A MID SUMMER NIGHTS'S DREAM

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

William Shakespeare (23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was a renowned English poet, playwright, and actor born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). His works included 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems.

A Complete Summary for Reading

 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.

Short summary of the play scenes given in the course book
The scenes happen in a fairyland where Titania, the fairy queen, is under a magical spell cast by Oberon, the fairy king. Due to the spell, she falls in love with Bottom, who has the head of an ass. She pampers him and orders her fairies to serve him. Bottom enjoys the attention and assigns small tasks to the fairies. Meanwhile, Oberon, amused by Titania’s actions, finally gets what he wanted—her fairy servant, Puck. Satisfied, he removes the spell from Titania, who wakes up confused, believing she had a strange dream about loving an ass. The play ends with Titania expressing her bewilderment in a lyrical reflection.

C. Read the statements and answer the questions.

1. Today I saw her in the forest, searching for gifts to give this foolish ass. I found it so silly! She had crowned his head with fresh, fragrant flowers! And the poor flowers seemed to cry with embarrassment.

   a. Who spoke these lines and to whom?

   • Oberon spoke these lines to Robin (Puck).

   b. Who is he speaking about?

   • He is speaking about Titania and Bottom (who has the head of an ass).

   c. What is the reason for her actions?

   • Titania is under a magical spell cast by Oberon, making her fall in love with Bottom. Because of the spell, she showers him with affection, crowns his head with flowers, and treats him with great care.

2. Dear Oberon, what a dream I saw! I was talking fondly with an ass! Oh my god.. my fairies were taking care of him! I think I was in love with him in my dream!

   a. Who is the speaker? Who is she speaking about?

   • The speaker is Titania, and she is speaking about Bottom.

   b. Why does she feel it was a dream?

   • Because Oberon has removed the magic spell, Titania no longer remembers being enchanted. The events seem so unbelievable to her that she thinks it was just a dream.

3. Would you like to listen to some music, dear?

   a. Who said this and to whom?

   • Titania said this to Bottom.

   b. What kind of music did the listener want to hear?

   • Bottom wanted to hear percussion music.

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D. Answer the questions.

1. What does Titania do when she sees Bottom with the ass-head?

   • Under the influence of Oberon’s magic spell, Titania falls deeply in love with Bottom despite his appearance. She pampers him, decorates his head with flowers, and orders her fairies to serve him.

2. What tasks does Bottom assign to the fairies Peaseblossom, Cobweb, and Mustardseed?

   • Bottom asks Peaseblossom to scratch his head.
   • He instructs Cobweb to catch a red-hopped bumblebee and bring him honey.
   • He tells Mustardseed to assist Peaseblossom in scratching him.

3. How does Oberon break the magic spell on Titania?

   • Oberon drops the nectar of a special flower on Titania’s eyes while she is asleep. This flower’s magic reverses the love spell, making her return to her normal self.

4. What kind of tone does Titania's lyrical reflection have overall?

   • Titania’s lyrical reflection has a bewildered, humorous, and slightly dreamy tone. She expresses surprise and disbelief at her actions, laughing at how absurd her "dream" was.

Extra Questions

1. Why does Oberon put Titania under a spell?
Oberon puts Titania under a spell because she refuses to give him the young Indian boy. Oberon wants the boy to serve him as a knight. To distract Titania and achieve his goal, he uses magic to make her fall in love with someone else. This allows him to take the boy without further argument or conflict.

2. What is the spell that Oberon puts Titania under?
Oberon uses a magical flower whose juice makes a person fall in love with the first creature they see after waking up. When Titania wakes, she sees Bottom, who has a donkey’s head, and immediately falls in love with him. The spell makes her act foolishly and blindly without realizing the truth.

3. Who does Bottom call to assist him and what does he ask them to do?
Bottom calls Peaseblossom, Cobweb, and Mustardseed to serve him. He asks Peaseblossom to scratch his head, Cobweb to kill a red bumblebee and bring honey, and Mustardseed to help scratch his head. He enjoys giving them orders and behaving proudly, as if he truly deserves royal treatment.

4. How does Titania make sure Bottom gets everything he wishes for?
Titania treats Bottom with great care and affection. She strokes his cheeks, pets his ears, and provides music for him. She asks what he wants to eat and sends fairies to bring nuts and honey. She even sings him a lullaby and lovingly helps him sleep, showing complete devotion under the spell.

5. Why does Oberon say that he pities Titania?
Oberon feels pity when he sees Titania lovingly caring for Bottom, who has a donkey’s head. She crowns him with flowers and treats him like a king. Realizing how foolish she looks under the spell, Oberon begins to feel sorry for her. He understands that the magic has made her lose her dignity.

6. Why does Oberon decide to break the spell on Titania?
Oberon breaks the spell after he gets the Indian boy from Titania. Once his goal is achieved, he no longer wants her to remain under the spell. He wants Titania to return to her normal self and restore peace between them. This decision shows that his main aim was only to get the boy.

7. Analyse the character of Oberon.
Oberon is determined and clever but also selfish. He uses magic to trick Titania instead of solving the problem peacefully. He chooses an easy way to achieve his goal and behaves immaturely. However, he later restores order by removing the spell, showing that he also values harmony in the end.

8. What does Titania’s behaviour reveal about her?
Under the spell, Titania shows extreme care and affection toward Bottom, fulfilling all his wishes without question. After the spell is removed, she realizes it was foolish and dreamlike. This shows that her strange behaviour was only due to magic and not her true personality or dignity as a queen.

9. Describe the character of Bottom.

Bottom is a simple and humorous Athenian Peasant. After Puck gives him a donkey’s head, he unknowingly becomes the center of attention. He enjoys the care and respect he receives from Titania and her fairies. He appears confident, slightly foolish, and self-important, adding comic relief to the play. He is unaware of how strange he looks, which makes his character even funnier. Despite everything, he rema