September 11th -A Midsummer Night's Dream — Exoticism, Sources, and Form

Flashcards covering exoticism of India, Titania/Oberon dynamics, sources (Chaucer, Plutarch, Ovid, Apuleius), the play-within-the-play (Pyramus and Thisbe), iambic pentameter and verse/prose usage, and the tragic elements within the comedy.

Why is India described as exotic and distant in the lecture?

To explain why the audience is unfamiliar with India and to frame it as an exotic, magical setting for the play’s fairies.

What does the word 'ravaged' mean in Titania's description of Oberon's claim?

Ravaged means raped or sexually assaulted in this context.

What does the lecture suggest about Theseus's character through Titania's account?

Theseus is depicted as an imposing but morally flawed figure, whose past actions complicate the audience’s view of him.

Which mythic figures are named as the 'king and queen of the fairies' whose quarrel about love is discussed?

Pluto and Proserpine (Proserpine).

Which Chaucer tale is cited as a source for Shakespeare's themes of love and rival suitors?

The Knight's Tale from The Canterbury Tales.

Which Roman writer's work is referenced to connect Theseus with Romulus in the 'Parallel Lives'?

Plutarch's Parallel Lives.

Which other Canterbury Tales tale is mentioned as a source for Shakespeare's world of vivid storytelling?

The Merchant's Tale.

What is the plot of Apuleius's The Golden Ass as described in the notes?

A man who tries to transform into a bird ends up transformed into an ass (donkey), leading to comic misadventures.

Which Metamorphoses story about two lovers is cited as a source for the rustic play within the play?

Pyramus and Thisbe (from Metamorphoses, book four).

What is the connection between Pyramus and Thisbe and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, as mentioned?

Pyramus and Thisbe is a source that informed the doomed-love motif later echoed in Romeo and Juliet.

Which two lovers plan to elope to the forest, triggering Demetrius's pursuit?

Lysander and Hermia.

In Helena's plea to Demetrius, what does the 'spaniel' metaphor reveal about love and obedience?

It shows a demand for obedience and acceptance of mistreatment, highlighting love's tendency to override self-respect.

What is iambic pentameter, and how is it typically used in Shakespeare's verse?

A line with ten syllables in an unstressed-stressed (iamb) pattern; used by lovers and high-status characters, usually unrhymed.

What general division does Shakespeare use for verse vs. prose, and which characters typically speak in verse?

Nobility and lovers often speak in verse; rustics and many lower-status characters speak in prose; some villains also speak in prose.

What is the function of the Pyramus and Thisbe subplot in the rustic performance on the wedding night?

It provides a tragic counterpoint to the comedy, foreshadowing doomed love and adding a layer of melancholy to the overall mood.

Which three major Latin texts are cited as influences on Shakespeare's drama in the notes?

Ovid's Metamorphoses; Apuleius's The Golden Ass; Plutarch's Parallel Lives (alongside Chaucer).