Learning Goal:
Students will read and understand Act 2, Scene 2 and Act 3, Scene 1 of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Today we read through Act 2, Scene 2 of Midsummer. This is the act where everyone's plans begin to come to fruition. Oberon is finally able to place the juice of the Little Western Flower on Titania's eyes as she sleeps and Hermia and Lysander are finally fleeing Athens in order to marry.
As Hermia and Lysander rest for the evening, Lysander has less than noble intentions with Hermia as she asks him to lie further off. When he says, "One turf shall serve as pillow for us both; one heart, one bed, two bosoms, and one troth" - he means exactly what you think he means. (*wink wink*) However, Hermia has a better sense of modesty and convinces him to "lie further off."
Puck arrives on the scene, notices the Athenian garments, and assumes that Lysander is the Athenian man that Oberon had him seek out. Unfortunately for Lysander (and Hermia!), Puck applies the juice from the Little Western Flower to his eyes. Upon his awakening, Lysander falls in love with Helena! Oh no! But, hilarity will ensue! For her part, Helena is offended by Lysander's declarations of love - he is in love with her best friend after all, and she's feeling pretty down on herself. In fact, she calls herself as ugly as a bear. Poor Helena.
In Act 3, Scene 1, we see the workmen/actors working hard at their play and their stupidity. Bottom is the biggest idiot of them all and notices four problems with their play.
We also discussed IRONY! This is a big one! Something that you need to know for every Shakespearean play that you will EVER READ!
Take a look at the link below. It's a great explanation of irony.
Students will read and understand Act 2, Scene 2 and Act 3, Scene 1 of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Today we read through Act 2, Scene 2 of Midsummer. This is the act where everyone's plans begin to come to fruition. Oberon is finally able to place the juice of the Little Western Flower on Titania's eyes as she sleeps and Hermia and Lysander are finally fleeing Athens in order to marry.
As Hermia and Lysander rest for the evening, Lysander has less than noble intentions with Hermia as she asks him to lie further off. When he says, "One turf shall serve as pillow for us both; one heart, one bed, two bosoms, and one troth" - he means exactly what you think he means. (*wink wink*) However, Hermia has a better sense of modesty and convinces him to "lie further off."
Puck arrives on the scene, notices the Athenian garments, and assumes that Lysander is the Athenian man that Oberon had him seek out. Unfortunately for Lysander (and Hermia!), Puck applies the juice from the Little Western Flower to his eyes. Upon his awakening, Lysander falls in love with Helena! Oh no! But, hilarity will ensue! For her part, Helena is offended by Lysander's declarations of love - he is in love with her best friend after all, and she's feeling pretty down on herself. In fact, she calls herself as ugly as a bear. Poor Helena.
In Act 3, Scene 1, we see the workmen/actors working hard at their play and their stupidity. Bottom is the biggest idiot of them all and notices four problems with their play.
- The women will be too afraid of their swords. The solution? Have a prologue where they tell the audience that nothing in the play is real and that Pyramus is actually played by an actor named Bottom.
- The women will be too afraid of the lion. The solution? Have the actor's face show through his costume and have him assure the audience that he isn't in fact a real lion, but a man.
- There will be no moonlight the night that they present their play. The solution? Open a window in the hall where they present the play OR, even better, have a man play moonshine!
- Pyramus and Thisbe must speak to each other through a wall. The solution? Have a man play wall. That way, Pyramus and Thisbe can speak to each other through a "chink" in the wall (i.e., the man's fingers).
We also discussed IRONY! This is a big one! Something that you need to know for every Shakespearean play that you will EVER READ!
Take a look at the link below. It's a great explanation of irony.