A Midsummer Night's Dream

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Act I

Reading Check

1. Who is Theseus, the Duke of Athens, marrying?

2. What is the name of Egeus’s daughter?

3. Who is Helena in love with?

4. Who is Hermia in love with?

5. What play are the mechanicals performing?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why is Egeus angry?

2. What does Theseus instruct Hermia to do? What will be the consequence if she does not obey?

3. What do Hermia and Lysander plan on doing to subvert Theseus? Why is this a valid potential solution?

4. How does Helena plan to win Demetrius’s affection?

5. How is Bottom characterized as ridiculous in Act 1, Scene 2?

Paired Resource

“Women in Classical Greece”

• This article describes the relative powerlessness of women in Ancient Athens in terms of their social roles and marital rights, as well as the lifestyle that was expected of them.
• Hermia’s powerlessness in choosing who she loves contributes to the theme The Complexity of Love. This element also drives the plot of the play, as it brings the four Athenian lovers into the woods (with Lysander and Hermia escaping to marry, Demetrius pursuing Hermia, and Helena pursuing Demetrius).