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A Midsummer Night's Dream A NOISE WITHIN SPRING 2021 STUDY GUIDE William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Edu STUDY GUIDES FROM A NOISE WITHIN A rich resource for teachers of English, reading, arts, and drama education. Dear Reader, We’re delighted you’re interested in our study guides, designed to provide a full range of information on our plays to teachers of all grade levels. A Noise Within’s study guides include: • General information about the play (characters, synopsis, timeline, and more) • Playwright biography and literary analysis • Historical content of the play • Scholarly articles • Production information (costumes, lights, direction, etc.) • Suggested classroom activities • Related resources (videos, books, etc.) • Discussion themes • Background on verse and prose (for Shakespeare’s plays) Our study guides allow you to review and share information with students to enhance both lesson plans and pupils’ theatrical experience and appreciation. They are designed to let you extrapolate articles and other information that best align with your own curricula and pedagogic goals. Pictured: Carolyn Ratteray, Evan Lewis Smith, and Veralyn Jones, Gem of the Ocean More information? It would be our pleasure. We’re 2019. PHOTO BY CRAIG SCHWARTZ. here to make your students’ learning experience as rewarding and memorable as it can be! All the best, Alicia Green DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION TABLE OF CONTENTS Special thanks to our Dinner On Stage donors who kept the arts thriving this year by Character Map ......................................4 supporting our Student Matinees (SMATs): Synopsis ...........................................5 SMAT PERFORMANCE SPONSOR About the Author: William Shakespeare ...............6 ($5,000 AND ABOVE) Richard Green Sheila & Alan Lamson Timeline of William Shakespeare’s Life. 7 Jeanie & Terry Kay Barbara Lawrence William & Priscilla Terri Murray Historical Context: Elizabethan Society ................8 Kennedy Richard & Sally Roberts Love Trouble: The Light and Dark of SCHOOL SPONSOR ($2,500 AND ABOVE) A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 9 Bill & Clarie Bogaard Julie & Lance Markowitz A 16th Century Ovid: The Influence of Kathleen & Bruce & Valerie Merritt James Drummy Lyn Spector Classical Mythology on the Understanding Sheila Grether-Marion & Lois Tandy of Shakespeare’s Plays ...............................11 Mark Marion Liz & Rhodes Trussell Barbara Henderson Themes and Motifs ................................. 13 Verse and Prose .................................... 16 CLASS SPONSOR ($1,000 AND ABOVE) Molly Bachmann Eugene Kapaloski Try Your Hand at Shakespeare ........................17 Meg Huntington Cajero Thomas & Gloria Lang Jack & Becky Doody Jay Lesiger Words Coined by Shakespeare ....................... 18 Fred & Sandy Engler Cynthia Nunes & Armando Gonzalez Barbara Nye The Art of the Shakespearean Insult .................. 19 Diane Grohulski Diana Peterson-More Pre-Show Preparation: Research .....................20 Schuyler & Gail Samuel & Deborah Hollingsworth William Christian Pre-Show Preparation: Activities ..................... 21 Robert & Jennifer Israel Margaret Sedenquist Denise Jay Tribune Direct Essay Questions ....................................23 Miranda Johnson-Haddad Vickie Taylor Additional Resources ...............................24 Molly Joseph WORKSHOP SPONSOR ($500 AND ABOVE) Robert Cathcart Bob Low, in honor of wife Cecilia Center Anni Frandsen Low, A NOISE WITHIN’S EDUCATION PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY: John Cushman Ph.D. Ann Peppers Foundation Kenneth T. and Julie Daniels Alan Miller Eileen L. Norris Foundation Patrick Garcia Julia Rodriguez-Elliott Capital Group Companies Sandra Greenstein Janet Samuel Michael J. Connell Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Selma Holo & Fred Croton Deborah Strang David Holtz Donna Tucker, in memory Foundation Shakespeare in American Forsight Creations of Beverly Parks The Dick and Sally Roberts Communities: National Jim Kelly Tucker Coyote Foundation Endowment for the Arts Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Loretta Vigil in partnership with Jason King Marianne Wallace The Jewish Community Arts Midwest. David & Julia Zuckerman Foundation Elyse Klein Steinmetz Foundation The Green Foundation BUS SPONSOR ($350 AND ABOVE) Dwight Stuart Youth Fund Wendy Alden Allan Mohrman Anonymous Scott Myers Julie Fox Blackshaw Norma Richman Mary Hacker Edmund Roberts Ilona Linden Daniel Rothmuller Nancy Macky Chromatic Joan Mills Interactive Media ADDITIONAL DONORS Jerry Gallagher & Jan Sanders Gerard Clarke Linda Saurenman Margaret Grossman Stuart Semigran Margaret Koch Angela Conner & Irene Lacher Kevin Speaks Mark Nelson Sallie Strang This project is part of Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. Cover Image: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Gustave Doré, c. 1870 4 A NOISE WITHIN 2020/21 REPERTORY SEASON | Spring 2021 Study Guide A Midsummer Night's Dream CHARACTER MAP ATHENIAN COURT THE LOVERS Theseus Hippolyta Lysander Hermia The Duke The warrior Queen Another young A young lover and of Athens, of the Amazons, lover. In love with the daughter of Theseus, is Hippolyta, is Hermia. Egeus. betrothed to betrothed to Hippolyta. Theseus. Egeus The father Philostrate of Hermia. The master of the revels to Duke Theseus’ court. Helena Demetrius Another young Another young The Mechanicals lover. In love lover. Egeus’ pick for with Demetrius. Hermia. Nick Bottom Peter Quince weaver and A carpenter and one of the the director of the “mechanicals.” THE FAIRES “mechanicals.” Plays Pyramus. Supernatural Francis Flute Tom Snout A bellows mender, A tinker, also Titania Oberon also one of the one of the The Queen of The King of “mechanicals.” Plays “mechanicals.” the fairies. the Fairies. Thisbe. Plays a Lion. Snug Robin Starveling Fairies Puck A joiner, also one of A tailor, also attend to Titania. Oberon's servant. the “mechanicals.” one of the Peaseblossom A.k.a. Robin Plays a Wall. “mechanicals.” Cobweb Goodfellow. Plays Moonshine. Moth Mustardseed 5 A NOISE WITHIN 2020/21 REPERTORY SEASON | Spring 2021 Study Guide A Midsummer Night's Dream SYNOPSIS Theseus, Duke of Athens, after conquering the warrior Amazons in battle, is in turn conquered by the charms of their Queen, Hippolyta, and they are now planning to marry. To speed the time until their wedding night, Theseus orders amusements to be staged. In the spirit of loyalty, Bottom the weaver and other tradesmen decide to prepare a play for the Duke and his bride. The preparations are interrupted by Egeus, an Athenian, who brings his daughter, Hermia, and her two suitors before Theseus, entreating him to command A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Robert Fowler, c.1900 Hermia to wed Demetrius. Hermia begs to be allowed to marry Lysander, The four lovers are greatly confused. Oberon finds whom she loves. The duke orders Hermia to obey that Puck put the potion on Lysander’s eyes and her father under penalty of death or confinement not Demetrius, so Oberon uses another potion to in a convent. Hermia and Lysander, thinking that break the spell. When Demetrius wakes up, he sees the decree is too harsh, agree to secretly meet in a the neglected Helena being wooed by Lysander. His nearby forest and escape to another city. They tell own love for her returns, and he is ready to fight their plans to Helena, the former lover of Demetrius Lysander to win back the love of Helena. Helena, who still dotes on him. To win back his love, Helena having been so rejected, thinks that both men are informs Demetrius of Hermia and Lysander’s escape mocking her, and Hermia is dazed by the rejection plan. of her lover, Lysander. The fairies prevent conflict by causing the four to wander around in the dark Meanwhile, in the forest, the fairy king and queen, forest until they tire and fall asleep. Puck corrects Oberon and Titania, are at odds. In spite, Oberon his mistake by smearing Lysander’s eyes to undo asks Puck to obtain a special love potion to pour on the love potion. This way, when everyone wakes up, Titania’s sleeping eyes. This will cause her to love the Lysander will love Hermia and Demetrius will love first thing she sees upon waking. Just then, Oberon Helena. sees Demetrius looking for the meeting place chosen by Hermia and Lysander. Instead, much to Titania entertains Bottom as her true love until his distaste, Demetrius meets Helena. Upon seeing Oberon, whose anger has cooled, removes the spell Helena’s distress from being rejected by Demetrius from her eyes. Bottom is restored to his human yet again, Oberon asks Puck to smear Demetrius’ form and rejoins his friends in Athens. On an early eyes with the love potion so that he may love morning hunting trip, Theseus comes upon the four Helena. But, when Lysander and Hermia arrive, Puck lovers in the forest. When all is explained, Theseus mistakenly smears Lysander’s eyes with the love withdraws his order to Hermia and grants permission potion, and, as Helena wanders by, Lysander falls in for her to marry Lysander, also allowing Helena to love with her and abandons Hermia. marry Demetrius. This same enchanted spot in the forest is the place A wedding feast for all three couples is spread at selected by Bottom and his company of tradesmen the Duke’s palace. Bottom’s acting troupe comes to for the final rehearsal of their play. The mischievous the wedding feast and presens the “comic” tragedy Puck magically crowns Bottom with the head of an of Pyramus and Thisbe, which is performed in a ass, which terrifies the other players into running wondrous
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