Act V

Give your final thoughts/feelings/experience with MSND. Did you like it or hate it? Why? Was it as bad as you thought it would be? Do you feel like you are better prepared to read Shakespeare in the future? Give your final overall feelings about reading Shakespeare- in about 11 sentences.

Act IV

Demetrius asks, “Are you sure that we are awake? It seems to me that yet we sleep, we dream.” How is this an alternate explanation for a human’s visit to the fairy world of spells and being enchanted? Remember to include what would be absurd behavior on Demetrius’ part were he not under a fairy spell. What about behaviors from the other characters? Knowing that during Shakespeare's time writing about magic & spells was "taboo", why else might Shakespeare attribute all this business to dreaming? How might this effect the audience's view of the play?

Act III

As Hermia, you have just lost your boy friend to your best friend who you think has “stol’n my love’s heart from him. . ..” This would mean losing your best friend too. Which is the worse losing your boyfriend/girlfriend or your best friend and why? Is this a problem today? And how does the fact that Shakespeare uses situations that still happen today, help us to better understand the play? Use not only your own feelings but validations from the play to prove your point. Answer in about 11 sentences.

Act II, Scene ii

How does Shakespeare use humor and language to paint a picture of the Mechanicals? Are you/were you surprised by the humor in this play? Why? Why do you think Shakespeare would put this particular plot line into MSND (aka the play within the play)? What purpose might it serve, especially since the play was written so long ago? Do you think this particular plot line is necessary in MSND? Why? Explain your answer in about 11 sentences.

Act I

What does Egeus’ statement (referring to Hermia), “And she is mine, and all my right of her I do estate unto Demetrius,” tell us about the Elizabethan view of women? Validate your opinion with clues from the text and use other references from Act I to support your answer. How have these views changed? How have they stayed the same? Your answer should be about 11 sentences.

To Start...

Give your thoughts on reading MSND so far. Are you understanding it? Is the pace we are reading working for you? Is it too slow or too fast? Do you like it? It is better or worse than you thought? What needs to happen for it to be a better experience? Explain your thoughts in about 10-ish sentences.