Untitled Flashcards Set

Lord, what fools these mortals be!" o Speaker: Puck (Act 3, Scene 2) o Analysis: Highlights the folly of human nature, especially in love. 2. "The course of true love never did run smooth." o Speaker: Lysander (Act 1, Scene 1) o Analysis: Reflects the obstacles in the path of love, central to the play’s conflicts. 3. "O. when she is angry…Though she be but little, she is fierce!" o Speaker: Helena (Act 3, Scene 2) o Analysis: A testament to Hermia’s strong-willed nature. 4. "I would my father look'd but with my eyes." o Speaker: Hermia o Act 1, Scene 1 o Analysis: This line expresses Hermia’s frustration with her father Egeus, who demands she marry Demetrius instead of Lysander. It highlights the theme of personal autonomy versus societal expectations in love. Hermia wishes her father could see love from her perspective rather than imposing his will upon her, setting up the central conflict of the play. 5. "I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what dream it was." o Speaker: Bottom (Act 4, Scene 1) o Analysis: Bottom’s awe reflects the mystery and surreal quality of dreams. 6. "Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind." o Speaker: Helena (Act 1, Scene 1) o Analysis: Discusses love as an irrational force, a key theme in the play. 7. "My Oberon! what visions have I seen! Methought I was enamour'd of an ass." o Speaker: Titania (Act 4, Scene 1) o Analysis: Her reaction upon waking, underscoring the absurdity and unpredictability of love. Speech 9: Winter Glover - 3 - 8. "I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, The more you beat me, I will fawn on you." o Speaker: Helena (Act 2, Scene 1) o Analysis: Reflects Helena’s desperate love and unyielding devotion to Demetrius. 9. "Out of this wood do not desire to go: Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no." o Speaker: Titania (Act 3, Scene 1) o Analysis: Illustrates Oberon’s control over Titania, symbolizing power and authority. 10. "The lunatic, the lover, and the poet, Are of imagination all compact." o Speaker: Theseus (Act 5, Scene 1) o Analysis: Suggests that love, madness, and creativity all stem from the imagination. 11. "What hempen home-spuns have we swaggering here, So near the cradle of the fairy queen?" o Speaker: Puck (Act 3, Scene 1) o Analysis: Puck’s ridicule of the amateur actors adds humor and emphasizes the theme of social class. 12. "My love to Hermia, Melted as the snow, seems to me now As the remembrance of an idle gaud." o Speaker: Demetrius o Act 4, Scene 1 o Analysis: Here, Demetrius acknowledges that his former love for Hermia has vanished, comparing it to melting snow and a forgotten trinket. This change is due to the magical influence of the love potion, reinforcing the play’s exploration of love’s fluidity and irrationality. His willingness to embrace Helena after being enchanted also raises questions about whether love is genuine or merely a result of external forces. 13. "How now, mad spirit! What night-rule now about this haunted grove?" o Speaker: Oberon (Act 2, Scene 1) o Analysis: Highlights the fairy kingdom’s eerie influence over the forest. 14. "O me! You juggler! You canker-blossom! You thief of love!" o Speaker: Hermia o Act 3, Scene 2 o Analysis: This outburst occurs when Hermia believes Helena has stolen Lysander’s love. “Juggler” and “canker-blossom” (a disease that rots flowers from within) highlight Hermia’s fiery nature and deep sense of betrayal. The insult “thief of love” emphasizes her belief that Helena has wrongfully taken what was hers, reinforcing the play’s theme of love’s chaos. 15. "I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove; I will roar you an 'twere any nightingale." o Speaker: Bottom (Act 1, Scene 2) o Analysis: Bottom’s exaggerated self-confidence brings humor, exemplifying his obliviousness. Speech 9: Winter Glover - 4 - 16. "More strange than true: I never may believe These antique fables, nor these fairy toys." o Speaker: Theseus (Act 5, Scene 1) o Analysis: His skepticism of the lovers’ story highlights the play’s theme of reality vs. fantasy. 17. "A mote will turn the balance, which Pyramus, which Thisbe, is the better." o Speaker: Hippolyta (Act 5, Scene 1) o Analysis: Her humor regarding the mechanicals’ play emphasizes the theme of social hierarchy. 18. "I love thee not, therefore pursue me not." o Speaker: Demetrius o Act 2, Scene 1 o Analysis: This blunt rejection of Helena highlights his initial cruelty and lack of empathy. Despite Helena’s devotion, Demetrius dismisses her outright, emphasizing the theme of unrequited love. His harsh words contrast with his later transformation under the influence of the love potion, underscoring the fickle nature of love in the play. 19. "You have her father’s love, Demetrius; Let me have Hermia’s: do you marry him." o Speaker: Lysander o Act 1, Scene 1 o Analysis: This witty remark is Lysander’s response to Egeus, who insists that Hermia must marry Demetrius. Lysander sarcastically suggests that Demetrius should marry Egeus instead, highlighting his defiance against authority and the restrictive rules of Athenian law. This line establishes Lysander as a romantic idealist willing to challenge societal expectations for love. 20. "The best in this kind are but shadows, and the worst are no worse if imagination amend them." o Speaker: Theseus o Act 5, Scene 1 o Analysis: Theseus comments on the power of imagination in theater and storytelling. He suggests that even the best performances are mere illusions, and the worst can still be enjoyable if the audience uses their imagination. This quote captures the play’s meta-theatrical nature, reminding us that both love and theater rely on perception, belief, and fantasy—a central theme in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.