Midsummer: Night’s Dream

Q1.Draw a character sketch of Oberon as an enemy of his wife but a friend of lovers.

Answer:
Oberon, the king of fairies, is shown having two faces. On the one hand, he is shown hatching a plan with the help of Puck by using ‘Love in Idleness’ ensuring that the proper lovers end up loving each other. He is also shown sympathising Helena on seeing Demetrius’ cold behaviour towards her. He brings blessings, good health and peace to all the newly married couples towards the end.

On the other hand, in his dealings with his wife Titania, Oberon is potrayed as a wicked man. At the beginning of the play, Oberon is shown fighting with Titania over the custody of an Indian boy. Here, he is however, trying to prove his authority as a male and win the boy. He also tricks his wife by casting a spell upon her that leaves her fall in love with Bottom. He then releases the spell off her when he gets what he  wanted – The boy.

Q2.Comment on the loving pair of Lysander and Helena from the point of view of developing their character sketch.

Answer:
Hermia and Lysander loved each other and they eloped in the forest to get married. Helena loved Demetrius but it was the effect of the love potion which was applied to Lysander’s eyes when he slept. Therefore, as he woke up he saw Helena and he started developing feelings for her. But Helena loved Demetrius. On her part Helena was very right. At the end both found their right companions Helena – Demetrius and Lysander – Hermia.

Q3.The characters are a part of the stage setting. How does this reflect when the characters of the play range from the Duke and the Indian boy to the fairies?

Answer:
Characters are a part of stage setting. This reflects in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ from the Duke in the palace as he instructs Philostrate to arrange for the celebration with great revelry. However, in  another part of the wood Oberon and Titania struggle for the custody of the Indian boy. Oberon uses love potion on the eyelids of Titania when she sleeps. As the setting of the stage changes the characters change accordingly. Because of the presence of the fairies and an Indian boy, the characters in the play range from real to imaginary.

Q4.What changes in the stage setting would you suggest.

Answer:
The characters are the part of stage setting and the play starts with Theseus, Duke of Athens as he wins the queen of Amazons, Hippolyta. But later, in their marriage celebration there are the king and the queen of fairies, Oberon and Titania as well as other fairies and elves as imaginary characters. Characters are arranged from real to imaginary. I suggest that all characters should be real humans.

Q5.Comment on the versality and the aptness of the stage setting, as per the requirement of the play ‘A Midsummer Night’sDream’.

Answer:
As per the requirement of the play ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ the versality and the aptness of the stage setting go hand in hand. The play starts in the palace and then the stage of the play develops in two different parts of the wood. The stage-setting has been arranged according to the need of the characters and the plot. The characters are set accordingly onto the stage.