Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

English Writing and Research > Midsummer Night's Dream > Flashcards

Midsummer Night's Dream Flashcards

1
Q

austerity

A

sternness or severity of manner or attitude

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

beguile

A

charm or enchant (someone), sometimes in a deceptive way

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

cloister

A

a covered walk in a convent, monastery, college, or cathedral, typically with a wall on one side and a colonnade open to a quadrangle on the other

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

dote

A

to be extremely and uncritically fond

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

extenuate

A

make (guilt or an offense) seem less serious or more forgivable

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

feign

A

pretend to be affected by (a feeling, state, or injury)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

idolatry

A

extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

reveling

A

enjoy oneself in a lively and noisy way, especially with drinking and dancing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

William Shakespeare

A

Widely regarded as the greatest writer in English Literature

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are the years that Shakespeare lived?

A

1563-1616

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

How many plays did Shakespeare write?

A

37

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How many sonnets did Shakespeare write?

A

154

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How did Shakespeare begin his career?

A

an actor

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Stage celebrity

A
  • Actor for Lord Chamberlain’s Men (London theater co.)
  • Also principal playwright for them
  • 1599 Lord Chamberlain’s Men build the Globe Theater
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are the three genres that Shakespeare wrote in?

A
  • Comedies
  • Histories
  • Tragedies
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Tragedy (Shakespeare)

A

Drama where the central character(s) suffer disaster/great misfortune

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

In many tragedies, what do downfalls result from?

A
  • Fate
  • Character flaw/Fatal flaw
  • Combination of the two
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

The Theater

A
  • Plays produced for the general public
  • Roofless…open air
  • No artificial lighting
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What and where did the wealthy sit?

A

Wealthy got benches…sat around the top

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

groundlings

A

poorer people stood and watched from the courtyard (“pit”)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Is there more interaction with the spectators today or in the past?

A

the past

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Who were the uneducated/illiterate?

A

All BUT the wealthy

23
Q

What did the staging areas consist of?

A
  • Stage-platform
  • Dressing & storage rooms
  • second-level gallery
  • Trap door
24
Q

What was the second-level gallery for?

A

balcony scenes…think Romeo and Juliet

25
What are the trap doors for?
usually for ghosts
26
Where did the stage-platform extend into?
extended into the pit
27
Where were the dressing and storage galleries located in?
in galleries behind & above stage
28
What are the differences?
- No scenery…usually just props - Settings- references in dialogue - Elaborate costumes - Fast-paced, colorful…it had to be
29
Who could only be actors?
men and boys
30
Who played the women's roles?
Young boys whose voices had not changed
31
What would it have been considered to be in a woman appeared on stage?
Would have been considered indecent for a woman to appear on stage
32
iambic pentameter
- iamb (unstressed, stressed) | - Pentameter- 5 stressed syllables
33
prose
Ordinary writing that is not poetry, drama, or song
34
What type of characters speak with a prose in Shakespeare's plays?
Only characters in the lower social classes
35
inciting moment
the first bit of action that occurs which begins the plot
36
What is an example of an inciting moment?
Romeo and Juliet “lock eyes” at the party
37
What are inciting moments often referred as?
"initial accident"
38
denouement
The final explanation or outcome of the plot
39
If a denouement was included in literature, when would it occur?
after the resolution
40
soliloquy
Long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage
41
aside
Words spoken, usually in an undertone not intended to be heard by all characters
42
dramatic irony
A contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader/audience knows to be true
43
verbal irony
Words used to suggest the opposite of what is meant
44
situational irony
An event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience
45
Consider the plot of “Pyramus and Thisbe.” Two lovers, with feuding families, ultimately take their own lives. Does this remind you of any other narrative?
Romeo and Juliet
46
At the conclusion of Act 2, Scene 2, what does Hermia reveal about her dream? Why is this appropriate, in relation to the story? (2.2. 151-156)
- Hermia reveal that she had a nightmare. She has a nightmare about a snake, who was eating her heart. - it symbolizes the situation that is taking place out of the lovers’ control
47
Compare and contrast the lovers with the fairies, in Act 3, Scene 2. Who seems to be having more fun? Who is more miserable?
- fairies are having fun | - the lovers are miserable
48
What are the choices outlined for Hermia by Theseus?
- she must marry Demetrius - she must become a nun - she will be sentenced to death
49
What other choice does Lysander suggest to Hermia?
they elope
50
Describe Theseus's character. What sort of leader does he seem to be?
- fair and understanding - he is flexible with time - traditional and conservative
51
Why do you think Hermia desires to be with Lysander, rather than Demetrius?
When you are not forced ti love someone, you love that person more
52
How did you feel when you read Helena's decision to tell Demetrius about Hermia and Lysander's plan? Why did you feel this way?
- I think it's a dumb plan | - It's not going to work the way she expected it to
53
Act One, Scene One in a Midsummer Night's Dream, has often been described by scholars as the set up for a tragedy. What are some of the potentially harmful outcomes?
- the lovers don't end up together | - Hermia's death
54
Why do you suppose Shakespeare constructed his play, almost like a tragedy?
to surprise the the audience and to go along with the message

English Writing and Research (2 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions