A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Carlos Daniel Contreras Franjul

Introduction to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Play

2025-03-05 02:07:00 UTC

We have read Act 1 scene 1 ., the story takes place in Athens. We see the arrivals of Egeus and his daughter Hermia to the palace. A big event is happening this event being the wedding of Thesus (the duke of at hens) and Hippolita.

Main Storyline

2025-03-05 02:17:24 UTC

The story continues with Egeus telling Thesus that talk to Hermia about her decision for marriage. Egeus wants that his daughter marries Demetrius but Hermia wants to marry Lysander her true love. Becuase of tha chat Egeus and Thesus had, Thesus enforces the law against Hermia giving her three options: Marry Demetrius, become a nun or die because of the law.

Lysander and Hermia decide to run away so that they can be together. But they have made the mistake to tell Helena (Hermia best friend), she is in love with Demetrius and she betray Hermia and tells demetrius about Hermia's and Lysander's plan.

In Act 2 scene 2 new characters are introduced. its about a group of Actors that are going to perform a play in Thesus and Hippolyta wedding. They are discussing about each one of the roles where Bottom shows some of a ego because he wants to play all the characters.

Big Themes found in the play

2025-03-05 02:22:25 UTC

The themes that caught my attention are:

Marriage in previous times: It was a crime to go against your parents wishes in ancient times, if you decided to contradict them in that decisions by law you can die.

Betrayal and Blind love: Helena because of her being in love with Demetrius betrayed Hermia and Lysander, atlhough we all know her love will never be repayed.

Personal Opinion and Expectations

2025-03-05 02:28:26 UTC

I feel I will like this book. Ancient greek history is a favorite theme of mine since I read Percy Jackson. The main story intrigues me and i want to see what consequences Hermia and Lysander will face for trying to run away and how they will continue with their love although is against everyone. I expect the book to get more interesting and explore greek culture and law. It is a classic so it must be good.

The plot shifts in scene 2 showing us different characters. I'm curious about how this characters will cross their paths with the main story characters.

Shakespeare Language

2025-03-05 02:32:42 UTC

The more we read Shakespeare the easier has been to understand his language. It is still difficult to understant some words and many when I don't understand something I look it up. But with context I manage to understand.

Characters

carloscf5 — 2025-03-21 16:22:18 UTC

Hermia: Daughter of Egeus. Wants to marry Lysander but her father doesn't let her.

Lysander: Hermia's true love

Helena: Hermia's best friend and she is crazy in love with Demetrius.

Demetrius: He is the man Egeus wants Hermia to marry.

Thesus: Duke of Athens. Supports Egeus with his decision

Hippolyta: A captured Amazonia that will marry with Theseus

Egeus: Father of Hermia and doens't approve lysander.

Bottom: The "main actor" in the play, he is has a big ego and wants to play all the characters.

Quince: He tries to get the group organized seems like the director.

Main Storyline

carloscf5 — 2025-03-21 16:23:09 UTC

In Act 2 the setting changes to the forest where Lysander and Hermia escaped. new characters are introduced this being Oberon the king of the fairies, Titania the Queen of the fairies and Robin Goodfellow "Puck" a evil hopgoblin. Oberon and Titania are in conflict over a Indian boy, this drives them apart and make Oberon call Puck to use a magical flower to make Titania fall in love with a beast. Oberon sympthazies with Helena situation and ask Puck to use the magic flower with the "Athenian Man" (Demetrius) so he falls in love with Helena. Puck messes up and use the flower on Lysander making him fall in love with Helena. Hermia wakes up and start looking for Lysander.

New Characters

carloscf5 — 2025-03-21 18:14:09 UTC

New character in this Act are:

Oberon: King of the fairies. He is jealous of Titania

Titania: Queen of the fairies. She loves the Indian boy.

Robin Goodfellow "Puck": A hobgoblin and evil goblin at Oberon's orders.

Personal Opinion

carloscf5 — 2025-03-21 18:18:49 UTC

I loved this chapter. The real story started and the conflicts began. I'm curious about how Hermia is going to react when she founds out that Lysander is in love with her best friend. I wonder how Helena will react to this sudden change of heart Demetrius had. The story starts to get really interesting.

Shakespeare language

carloscf5 — 2025-03-21 18:21:43 UTC

While reading this chapter I remembered why Shakespeare play are indeed plays and not some normal books. Every sentence is written to have a dramatic touch. He rhymes a lot during his plays and uses Medieval expressions I would say.

Main Storyline

carloscf5 — 2025-03-21 18:34:03 UTC

In the first scene of Act 3, we see again Bottom and the play's actors. Puck is around them while they are performing. Bottom gets turned into an ass-head by Puck and the other actors run away in fear because of Bottom's new look. Puck asks Bottom to follow him. Titania wakes up under the influence of the flower and falls in love with Bottom with an ass-head. In the second scene, Demetrius is under the flower's influence too, and falls in love with Helena. Both men start to fight for Helena's love and she thinks they are mocking her. Hermia arrives and is angry, she feels betrayed because she thinks Helena took Lysander from her. Lysander is rude to Hermia. Oberon realizes his mistake and sends Puck to solve it. Puck makes everyone fall asleep and gives the flowers an antidote to Lysander dissolving the effects.

Shakespeare, W. (2016). Midsummer Night's Dream. Simon & Schuster. Act 3 Scene 1 & 2 (pg. 69-120)

Characters

carloscf5 — 2025-03-21 18:38:49 UTC

No new characters are introduced but we see how Bottom a character that seemed away from other characters, gets involved with the main chracters.

Personal Opinion

carloscf5 — 2025-03-21 18:42:47 UTC

What a twist of events! , I didn't expected Bottom to become half donkey and less that Titania fell for him. I want to see how Lysander actions under the influence of the flower will affect his relationship with Hermia. It seems like Oberon's plan is working but I feel something is about to happen that will interfere with Oberon's plan. Helena might have Demetrius now but she doesn't seem happy about that.

Bible Integration

carloscf5 — 2025-03-27 13:15:00 UTC

In this Act we saw how Puck messes up and Oberon got mad about it and felt that he needs to solve the conflicts with Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius and Helena. Philippians 2:4: "Not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others" (New International Version, 2011). Oberon didn't look for his best interest, he tried to help Helena and when he messed up, he make up for his mistakes.

Q & A

carloscf5 — 2025-03-27 13:17:16 UTC

How characters like Bottom and Flute will cross paths with Oberon, Titania, Lysander and Hermia? It was a weird and strange way of crossing paths with each other. I didn't expect that for Bottom to be involved in the main storyline he had to become half donkey and be part of the plan that oberon had for Titania.

How does Hermia react when she discovered that Lysander is now in love with Helena? It was as I expected, she got angry and sad. It is a reasonable crash out if you find that your lover is now in love with your best friend.

Main Storyline

carloscf5 — 2025-03-27 16:10:15 UTC

Oberon concretes his plan. Titania gave him the Indian Boy so he tells Puck they can dissolve the effect of the flower from Titania. Oberon and Titania reunited, make Bottom and the lovers fall asleep. Puck takes away Bottom ass-head and dissolve the effect from Lysander's eyes. Thesus, Hippolyta and Egeus arrive to celebrate May Day encountering once again with the 4 lovers. Lysander tells them that He and Hermia runaway because of the law imposed by Theseus. Demetrius declares that he loves Helena in front of everyone. Thesus hearing this, declares that Demetrius and Helena, Lysander and Hermia, and Him and Hippolyta will marry the same day. Bottom wakes up and felt like everything was a dream. Bottom, Flute and the actors were chosen to perform that night.

Shakespeare, W. (2016). Midsummer Night's Dream. Simon & Schuster. Act 4 Scene 1 & 2 (pg. 121- 140)

Characters

carloscf5 — 2025-03-27 16:10:24 UTC

Thesus, Hippolyta and Egeus appeared once again. This characters last appearance was Scene 1 Act 1. Oberon, Titania, Puck, Bottom, Hermia, Lysander, Helena, Lysander and the actors, where the characters that appeared in this act.

Personal opinion

carloscf5 — 2025-03-27 16:10:33 UTC

I was really surprised that the conflicts seems to get solved so easily. Everyone gets to marry one who they want without consequences for running away. The mention that made Bottom saying that he thought it was a dream is interesting and I think it could have some foreshadowing in that phrase.

Bible Integration

carloscf5 — 2025-03-27 16:10:42 UTC

Fulfilling the role as leader and assuming his mistake. Oberon's involvement restores harmony among the characters by resolving the disorder brought about by Puck's mess, much how God creates beauty out of chaos . As seen in Isaiah 55:8–9 (New International Version, 2011), where God's thoughts and ways are superior to ours, Theseus's final judgment illustrates God's capacity to kindly and wisely overturn human laws.

Q&A

carloscf5 — 2025-03-27 16:10:49 UTC

Lysander and Hermia will be punished for running away? Lysander and Hermia seemed to be absolved of every consequence by Thesus. Thesus declared they are going to marry now.

Did Oberon's plan got fulfilled without any inconveinents? Oberon's plan got fulfilled perfectly without any flaws suprisingly.

Main Storyline

carloscf5 — 2025-03-27 16:11:01 UTC

This act develops in the wedding day of the 3 couples. This started with Thesus and Hippolyta talking and discussing about the situations the lovers faced. They claim everything wasn't real and was a dream. Thesus thinks that Demetrius, Lysander, Helena and Hermia; and the poets have a great imagination. Later, Bottom and the actors perform "Pyramus and Thisbe" the play they were chosen to perform in the wedding day. It was poorly performed causing laughs around the public. It was ridiculous and absurd, with a lot of errors.

Oberon, Titania and Puck arrive to the palace. Puck hops on stage and delivers a speech suggesting that they consider the play a dream.

Shakespeare, W. (2016). Midsummer Night's Dream. Simon & Schuster. Act 5 Scene 1 (pg. 143-173 )

Characters

carloscf5 — 2025-03-27 16:11:06 UTC

The Characters in this play were: Thesus, Hippolyta, Oberon, Titania, Puck, Bottom, Hermia, Lysander, Helena, Lysander, The actors, Philostrate.

Personal Opinion

carloscf5 — 2025-03-27 16:11:14 UTC

Personally I didn't like the last chapter, for me the ending was rushed and the approach the author had with the ending wasn't as good for me. I didn't like the last speech and it wasn't a good ending for me

Bible Integration

carloscf5 — 2025-03-27 16:11:25 UTC

'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9 (New International Version). Athough I didn't like the ending it was a peaceful and reasonable ending. The restoration of relationships in the play shows God’s desire to heal humanity to Himself and to one another. Showing that he is a God of peace.

Q&A

carloscf5 — 2025-03-27 16:11:32 UTC

Did the story was a dream? Some friends tried to spoil me the ending saying it was a dream, but although they were some references suggesting that the main story was a dream. It was not.

The lovers had conflicts at the end of the play? It all got solved without any consequences and the lovers got a good ending for each one of them.

If the love of your life turns into a donkey, would you still be with them?

carloscf5 — 2025-03-28 17:25:51 UTC

Character Analysis

carloscf5 — 2025-04-15 04:19:41 UTC

Act 1: Helena gets introduced as a Hermia's best friend that gets pushed away because Hermia gets the attention. She is desperate for Demetrius love while he is in love with Hermia and fighting for the right to marry her. We can deduced that she is insecure because of the situation she lives with Demetrius and Hermia.

Act 2-3: Her insecurities reflected more when both Lysander and Demetrius are affected by the magical flower making them fall in love with Helena. She thinks the boys are mocking her and cant believe they're in love with her. She is confused and vulnerable in this acts.

Acts 4-5: I don't think Helena is shown much in the last chapters. But because her dream came true and she got to marry Demetrius. She is happy and restored. She develops throughout the play as the one that nobody cares off into fulfilling her dream and getting married to the boy of her dreams.

Story Ending

carloscf5 — 2025-04-15 04:24:08 UTC

By the end of the play, do you think the play has ended happily or unhappily. How so, how not, and for whom? The play ended happily for everyone. Everyone got to marry who they wanted (except Demetrius before the flower). It is not fair for Demetrius because it can be called a fake love. But after the flower affected him he loves Helena, so technically for his actual state of mind I suppose he is happy.

Have characters' conflicts been truly resolved or only repressed, forgotten, or ignored? I doubt after the marriage ceremony they would be problems related to the flowers. Some can argument the problems only have been repressed but for me it got solved.