A Midsummer Night's Dream (MAXNotes Literature Guides)REA's MAXnotes for William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream The MAXnotes offers a comprehensive summary and analysis of A Midsummer Night's Dream and a biography of William Shakespeare. Places the events of the play in historical context and discusses each act in detail. Includes study questions and answers along with topics for papers and sample outlines. |
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actors ass's head Athenian garments Athenian law Athens audience awakens Bottom's reaction changeling characters choose Cobweb comedy couples craftsmen's play death or banishment Duke Duke of Athens Egeus brings English Exams fairies fall asleep fall in love father feel fife haunted wood Hermia and Helena Hermia and Lysander Hippolyta lady Lion love Helena love juice love with Demetrius love with Helena love with Hermia lovers loves Hermia Lysander and Hermia Lysander's eye Macbeth marry Demetrius marry Hermia MAXnotes Merchant of Venice metonymy Midsummer Night's Dream moon Mustardseed Nick Bottom night nunnery Oberon orders Puck Peaseblossom Philostrate Plautus play-within-the-play plot poetry Portia prose Puck anoints puns Pyramus and Thisbe Quince reader reanoint revel Robin Goodfellow Robin Starveling role Romeo and Juliet Scene Shakespeare's plays simile sing sleep Snout Snug's speak spell stage Study Questions Suggested Essay Topics synecdoche Test theater Theseus thinks Titania verse William Shakespeare youth in Athenian
Popular passages
Page 10 - Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek? hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against The deep damnation of his taking-off ; And pity, like a naked new-born babe. Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubim, horsed Upon the sightless couriers of the air, Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye, "'hat tears shall drown the wind.
Page 8 - It is shaped, sir, like itself; and it is as broad as it hath breadth: it is just so high as it is, and moves with its own organs: it lives by that which nourisheth it; and the elements once out of it, it transmigrates.
Page 10 - Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels trumpet-tongued against The deep damnation of his taking-off; And pity, like a naked new-born babe, Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubim horsed Upon the sightless couriers of the air, Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye, That tears shall drown the wind.
Page 72 - I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream, — past the wit of man to say what dream it was.
Page 15 - Laurence's cell Enter FRIAR LAURENCE, with a basket FRIAR LAURENCE. The grey-eyed morn smiles on the frowning night, Chequering the eastern clouds with streaks of light, And flecked darkness like a drunkard reels From forth day's path and Titan's fiery wheels.
Page 10 - Such similes often give way to more involved comparisons, "extended similes." For example, Juliet tells Romeo: Tis almost morning, I would have thee gone, And yet no farther than a wonton's bird, That lets it hop a little from his hand Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves, And with silken thread plucks it back again, So loving-jealous of his liberty.
Page 17 - Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers: the sleeping and the dead Are but as pictures: 'tis the eye of childhood That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed, I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal, For it must seem their guilt.
Page 13 - O, then we bring forth weeds, When our quick minds lie still; and our ills told us Is as our earing.
Page 30 - First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats on; then read the names of the actors; and so grow to a point. Quin. Marry, our play is 'The most lamentable comedy, and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisbe'.