The document provides character descriptions and themes for William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream. It discusses the play's comedic feel which was unusual for Shakespeare. It asks the reader about their favorite scene, identified character, what inspired Shakespeare to write the play, and why it is important to them. The document expresses theories that Shakespeare wanted his life to remain secret so his works would not be judged based on his lifestyle.

1. A Midsummer Night’s Dream

2. Character Descriptions Theseus : Duke of Athens Hippolyta : Queen of the Amazons and betrothed of Theseus. Egeus : father of Hermia, wants to force Hermia to marry Demetrius. Lysander : beloved of Hermia. Hermia : beloved of Lysander. Demetrius : in love with Hermia. Helena : in love with Demetrius Philostrate : Master of the Revels for Theseus The Athenians:

3. Themes Love (the darker side) Loss of individual identity (blurring identities between reality and fantasy) Ambiguous sexuality (sexual for that time period) Feminist (Shakespeare’s work normally falls under the male dominance category)

4. Shakespeare liked to “lol,” too. Most Shakespearian plays are written to be dramatic, and normally under the genre of tragedy. But, with A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the play is actually under a comical feel which is fairly rare for that time period, and for any of Shakespearian plays. What did you find humorous about the play, if anything?

5. Have you “Scene” it? What scene of the play did you find most interesting? What character have you most identified with? What do you think inspired William Shakespeare to write this play?

6. Why this play is important to YOU. Shakespearian literature isn’t only entertaining, but it has also shaped the things you read and write today. As I explained in the “Shakespeare Biography” PowerPoint, a lot of the English language is owed to Shakespeare, and also a lot of literature, today.

7. My Theories William Shakespeare was probably the greatest playwright of all time. Feel free to disagree, but the evidence is all around us, everyday. I feel that, unlike most people, Shakespeare wanted his life to remain a secret so that we may appreciate his works without bias. I feel that he wanted us to not judge his work due to his lifestyle, and in that, he was successful.

8. Your Job Now that we’ve read William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and we’ve reviewed it, it is your turn to become a playwright. I will be passing out a worksheet with the complete instructions.