Untitled Flashcards Set
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Study Guide
Focus: Love Square & The Mechanicals’ Play
💘 Part 1: The Love Square – Who Loves Who?
🌿 Main Characters:
Name | Loves | Loved By | Conflict |
|---|---|---|---|
Hermia | Lysander | Lysander, Demetrius | Her father wants her to marry Demetrius, but she wants Lysander. |
Lysander | Hermia | Hermia | They’re in love, but not allowed to marry under Athenian law. |
Demetrius | Hermia | Helena (unreturned) | Pursuing Hermia, but she doesn’t love him. |
Helena | Demetrius | No one (at first) | In love with Demetrius, who left her for Hermia. |
🔀 What Happens:
Hermia and Lysander plan to secretly run away and marry in the woods.
Egeus, Hermia’s father, wants her to marry Demetrius, and brings her before Theseus, the Duke of Athens.
Theseus gives Hermia three choices:
Marry Demetrius
Become a nun
Be executed
Helena, jealous of Hermia, tells Demetrius about their plan in hopes of winning his love.
All four end up in the forest, where fairy magic causes more confusion.
🎭 Part 2: The Mechanicals’ Play – “Pyramus and Thisbe”
🎬 Characters & Roles:
Mechanical | Job | Play Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Nick Bottom | Weaver | Pyramus | Overconfident; wants to play every role. Ends up playing the male lover. |
Francis Flute | Bellows-mender | Thisbe | Embarrassed to play a girl; uses a high voice. |
Robin Starveling | Tailor | Moonshine | Represents the moon using a lantern and a bush. |
Tom Snout | Tinker | The Wall | Acts as the wall separating the lovers. |
Snug | Joiner | The Lion | Afraid of scaring the ladies; barely roars. |
Peter Quince | Carpenter | Prologue/Narrator | Organizes the play and introduces it. |
📝 About the Play:
The mechanicals prepare a tragic love story called “Pyramus and Thisbe.”
It’s about two lovers who are separated by a wall and tragically die.
The story is meant to be serious, but the mechanicals’ bad acting makes it hilarious.