Hermia and ultimately in love with Helena. Demetrius’s obstinate pursuit of Hermia throws love out of balance among the quartet of Athenian youths and precludes a symmetrical two-couple arrangement.

Hermia - Egeus’s daughter, a young woman of Athens. Hermia is in love with Lysander and is a childhood friend of Helena. As a result of the fairies’ mischief with Oberon’s love potion, both Lysander and Demetrius suddenly fall in love with Helena. Self-conscious about her short stature, Hermia suspects that Helena has wooed the men with her height. By morning, however, Puck has sorted matters out with the love potion, and Lysander’s love for Hermia is restored.

Read an IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF HERMIA.

Helena - A young woman of Athens, in love with Demetrius. Demetrius and Helena were once betrothed, but when Demetrius met Helena’s friend Hermia, he fell in love with her and abandoned Helena. Lacking confidence in her looks, Helena thinks that Demetrius and Lysander are mocking her when the fairies’ mischief causes them to fall in love with her.

Read an IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF HELENA.

Egeus - Hermia’s father, who brings a complaint against his daughter to Theseus: Egeus has given Demetrius permission to marry Hermia, but Hermia, in love with Lysander, refuses to marry Demetrius. Egeus’s severe insistence that Hermia either respect his wishes or be held accountable to Athenian law places him squarely outside the whimsical dream realm of the forest.

Theseus - The heroic duke of Athens, engaged to Hippolyta. Theseus represents power and order throughout the play. He appears only at the beginning and end of the story, removed from the dreamlike events of the forest.

Read an IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THESEUS.

Hippolyta - The legendary queen of the Amazons, engaged to Theseus. Like Theseus, she symbolizes order.

Nick Bottom - The overconfident weaver chosen to play Pyramus in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Bottom is full of advice and self-confidence but frequently makes silly mistakes and misuses language. His simultaneous nonchalance about the beautiful Titania’s sudden love for him and unawareness of the fact that Puck has transformed his head into that of an ass mark the pinnacle of his foolish arrogance.

Read an IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF NICK BOTTOM.

Peter Quince - A carpenter and the nominal leader of the craftsmen’s attempt to put on a play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Quince is often shoved aside by the abundantly confident Bottom. During the craftsmen’s play, Quince plays the Prologue.

Francis Flute - The bellows-mender chosen to play Thisbe in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Forced to play a young girl in love, the bearded craftsman determines to speak his lines in a high, squeaky voice.

Robin Starveling - The tailor chosen to play Thisbe’s mother in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. He ends up playing the part of Moonshine.

Tom Snout - The tinker chosen to play Pyramus’s father in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. He ends up playing the part of Wall, dividing the two lovers.

Snug - The joiner chosen to play the lion in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Snug worries that his roaring will frighten the ladies in the audience.

Philostrate - Theseus’s Master of the Revels, responsible for organizing the entertainment for the duke’s marriage celebration.

Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Mote, And Mustardseed - The fairies ordered by Titania to attend to Bottom after she falls in love with him.

MAIN IDEAS THEMES

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Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.

Love’s Difficulty

“The course of true love never did run smooth,” comments Lysander, articulating one of A Midsummer Night’s Dream’s most important themes—that of the difficulty of love (I.i.134). Though most of the conflict in the play stems from the troubles of romance, and though the play involves a number of romantic elements, it is not truly a love story; it distances the audience from the emotions of the characters in order to poke fun at the torments and afflictions that those in love suffer. The tone of the play is so lighthearted that the audience never doubts that things will end happily, and it is therefore free to enjoy the comedy without being caught up in the tension of an uncertain outcome.

The theme of love’s difficulty is often explored through the motif of love out of balance—that is, romantic situations in which a disparity or inequality interferes with the harmony of a relationship. The prime instance of this imbalance is the asymmetrical love among the four young Athenians: Hermia loves Lysander, Lysander loves Hermia, Helena loves Demetrius, and Demetrius loves Hermia instead of Helena—a simple numeric imbalance in which two men love the same woman, leaving one woman with too many suitors and one with too few. The play has strong potential for a traditional outcome, and the plot is in many ways based on a quest for internal balance; that is, when the lovers’ tangle resolves itself into symmetrical pairings, the traditional happy ending will have been achieved. Somewhat similarly, in the relationship between Titania and Oberon, an imbalance arises out of the fact that Oberon’s coveting of Titania’s Indian boy outweighs his love for her. Later, Titania’s passion for the ass-headed Bottom represents an imbalance of appearance and nature: Titania is beautiful and graceful, while Bottom is clumsy and grotesque.

Magic

The fairies’ magic, which brings about many of the most bizarre and hilarious situations in the play, is another element central to the fantastic atmosphere of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Shakespeare uses magic both to embody the almost supernatural power of love (symbolized by the love potion) and to create a surreal world. Although the misuse of magic causes chaos, as when Puck mistakenly applies the love potion to Lysander’s eyelids, magic ultimately resolves the play’s tensions by restoring love to balance among the quartet of Athenian youths. Additionally, the ease with which Puck uses magic to his own ends, as when he reshapes Bottom’s head into that of an ass and recreates the voices of Lysander and Demetrius, stands in contrast to the laboriousness and gracelessness of the craftsmen’s attempt to stage their play.

Dreams

As the title suggests, dreams are an important theme in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; they are linked to the bizarre, magical mishaps in the forest. Hippolyta’s first words in the play evidence the prevalence of dreams (“Four days will quickly steep themselves in night, / Four nights will quickly dream away the time”), and various characters mention dreams throughout (I.i.7–8). The theme of dreaming recurs predominantly when characters attempt to explain bizarre events in which these characters are involved: “I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what / dream it was. Man is but an ass if he go about t’expound this dream,” Bottom says, unable to fathom the magical happenings that have affected him as anything but the result of slumber.

Shakespeare is also interested in the actual workings of dreams, in how events occur without explanation, time loses its normal sense of flow, and the impossible occurs as a matter of course; he seeks to recreate this environment in the play through the intervention of the fairies in the magical forest. At the end of the play, Puck extends the idea of dreams to the audience members themselves, saying that, if they have been offended by the play, they should remember it as nothing more than a dream. This sense of illusion and gauzy fragility is crucial to the atmosphere of A Midsummer Night’s Dream,as it helps render the play a fantastical experience rather than a heavy drama.

Jealousy

The theme of jealousy operates in both the human and fairy realms in Midsummer Night’s Dream. Jealousy plays out most obviously among the quartet of Athenian lovers, who find themselves in an increasingly tangled knot of misaligned desire. Helena begins the play feeling jealous of Hermia, who has managed to snag not one but two suitors. Helena loves Demetrius, who in turn feels jealous of his rival for Hermia’s affections, Lysander. When misplaced fairy mischief leads Lysander into an amorous pursuit of Helena, the event drives Hermia into her own jealous rage. Jealousy also extends into the fairy realm, where it has caused a rift between the fairy king and queen. As we learn in Act II, King Oberon and Queen Titania both have eyes for their counterparts in the human realm, Theseus and Hippolyta. Titania accuses Oberon of stealing away with “the bouncing Amazon” (II.i.). Oberon accuses Titania of hypocrisy, since she also loves another: “How canst thou thus for shame, Titania, / Glance at my credit with Hippolyta, / Knowing I know thy love to Theseus?” (II.i.). This jealous rift incites Oberon to command Puck to fetch the magic flower that eventually causes so much chaos and confusion for the Athenian lovershttps://youtu.be/M1wMfOwlAZ8