A+Midsummer+Night's+Dream+Act+1

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18/20
 * A Midsummer Night's Dream**


 * //Act I, Scene 1//**

Hippolyta feels like the days will pass quickly and she is patient. Theseus feels like the days are going by so slowly, he is very impatient, waiting for his wedding day.
 * 1. How is Hippolyta’s reasoning concerning how quickly the next four days will pass different from that of Theseus?**

Egeus brought his daughter Hermia and her two suitors, Demetrius and Lysander to Theseus. He wanted Hermia to marry Demetrius, but Hermia refused because she wants to marry Lysander. Egeus expects Theseus to either force Hermia to marry Demetrius or allow Egeus to kill his daughter if she refuses to marry Demetrius.
 * 2. Why has Egeus brought his daughter and her two suitors to Theseus? What does Egeus expect him to do?**

Daughters in Athenian society were supposed to look to their fathers like a god and obey their every request. Theseus's ruling concerning Hermia was that she obey her father and marry Demetrius, be killed by her father or become a nun for the rest of her life.
 * 3. What was the proper role for women/daughters in Athenian society according to Egeus and Theseus? What is Theseus’s ruling concerning Hermia?**

When Lysander makes a comment about Demetrius’s previous love affair with Helena, Theseus admits he had heard the same thing and then calls Egeus and Demetrius aside to talk to them privately. It also brings doubt about Demetrius's character to the people present in the room.
 * 4. How does Lysander’s comment about Demetrius’s previous love affair with Helena complicate things?**

Lysander and Hermia decide to run away and meet in the woods that night, then go to Lysander's aunt's house to get married. She lives just outside of Athens, so they are safe from the Athenian laws. They tell Helena because they want her to stop worrying that Hermia will marry Demetrius and stop comparing herself to Hermia.
 * 5. What do Lysander and Hermia plan to do about this seemingly impossible situation? Why do they tell Helena?**

Helena decides to tell Demetrius of Hermia and Lysander's plans because she thinks he will apprectiate that she told him so he didn't have to wonder where Hermia was. She believes this will make Demetrius like her more and maybe even fall in love with her again.
 * 6. Even though Helena loves Demetrius and is Hermia’s best friend, why does she decide to tell Demetrius of Hermia and Lysander’s plans?**

Hermia's dilemma is the fact that she wants to marry Lysander but her father wants her to marry Demetrius. If she doesn't obey her father there will be serious consequences. The choices she was given were to marry Demetrius, be killed by her father or become a nun. Lysander suggests to everyone that he marry Hermia because he truly loves her and Demetrius already has her father's love. Lysander later suggests, just to Hermia, that they run away to his Aunt's house and get married there.
 * 7. Identify Hermia’s basic dilemma. What are the choices outlined for her by Theseus and her father? What other choice does Lysander suggest?**


 * //Act I, Scene 2//**

Nick Bottom wants to play all the parts because he belives that he is the best at them all and he was made for each one.
 * 8. Why does Nick Bottom want to play all the parts?**

This scene is funny because Bottom believes he can play all the roles and becomes very cocky and then makes a fool of himself. I believe Shakespeare included this scene to introduce the characters, especially Nick Bottom, and also to add some humor to a more serious play.
 * 9. In what way is this scene funny? Why do you suppose Shakespeare included this scene?**

The actors are meeting in the woods the following night. Hermia and Lysander are also meeting there that night.
 * 10. Where are the actors to meet the following night? Who else is meeting there at the same time?**

Bottom's acting ability is not terrible, but still, not good. He is very outgoing and courageous which is good, but he is not very good at acting. He believes that he is an amazing actor and that he is perfect to play any part in the play.
 * 11. How would you describe Bottom’s acting ability? What is Bottom’s own opinion of his acting ability?**