A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Act 3 Journal Topics
Please pick one journal topic and answer that topic using complete sentences. Use evidence from the play when appropriate.
- Puck joyously turns Bottom into a creature with the head of a donkey. If you had the power to turn people into creatures, animals, or plants, how would you use it? Who would you change, and into what would you change him or her? Write a short fictional account of one magical change you would make and its comical consequences.
- There are many, many stories and fairy tales of a “beauty” falling in love with a handsome prince, but there are fewer about a “beauty” falling in love with a “beast,” like Titania and Bottom. Compare and contrast the first type of story to the second. Though Titania is meant to look silly by falling in love with the “lowly” mortal, is there a message in this that goes beyond the comic element? If so, what do you think that message is?
- Titania falls hopelessly in love with Bottom after Oberon places the flower juice on her eyelids. What would happen if Oberon refused to release Titania from the spell, or if he lost the flower and couldn’t change her new love interest? Write what might happen between Titania and Bottom if their love endured. Would they marry? What difficulties might they face? Would they be accepted among the fairies?
- Hermia feels great anguish and jealousy because Lysander suddenly proclaims his love for Helena. Write about a time you felt jealous over a friend’s or family member’s attention. What makes people jealous? What are the best ways to deal with jealous feelings?
- In order to decide who gets to be with Helena, Demetrius and Lysander challenge each other to a duel. Do you think this is a logical way to make a decision? What are its advantages? Disadvantages? What other ways could they have come to a decision? Demetrius and Lysander never stop to ask Helena whom she prefers. What does this say about the status of women in Athenian society?
Growing up, most children these days are taught "violence is never the answer." Well, in Demetrius's and Lysander's situation, I think the fighting was indeed necessary. They were both clearly mad, and not really in the mood to talk. The disadvantage of them dueling is all the fighting might put a lot of pressure on Helena. I think what this duel says about Athenian women is sometimes men will go to great extents to earn someone's heart.
ReplyDeleteM204 Question 1
ReplyDeleteIf I had the ability to change people into magical creatures, I would do it in a clever and mischievous way. The people I would change are people I am not very fond of, not naming any names. Like Puck, the creature I would turn them into would reflect on their personality. For example, I would turn a lazy person into a sloth, or a cowardly person into a chicken. After those people are all transformed, I would create more mischief by letting them loose in public. Then, I could give everyone else a good scare as well. The only possible problem of this prank could be if I couldn’t change anyone back, or the fact of them hating me when I do. Overall, I think that doing this would be a very funny prank.
M213 Q1
ReplyDeleteIf I had the power to turn people into a creature, then I would turn someone into a frog that could talk and help people out with problems. I would also turn someone into a monkey that could do my homework for me. Then I would turn someone into an alien just to be funny.
M202
ReplyDeleteI think the message sent in this story from Titania falling in love with a beast is that although there arn't many stories like this and stories don't have to be like nearly all or the disney movies.
M215 Q1
ReplyDeleteIf I could change people into animals, I would abuse that power. I would play sports and when people got in my way I would turn them into a harmless animal. I would win every game. After that, I could become famous and make a lot of money.
M226 - Question 4
ReplyDeleteI was jealous of my friend’s family because he got to go everywhere.
Things that make people jealous is if they get to do everything with family, and they get to go everywhere. And the best way to deal with it, is to just go home calm down and just relax and ignore it.
M227
ReplyDeleteQ2. Yes, I do think there is a message. To me, the message is "never judge a book by its cover". In one story, it's the perfect love story; happily ever after. In the other, it teaches you it's not what's on the outside that matters, it's what is on the inside.
M2:17 Q:1
ReplyDeleteI would probably change the person I don’t like into something that people would use for work so then they can do something that is helpful. I would do it as a joke also just to scare people and to tell them not to mess with me.
M218
ReplyDeleteQuestion 4
I was jealous of my best friend because he got a $249.99 bat, a really nice bat, and I got this horrible $60.00 bat. I think people are jealous because the other person has better things than them. The best way to get over jealousy is to do the things you do and live your own life.
m23q3
ReplyDeleteIf Oberon refused to release Titania from the spell they would of loved each other forever. If he lost the flower know one would of know that the did the spell. Yes, i think they would marry if he didn't release the spell. I don't think that Bottom would face any difficulties. But, I think Titania would get made fun of for loving a donkey. I also do not think they would be accepted among the fairies.
M206
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1
I would say that I am a fairly mature person. However, if I could have this opportunity I would most likely not be very sophisticated. If I could change people into hideous beasts it probably go a little something like this.
Once upon a time, the boastful Sarah was asking what we were doing in P.E. She found out it was the mile.
"I'm so good at the mile! I will probably beat everyone, so I'm so excited."
On your mark get set go! They were off and Sarah was in the middle of the herd of people. Katie ended up turning her into a turtle for the rest of the mile until she got last. Afterward, she complained that her ankle hurt, so that's why she wasn't running as fast.
The End
M210
ReplyDeleteQuestion 5:
I don't think challenging each other to a duel is a logical decision for many reasons. First of all, they could of asked Helena who she wanted to be with, but that is not the kind of thing you do in Athens. Next, if they fought each other in a duel, they could get hurt badly hurt, or even die. Then, no one would get Helena. Furthermore, one advantage is if one person got killed during the duel, Helena and the person who won wouldn't be bothered by the loser. More over, they could of solved the problem with a simple game of rock paper scissors, or they could of pulled a name out of a hat. I guess love makes you do crazy things.
M224
ReplyDeleteI would turn the person that I despise into a fly. So then I would kill him, then burn him. That is what I would do if I had the power to turn people into animals.
M225
ReplyDelete2. Stories about Beauty falling in love with a Prince is very different from Beauty falling in love with a beast. For example, Beauty and the Beast is more realistic, happens almost every day, and chances of this happening are like 1/10. On the other hand, Beauty and a Prince is unrealistic, may never happen, and chances are like 1/1,000,000,000. I think the message is someone may look like a beast on the outside, but on the inside, they could be a great person, or don't judge a book by it's cover. I think people care more about looks than what's on the inside.
M222
ReplyDeleteOne time when I got jealous was when my dad took my sister to the Blackhawks game. They were in the front row and were right next to the glass. Even though I get to go to the Blackhawks games a lot I still felt jealous. I wanted to be the one to sit in those great seats. People get jealous when other people get something or get to go somewhere and they can't. The best way to deal with jealous feelings is to be yourself and appreciate the things you have.
M205 Q: 1
ReplyDeleteIf I could turn anything into anything I would turn one of my friends into a fly. I know what you’re thinking. A fly? I would turn her into a fly because she is deathly afraid of bugs. Whenever she sees just a gnat she starts crying and yelling “mommy.” If I changed her into a fly I could picture her flying around around the lunch room and crying “mommy help me!” After I changed her into a fly, I would change her back. Then turn my other friend into a rock and just kind of laugh while she tried to talk to us or move. I would have to eventually change her back, but I would always keep the rose so that I could change whatever I want into anything I wanted to.
M203: Question 4
ReplyDeleteI was totally jealous when my friends started hanging out at a different table for a bit and had sleepovers with them and didn’t invite me. I got so mad at her, but then I felt bad because I realized I was super jealous. We’re okay now, but I still get jealous when she hangs out with the other girls instead of with me (which is silly). I think people get jealous when they really care about somebody, but that person cares about someone else too. You want them to only be friends with you, but we need to accept that you can have multiple people you care about. We need to realize we’re jealous and think logically.
m212
ReplyDeleteQ2
This is what I think the message is. To me the message is don't choose a book by its cover. This is shown because most fairy tales show the hadsom prince not a beast. Or it is switched and the princess is beautiful. This is what I think the message is.
M209
ReplyDeleteIn the story, Lysander and Demetrius have a duel to see who gets to be with Helena. It doesn't seem to be a logical solution, but it was logical at the time, and seemed like good idea to them since they were both angry. The advantages of this would probably be that it could truly determine who should really get Helena. The disadvantages are the fact that one of them could get hurt during the duel, or even killed. It also seems like women in Athenian society did not have many rights, and they didn't. Women in Athenian society didn't get to choose if they were getting married or not, and they married young. They didn't have much freedom either and this play shows that pretty well.
M221
ReplyDelete5- That the men don't care right now. They just want to fight each other. I think that they could try to get he to love one of them more. Also, that they could make her choose who. The advantages is that one of the men get the girl. Disadvantage is one of them die.
M08Q1: If I had the power to turn any living creature into another living creature with no limits to my insanity, well I fear for humanity. I say that because I would immediately turn everyone into goldfish and pigeons. Then I would sit back and enjoy the chaos as the goldfish would flop around on the ground quite humorously, just bouncing there. And the pigeons would flood the sky with endless cooing and fluttering of their wings. It would seem there is no rhyme or reason to this, and you would be correct because I just think chaos would be funny.
ReplyDelete-I would use the ability for pranks and/or tricks
ReplyDelete-I would change random people, although Mick Jagger (Mink Jagger) and Stephen Hawking (Stephen Hawkins) are definite targets.
So one day I was messing around, turning people into dogs and foxes, when I saw that Stephen Hawking would be giving a speech in Chicago. I knew just what to do to him. I rushed of on the many hour bike ride to Chicago on a stolen bike (Stolen from my father (He has a faster bike). After many hours-and turning the imbecile in the blue Chevy into a puggle- I was finally to the windy city. Getting in wasn't easy-let’s just say if you see a chinchilla with tattoos and a microphone it was me- but the deed was done. Now I could get to the big finale, Stephen Hawkins. I manage to get behind him(Wasn't hard, recently he lost his fingers and now takes an hour a simple sentence) and effect him with my powers. In the middle of explaining an improved version of his previously flawed black hole theory, Stephen’s torso, legs, lips/nose, and arms were now that of a hawk, and he was squawking everywhere. People started running scared and Stephen, now cured of his disease by having his diseased body replaced, flew away to solve more of the world’s problems while hunting mice and running into street poles. They say you can still find Steven solving the meaning of life while killing any small animal he sees in the Mojave Desert.
M211
ReplyDelete