English 2 - Test: Passage Response -
4.1.210-229 BOTTOM (waking) When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer. My next is "Most fair Pyramus." Heigh-ho! Peter Quince? Flute the bellows-mender? Snout the tinker? Starveling? God's my life, stol'n hence, and left me asleep? I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream—past the wit of man to say what dream it was. Man is but an ass if he go about to expound this dream. Methought I was—there is no man can tell what. Methought I was, and methought I had—but man is but a patched fool if he will offer to say what methought I had. The eye of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen, man's hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart to report what my dream was. I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of this dream. It shall be called "Bottom's Dream" because it hath no bottom. And I will sing it in the latter end of a play before the duke. Peradventure, to make it the more gracious, I shall sing it at her death. Exit
BOTTOM (waking up) Tell me when my cue comes, and I'll say my line. My next cue is "Most handsome Pyramus." Hey! Peter Quince? Flute the bellows-repairman? Snout the handyman? Starveling? My God, they've all run away and left me sleeping here? What a weird dream I had.—You can't even describe such a weird dream. You'd be an ass if you even tried to explain it. I thought I was—no, nobody can even describe what I was. I thought I was, I thought I had—but a person would be an idiot to try to say what I thought I had. No eye has ever heard, no ear has ever seen, no hand has tasted, or tongue felt, or heart described what my dream was like. I'll get Peter Quince to write this dream down as a ballad. I'll call it "Bottom's Dream" because it's so deep that it has no bottom. And I'll sing it for the duke in the intermission of a play. Or maybe, to make it even more lovely, I'll sing it when the heroine dies. Exit BOTTOM exits. Alone, Bottom wakes up and tells his playmates to tell him when his cue comes, and he'll say his line. He also said he had a weird dream, and that he will tell it to Quince, who can write it as a ballad for him to sing at the end of their play. He will call it "Bottom's Dream" because it's so deep that it has no bottom. And he'll sing it for the duke in the intermission of the play. Or maybe, to make it more lovely, he'll sing it when the heroine dies. Then he departs for Athens.
4.1.166-193 DEMETRIUS (to THESEUS) My lord, fair Helen told me of their stealth, Of this their purpose hither to this wood. And I in fury hither followed them, Fair Helena in fancy following me. But, my good lord, I wot not by what power (But by some power it is) my love to Hermia, Melted as the snow, seems to me now As the remembrance of an idle gaud Which in my childhood I did dote upon. And all the faith, the virtue of my heart, The object and the pleasure of mine eye, Is only Helena. To her, my lord, Was I betrothed ere I saw Hermia. But like in sickness did I loathe this food. But as in health, come to my natural taste, Now I do wish it, love it, long for it, And will for evermore be true to it. THESEUS Fair lovers, you are fortunately met. Of this discourse we more will hear anon.— Egeus, I will overbear your will. For in the temple by and by with us These couples shall eternally be knit.— And, for the morning now is something worn, Our purposed hunting shall be set aside. Away with us to Athens. Three and three, We'll hold a feast in great solemnity. Come, Hippolyta. Exeunt THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, EGEUS, and train
DEMETRIUS (to THESEUS) My lord, the beautiful Helena told me about their secret plan to escape into this forest. I was furious and followed them here, and the lovely Helena was so in love with me that she followed me. I'm not sure how it happened—but somehow, something made my love for Hermia melt away like snow. My past love for Hermia now seems like a memory of some cheap toy I used to love as a child. Now the only person I love, and believe in, and want to look at, is Helena. I was engaged to her before I ever met Hermia. Then I hated her for a time, as a sick person hates the food he usually loves. But now I have my natural taste back, like a sick person when he recovers. Now I want Helena, I love her, I long for her, and I will always be true to her. THESEUS You pretty lovers are lucky you met me here. We'll talk more about this later.—Egeus, I'm overriding your wishes. These couples will be married along with me and Hippolyta in the temple later today.—And now, since the morning is almost over, we'll give up on the idea of hunting. Come with us to Athens. We three couples will celebrate with a sumptuous feast. Come, Hippolyta. Demetrius tells Theseus that the beautiful Helena told him about their secret plan to escape into the forest. Demetrius says he was furious and followed them there, and the lovely Helena was so in love with him that she followed him. He was not sure how it happened, but somehow, something made his love for Hermia melt away like snow. His past love for Hermia now seems like a memory of some cheap toy he used to love as a child. Now the only person he loves is Helena. He was engaged to Helene before he met Hermia. Then he hated her for some time, as a sick person hates the food he usually loves. But now he has his natural taste back, like a sick person when he recovers. Now he wants Helena, and loves her, and longs for her, and will always try to be true to her. Theseus says the pretty lovers are lucky to meet him there. He says they will talk later. Theseus tells Egeus that he is overriding his wishes. He says that these couples will be married along with him and Hippolyta in the temple later that day. He tells Hippolyta to come to Athens.
"Man is but an ass if he go about to expound this dream."
Irony because the reader/audience member is well aware of the fact that Bottom has just recovered from having the head of an ass, and here, he equated those who have not experienced his dream to donkeys.
"Mine ear is much enamored of thy note. So is mine eye enthrallèd to thy shape."
Personification is being used here, as normally eyes and ears can't feel emotions like being enamored and enthralled.
"And as imagination bodies forth."
Personification, imagination cannot body forth.
"My love to Hermia, Melted as the snow."
Simile, Demetrius is using this to describe his faltering love for Hermia.
5.1.2-23 THESEUS More strange than true. I never may believe These antique fables nor these fairy toys. Lovers and madmen have such seething brains, Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend More than cool reason ever comprehends. The lunatic, the lover, and the poet Are of imagination all compact. One sees more devils than vast hell can hold— That is the madman. The lover, all as frantic, Sees Helen's beauty in a brow of Egypt. The poet's eye, in fine frenzy rolling, Doth glance from heaven to Earth, from Earth to heaven. And as imagination bodies forth The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen Turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name. Such tricks hath strong imagination, That if it would but apprehend some joy, It comprehends some bringer of that joy. Or in the night, imagining some fear, How easy is a bush supposed a bear!
THESEUS Yes, strange—and totally made up too. I'll never believe any of these old legends or fairy tales. Lovers and madmen hallucinate about things that sane people just can't understand. Lunatics, lovers, and poets all are ruled by their overactive imaginations. some people think they see devils and monsters everywhere—and they're lunatics. Lovers are just as crazy, and think a dark-skinned gypsy is the most gorgeous woman in the world. Poets are always looking around like they're having a fit, confusing the mundane with the otherworldly, and describing things in their writing that simply don't exist. All these people have such strong imaginations that, when they feel happy, they assume a god or some other supernatural being is bringing that happiness to them. Or if they're afraid of something at night, they look at the shrubbery and imagine it's a wild bear! Theseus is talking to Hippolyta about how the four lovers are saying strange and totally made up things. Theseus says he'll never believe these old fables or fairy tales. He says lovers and madmen have such boiling brains. He says lunatics, lovers, and poets all are ruled by their imaginations. He also says that people who think they see devils and monsters everywhere are lunatics. He thinks lovers are just as crazy as lunatics, and think a Gypsy-like face is the most gorgeous face in the world. He thinks poets are always looking around like they're angry. He thinks that all of these people have such strong imaginations that, when they feel happy, they assume a god or some other supernatural being is bringing happiness to them. Or if they're afraid of something at night, they look at a bush and assume it's a bear.
3.1.139-148 TITANIA I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again. Mine ear is much enamored of thy note. So is mine eye enthrallèd to thy shape. And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee. BOTTOM Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason for that. And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays. The more the pity that some honest neighbors will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon occasion.
TITANIA Please sing again, sweet human. I love to listen to your voice, and I love to look at your body. I know this is the first time I've ever seen you, but you're so wonderful that I can't help swearing to you that I love you. BOTTOM I don't think you've got much of a reason to love me. But to tell you the truth, reason and love have very little to do with each other these days. It's too bad some mutual friend of theirs doesn't introduce them. Ha, ha! No, I'm just kidding. Titania is telling Bottom to sing again because she loves to listen to his voice, and to look at his body. It is the first time she's ever seen him and she can't help swearing that she loves him. Bottom says he doesn't think she's got much of a reason to love her. He says the truth is that reason and love have very little to do with each other these days. He also says it's too bad some mutual friend of theirs doesn't introduce them. Then he says he's just kidding.
