Mid+Summers+Night+Dream+Act+2

media type="file" key="MSND ACT 2 SCENE 2.mp3" width="240" height="20" Podcast by: Jeremy Smith and Tom Norman Creating the magical mood and atmosphere of act 2 scene 1-2.

Act II, Scene 1

10. What does the reader find out about the current relationship between Oberon, King of the Fairies, and Titania, Queen of the Fairies, from Puck and the first fairy?: Puck tells us that Oberon and Titania cannot meet each other in the woods because if they do they will fight. The fairy King and Queen are fighting over a changeling boy and if they were to meet there would be fighting of epic proportions if you will. There would be natural disasters there fighting is so bad, examples of this in the play are flooding and fires.

11. How have Oberon and Titania been involved in the past with Theseus and Hippolyta; why have they come to Athens?: In the past Oberon has had relations with Hippolyta and Titania uses that to her advantage and agianst Oberon. At the same time Hippolyta has been with Theseus and Oberon also uses that to his advantage, against her. They have both traveled to Athens to attend Theseus' and Hippolyta's wedding, not only do they wish to attend but to also to bless them an as the play says "... you come to give their bed joy and prosperity."

12. What effect has their quarrel had on nature, on the seasons, on humans?: The effect of Oberon and Titanias fighting has caused much wide spread natural disasters among human land. The seasons have changed, despite whatever season it is thought to be when the pair fight the season turns to a harsh winter climate. The play also mentions contagious frogs walking on land overbearing the land, ox's no longer can give birth, whistling winds, ploughmans land becomes useless and his corn rots, floods drown other crops.

13. Why won’t Titania give up the changeling to Oberon?: Titania has the changeling baby because she sworn to look after the baby for her friend, who was a "votress of her order". She has grew fond of her baby and doesn't want to give up the baby because in a sense she has raised it to be her own and views the child as if it was her own. Another contributing factor may be that Oberon wishes to turn the child into his own henchman and that is one fate that Titania does not wish for the child and also one that she swore she would protect the child from.

14. What does Oberon send Puck to find?: Oberon sends Puck of in search of a flower. This flower has special powers, It had been struck by one of Cupid's stray arrows, the arrow turned the flower from white to purple with "loves wound" as shakespeare so adequtly put it. The power this flower now posseses is that when the juice is applied to anyones eyes the first human or animal they see they fall in love with. Oberon desires this flower so he can get Puck to apply the juice in Titanias eyes, as a sort of revenge for not giving up the changeling boy.

15. What are Oberon’s plans for Titania?: Oberon plans to use the flowers special juices and apply them into Titanias eyes as revenge for not giving him the changeling boy. He wants her to fall in love with a beast or animal not only for revenge but as sort of comical thing, he thinks it would amuse him to see what Titania falls madly in love with.

16. How does Helena react to Demetrius’s verbal abuse?: Helena's reaction to Demetrius' abuse is not one that someone would normally expect. Helena loves Demetrius, and with "loves wound" as I already eluded to from the play, and even though Demetrius is abusive towards Helena, everytime Helena is abused by Demetrius she loves him more and more. Her love for him grows the more she is abused by him.

17. What is her response to his threats of physical abuse?: Everytime Demetrius threatens Helena with physical abuse Helena makes up an excuse for how that abuse would truely be a way of showing affection for her. She twists his threats into ways of expressing her love for him.

18. In what way is Helena’s behaviour inappropriate for Athenian women?: Helena is being very attached to Demetrius and it is not custom for Athenian women and even it is inappropriate for women to stalk men and chase after them wishing for their love. Another thing is that Demetrius is engaged and that would also be thought to be an unorthodox thing for Helena to do is express love for an engaged man and also to add insult to injury the women Demetrius is engaged to is Helena's best friend.

19. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about Demetrius and Helena?: Oberon witnesses Helena being abused by Demetrius and yet still she is madly in love with him. Oberon feeling very bad for Helena and pittying her tells Puck to anoint Demetrius' eyes with the juice of the flower at a moment when Helena is sure to be the first person Demetrius sees. This is Oberons way of trying to make Helena more happy by using Puck to make Demetrius in love with her.

Act II, Scene 2 20. Why does Oberon want Titania to wake and fall in love with some vile thing?: Oberon wants Titania to fall in love with some vile beast as revenge. Oberon wanted a changeling baby that was in Titania's possesion, a baby in which he would wish to raise and make into his own henchman. But Titania had refused to give up the changeling boy and so Oberon enraged by this, wished to have revenge upon Titania. And so not only did he think that making Titania fall in love with a hideous beast would be great revenge upon her but also it may provide some amusement to him.

21. Why does Hermia insist Lysander sleep a little ways from her?: Hermia knowing that herself and Lysander are not married doesn't want to sully her name or in other words sleep with Lysander before the couple have had a chance to be properly wed. She knows that if Lysander and her sleep side by side Lysander will not be respectful of her wishes. Knowing that, that is why she insisted Lysander sleep away from her.

22. Why does Puck anoint Lysander’s eyes?: Oberon tells Puck to anoint the eyes of the Athenian man dressed in Athenian clothing. Puck not knowing exactly what this Athenian man looks like finds someone who fits the description, from Athens and dressed in Athenian attire, and anoints his eyes. Not knowing that Lysander was the wrong person Puck accidently anoints the wrong persons eye's.

23. How does Helena react to Lysander’s sudden love for her when he awakens?: Helena immadeatly thinks that Lysander is just being creul to her and joking around because she cannot find love. She beloves that it is just an act and that everyone is in essence "ganging up on her" because now she thinks she is being abused by Lysander and Demetrius although in two diffrent ways.

24. How is Hermia’s dream a reflection of reality?: In Hermias dream a creul and evil serpent came and took her heart away. This is an anology for Helena being the serpent and Lysander being her heart. Helena being the serpent comes now and steals Lysanders love away from Hermia. Hermia feels as if her hearts ripped out because Lysanders love has been taken from her.