Advanced Placement Classroom

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Kathryn L. Johnson, Laurie Heinemann

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN:
  9781000493214
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Advanced Placement Classroom: A Midsummer Night's Dream takes students inside Shakespeare's well-loved comedy by providing teachers and students with a detailed overview of the play, along with interesting and challenging activities geared for the advanced language arts student. Students will examine Shakespeare's inventive language by collecting words and phrases to use later in a "Sweet-Talk Challenge," akin to a modern-day poetry slam; discover the history behind the play by researching and giving presentations on Elizabethan occupations; and recognize the challenge of performance by reenacting scenes.

Prufrock's new line of innovative teaching guides for the Advanced Placement classroom is designed to engage students with creative learning activities that ensure Advanced Placement success. The Teaching Success Guide for the Advanced Placement Classroom series helps teachers motivate students above and beyond the norm by introducing investigative, hands-on activities including debates, role-plays, experiments, projects, and more, all based on Advanced Placement and college-level standards for learning.

Grades 7-12

Chapter 1
Act I

The course of true love never did run smooth.

—Lysander (I, i, 136)

DOI: 10.4324/9781003232803-3

Act I, Scene i

Objective: Students will read aloud Act I, scene i of A Midsummer Night's Dreamand discuss the relationships of the main characters.

Materials

• 
  Character Relationship Chart student handout (p. 45)
• 
  The Three Worlds in A Midsummer Night's Dream student handout (p. 46)
• 
  Teacher's Answer Guide for The Three Worlds in A Midsummer Night's Dream (p. 47)
• 
  Act I, Scene i Vocabulary Group Assignment sheet (p. 48)

Vocabulary Used Throughout MSND

• 
  thee, thou, thy—you or your
• 
  hath, hast—have or has
• 
  'tis—it is
• 
  dar'st—dare to
• 
  o'er—over

Vocabulary in This Scene

• 
  apace—quickly, a fast pace to keep up (l. 2)
• 
  wanes—decreases, moves from a full moon to a new moon (l. 4)
• 
  nimble—quick and agile (l. 14)
• 
  mirth—amusement, pleasure (l. 14)
• 
  pomp—display of great splendor (l. 16)
• 
  reveling—having great fun and partying (l. 20)
• 
  vexation—provoked to irritability or anxiety (l. 23)
• 
  consent—permission, agreement (l. 26)
• 
  feigning—pretending (l. 32)
• 
  nosegays—small bouquets of flowers that are carried, like at a prom or wedding (l.35)
• 
  sweetmeats—candy (l. 35)
• 
  imprinted—etched or formed (l. 51)
• 
  entreat—plead, beg (l. 60)
• 
  beseech—beg (l. 64)
• 
  abjure—to give up, to do without (l. 67)
• 
  barren—not able to bear children (l. 74)
• 
  sovereignty—supreme authority (l. 84)
• 
  dotes in idolatry— is head over heels for (l. 111)
• 
  edict—a formal proclamation or command (l. 153)
• 
  dowager—older woman, often a wealthy widow (l. 159)
• 
  league—a distance, about 3 miles (l. 161)
• 
  steal forth—sneak away (l. 166)
• 
  whither—where, to what place (l. 183)
• 
  visage—face or facial expression (l. 215)
• 
  errs—makes a mistake or error (l. 236)
• 
  base and vile—inferior and worthless (l. 238)
• 
  waggish—like a funny or witty person, mischievous (l. 246)
• 
  perjure—to lie (l. 247)
• 
  thither—toward (l. 257)

Summary of Act I, Scene i

Characters: Theseus, Hippolyta, Philostrate, Egeus, Hermia, Demetrius, Lysander, Helena

Summary: The play begins in the palace of Duke Theseus of Athens where we meet the members of the first of the three worlds of MSND—the royal court. Duke Theseus has conquered the Warrior Queen Hippolyta and is going to marry her in 4 days. He wants the festivities to be great and asks Philostrate to see to it. A nobleman, Egeus, enters in a rage at his daughter, Hermia, and demands that the Duke punish her if she refuses to marry Demetrius, the young man Egeus has chosen for her. Hermia refuses because she is in love with Lysander. Egeus accuses Lysander, "With cunning hast thou filched my daughter's heart" (I, i, 37) and he insists that she marry Demetrius or die. Theseus softens the proscribed Athenian law and gives Hermia a choice to marry the man her father chose, become a nun, or die. Theseus and the rest of the court exit, leaving Hermia and Lysander on stage.

Helena pours out her heart

Hermia is upset and Lysander says, "The course of true love never did run smooth" (I, i, 136). But he is a clever fellow and has a plan. They will sneak out of Athens and get married where his rich aunt lives. Hermia is excited about this plan and when her best friend Helena comes in, moaning about how Demetrius doesn't love her anymore (and now loves Hermia), Hermia tells Helena that she and Lysander are going to elope. Then Demetrius will never see Hermia again and be available for Helena. They say goodbye and Helena is left on stage alone.

Helena pours out her heart in a soliloquy, letting us know that she is jealous of her popular friend, Hermia. Helena thinks it is so unfair, "Through Athens I am thought...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 Act I
• Chapter 2 Act II
• Chapter 3 Act III
• Chapter 4 Act IV
• Chapter 5 Act V
• Chapter 6 Culminating Celebration
• References
• Teaching Resources
• About the Authors
• Common Core State Standards Alignment