A Midsummer Night's Dream - A2 Literature

A Midsummer Night's Dream

William Shakespeare

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?2000-2007 BookRags, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The following sections of this BookRags Premium Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources. ?1998-2002; ?2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design? and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license. The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". ? 1994-2005, by Walton Beacham. The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". ? 1994-2005, by Walton Beacham. All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copywritten by BookRags, Inc. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, Web distribution or information storage retrieval systems without the written permission of the publisher.

Table of Contents

Introduction...................................................................................................................1 Plot Synopsis..................................................................................................................2

Act I:.....................................................................................................................2 Act II:....................................................................................................................2 Act III:..................................................................................................................3 Act IV:..................................................................................................................3 Act V:....................................................................................................................3 Act 1, Scene 1.................................................................................................................4 Act 1, Scene 2.................................................................................................................7 Act 2, Scene 1.................................................................................................................9 Act 2, Scene 2...............................................................................................................12 Act 3, Scene 1...............................................................................................................14 Act 3, Scene 2...............................................................................................................16 Act 4, Scene 1...............................................................................................................20 Act 4, Scene 2...............................................................................................................23 Act 5, Scene 1...............................................................................................................24

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Table of Contents

Characters....................................................................................................................28 Attendants:..........................................................................................................28 Bottom:...............................................................................................................28 Cobweb:..............................................................................................................30 Demetrius:...........................................................................................................30 Duke of Athens (Theseus, Duke of Athens):......................................................32 Egeus:.................................................................................................................32 Fairies:................................................................................................................32 Flute:...................................................................................................................33 Goodfellow (Robin Goodfellow):.......................................................................34 Helena:................................................................................................................34 Hermia:...............................................................................................................35 King of the Fairies:.............................................................................................37 Lion:....................................................................................................................37 Lysander:............................................................................................................38 Moonshine:.........................................................................................................39 Moth:...................................................................................................................39 Mustardseed:.......................................................................................................39 Oberon:...............................................................................................................39 Peaseblossom:.....................................................................................................41 Philostrate:..........................................................................................................41 Prologue:.............................................................................................................42 Puck (also known as Robin Goodfellow):..........................................................42 Pyramus:.............................................................................................................43 Queen of the Fairies:...........................................................................................43 Quince:................................................................................................................43 Robin Goodfellow:.............................................................................................44 Snout:..................................................................................................................45 Snug:...................................................................................................................45

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Characters Starveling:...........................................................................................................46 Theseus (Theseus, Duke of Athens):..................................................................46 Wall:...................................................................................................................49 Thisby:................................................................................................................49 Titania:................................................................................................................49

Character Studies........................................................................................................51 Conclusion....................................................................................................................53 Principal Topics...........................................................................................................54 Modern Connections...................................................................................................57 Overviews.....................................................................................................................60 Critical Essay #1..........................................................................................................61 Critical Essay #2..........................................................................................................75 Critical Essay #3..........................................................................................................88 Critical Essay #4........................................................................................................105 Critical Essay #5........................................................................................................116

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Table of Contents

Critical Essay #6........................................................................................................128 Critical Essay #7........................................................................................................132 Critical Essay #8........................................................................................................140 Critical Essay #9........................................................................................................150 Critical Essay #10......................................................................................................169 Critical Essay #11......................................................................................................172 Critical Essay #12......................................................................................................182 Media Adaptations....................................................................................................189 Sources For Further Study.......................................................................................190

Literary Commentary........................................................................................190 Copyright Information.............................................................................................195

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