Student Question
What are the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution in A Midsummer Night's Dream?
Quick answer:
The structure of A Midsummer Night's Dream begins with an exposition in Acts 1 and 2, introducing characters and conflicts including Theseus's upcoming marriage, Hermia's romantic dilemma, and Oberon's dispute with Titania. The rising action unfolds as characters enter the forest, leading to mischief involving love potions. The climax involves intense confrontations among the four young lovers and Titania's infatuation with Bottom. In the falling action, order is restored as love potions are corrected, leading to proper pairings and resolutions. The play concludes with a resolution where Puck addresses the audience, suggesting they consider the play a dream.
The exposition of the play occurs in acts 1 and 2. In act 1, we learn that Theseus is marrying Hippolyta, the Amazon queen he has abducted; that Hermia wishes to marry Lysander but that her father, with the backing of Theseus, is insisting she marry Demetrius; and that Helena is love in Demetrius. We also find out that a lower-class group of laborers is rehearsing a play they hope to perform for the king's wedding. In act 2, we learn that Oberon and Titania are fighting over the possession of a young Indian boy.
The rising action occurs as Hermia and Lysander decided to elope, heading for the forest. Helena reveals this to Demetrius to try to win his favor. He follows Hermia and Lysander into the forest, and Helena follows Demetrius. Meanwhile, Oberon has Puck administer a love potion to Titiana, hoping to distract her attention from the...
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Indian boy. She falls in love with the first person she sees, which happens to be Bottom, one of the laborers rehearsing their play in the woods. For fun, Puck has given Bottom an ass's head. Oberon also instructs Puck to give a love potion to Demetrius so he will fall in love with Helena, but Puck gives it to Lysander by mistake. Lysander falls in love with Helena. To remedy the problem, Puck gives the love drops to Demetrius too, and he also falls in love with Helena.
The darkly comedic climax comes as the fighting among the four young humans escalates. Helena is furious because she thinks Lysander and Demetrius are making fun of her, Hermia is furious at Helena for taking her beloved, and Lysander and Demetrius are ready to engage in a fight for Helena. Meanwhile, Titania is fawning over the ass-headed Bottom.
The falling action comes when Oberon, angry that Puck might be making mischief on purpose, has Puck use voices to separate the four young people. When they fall asleep, Oberon himself applies the love potion so that everyone is sorted out: Lysander falls in love with Hermia, and Demetrius with Helena. Titania gives up the Indian boy, and Oberon gives her a potion so she will fall out of love with Bottom. Finally, everyone marries and goes to the wedding feast.
The resolution comes when Puck, in a final speech, assures the audience that they can take the entire play as a dream if it has offended them.