A Midsummer's Night's Dream (4): Understanding the Characters Titania and Bottom Worksheet

This worksheet will help you understand the characters of Titania and Bottom in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Remember from your work on the plot that Oberon has organised for Puck to play a trick on Titania to pay her back for keeping the Indian boy. He instructs Puck to put some magic potion on her eyes while she sleeps....

Love potion - stock photo

What will the potion do to Titania when she awakes?

Art portrait of a snow female model in fur. Fashion, beauty. - stock photo

make her fall in love with the first living thing she sees

make her lose her memory

make her love Oberon again

Nearby where Titania is sleeping, Bottom and a group of villagers are rehearsing a play. Puck has also played a trick on Bottom.

What head has he given Bottom?

sheep

dog

donkey/ass

How does Bottom wake Titania?

BOTTOM:

I see their knavery: this is to make an ass of me;

to fright me, if they could. But I will not stir

from this place, do what they can: I will walk up

and down here, and I will sing, that they shall hear

I am not afraid.

[Sings]

The ousel cock so black of hue,

With orange-tawny bill,

The throstle with his note so true,

The wren with little quill,--

TITANIA:

[Awaking] What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

BOTTOM:

[Sings]

The finch, the sparrow and the lark,

The plain-song cuckoo gray,

Whose note full many a man doth mark,

And dares not answer nay;--

for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish

a bird? who would give a bird the lie, though he cry

'cuckoo' never so?

He trips over her.

He sings.

He tries to move her.

Which five words or phrases show that Titania falls in love with him instantly?

TITANIA:

[Awaking] What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

BOTTOM:

[Sings]

The finch, the sparrow and the lark,

The plain-song cuckoo gray,

Whose note full many a man doth mark,

And dares not answer nay;--

for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish

a bird? who would give a bird the lie, though he cry

'cuckoo' never so?

TITANIA:

I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again:

Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note;

So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape;

And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me

On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee.

what angel wakes me...

flowery bed

gentle mortal

enamour'd

enthralled

first view

I love thee

I pray thee

What four things does Titania promise to give Bottom if he stays with her?

TITANIA:

Out of this wood do not desire to go:

Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no.

I am a spirit of no common rate;

The summer still doth tend upon my state;

And I do love thee: therefore, go with me;

I'll give thee fairies to attend on thee,

And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep,

And sing while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep;

And I will purge thy mortal grossness so

That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.

Peaseblossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustardseed!

power

fairy servants

jewels

luxurious food

a bed of pressed flowers

ability to be like a fairy

Titania orders her servants to wait on Bottom. Select from the list below three correct things she asks them to do for him.

TITANIA:

Be kind and courteous to this gentleman;

Hop in his walks and gambol in his eyes;

Feed him with apricocks and dewberries,

With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries;

The honey-bags steal from the humble-bees,

And for night-tapers crop their waxen thighs

And light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes,

To have my love to bed and to arise;

And pluck the wings from Painted butterflies

To fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes:

feed him strawberries

feed him grapes

make him candles

make his bed

make fans to fan him

sing to him

How do you think the audience would react to Titania and Bottom's 'relationship'?

They would take it seriously.

They would find it funny because a dainty fairy thinks she is in love with a donkey.

They would be frightened.

Imagine you had to write some notes for the actor playing Bottom explaining how you would want him to act in this scene. Look at the ideas below and select the three that you think would show Bottom's character the best.

Bottom is scared.

Bottom is surprised that a fairy loves him.

Bottom loves all the attention.

Bottom tries to escape the attention.

Bottom is very content.

Bottom is unhappy with the attention.

Now imagine you have to write some notes to help the actress who is playing Titania in this scene. What two suggestions below might you include?

Titania, Queen of the Fairies, from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream - stock photo

Titania is totally in love with Bottom.

Titania is repulsed by his donkey head.

Titania doesn't notice he has the head of an ugly donkey.

Titania is indifferent to Bottom.

Titania then instructs her fairies to take Bottom to her fairy bower. What do you imagine the set to look like?

Here are some images to help you. You may decide to create a modern fairy bower on stage. Think about lighting and props. From the list below, select the three items that would work best on stage.

a luxurious four-poster bed covered in fairy lights

soft lighting

bright lighting

lots of props made out of natural things found in the woods

lots of metal and plastic props

minimalist

ANSWERS

Question 1

What will the potion do to Titania when she awakes?

CORRECT ANSWER

make her fall in love with the first living thing she sees

EDDIE SAYS

The potion will make Titania fall in love with the first living thing she sees when she wakes up.

ANSWERS

Question 2

Nearby where Titania is sleeping, Bottom and a group of villagers are rehearsing a play. Puck has also played a trick on Bottom.

What head has he given Bottom?

CORRECT ANSWER

donkey/ass

EDDIE SAYS

Puck has given Bottom a donkey's head.

ANSWERS

Question 3

How does Bottom wake Titania?

BOTTOM:

I see their knavery: this is to make an ass of me;

to fright me, if they could. But I will not stir

from this place, do what they can: I will walk up

and down here, and I will sing, that they shall hear

I am not afraid.

[Sings]

The ousel cock so black of hue,

With orange-tawny bill,

The throstle with his note so true,

The wren with little quill,--

TITANIA:

[Awaking] What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

BOTTOM:

[Sings]

The finch, the sparrow and the lark,

The plain-song cuckoo gray,

Whose note full many a man doth mark,

And dares not answer nay;--

for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish

a bird? who would give a bird the lie, though he cry

'cuckoo' never so?

CORRECT ANSWER

He sings.

EDDIE SAYS

Bottom wakes Titania by singing.

ANSWERS

Question 4

Which five words or phrases show that Titania falls in love with him instantly?

TITANIA:

[Awaking] What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

BOTTOM:

[Sings]

The finch, the sparrow and the lark,

The plain-song cuckoo gray,

Whose note full many a man doth mark,

And dares not answer nay;--

for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish

a bird? who would give a bird the lie, though he cry

'cuckoo' never so?

TITANIA:

I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again:

Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note;

So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape;

And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me

On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee.

EDDIE SAYS

Words and phrases that show she is in love with Bottom are: what angel wakes me, gentle mortal, enamour'd, enthralled, I love thee.

ANSWERS

Question 5

What four things does Titania promise to give Bottom if he stays with her?

TITANIA:

Out of this wood do not desire to go:

Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no.

I am a spirit of no common rate;

The summer still doth tend upon my state;

And I do love thee: therefore, go with me;

I'll give thee fairies to attend on thee,

And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep,

And sing while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep;

And I will purge thy mortal grossness so

That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.

Peaseblossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustardseed!

CORRECT ANSWER

fairy servants
jewels
a bed of pressed flowers
ability to be like a fairy

EDDIE SAYS

Titania promises Bottom fairy servants, jewels, a bed of pressed flowers and the ability to be like a fairy.

ANSWERS

Question 6

Titania orders her servants to wait on Bottom. Select from the list below three correct things she asks them to do for him.

TITANIA:

Be kind and courteous to this gentleman;

Hop in his walks and gambol in his eyes;

Feed him with apricocks and dewberries,

With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries;

The honey-bags steal from the humble-bees,

And for night-tapers crop their waxen thighs

And light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes,

To have my love to bed and to arise;

And pluck the wings from Painted butterflies

To fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes:

CORRECT ANSWER

feed him grapes
make him candles
make fans to fan him

EDDIE SAYS

The correct answers are: feed him grapes, make him candles and make fans to fan him.

ANSWERS

Question 7

How do you think the audience would react to Titania and Bottom's 'relationship'?

CORRECT ANSWER

They would find it funny because a dainty fairy thinks she is in love with a donkey.

EDDIE SAYS

The audience would find Titania and Bottom's relationship funny because a dainty fairy thinks she is in love with a donkey.

ANSWERS

Question 8

Imagine you had to write some notes for the actor playing Bottom explaining how you would want him to act in this scene. Look at the ideas below and select the three that you think would show Bottom's character the best.

CORRECT ANSWER

Bottom is surprised that a fairy loves him.
Bottom loves all the attention.
Bottom is very content.

EDDIE SAYS

The correct answers are that Bottom is surprised that a fairy loves him, he loves all the attention and is very content.

ANSWERS

Question 9

Now imagine you have to write some notes to help the actress who is playing Titania in this scene. What two suggestions below might you include?

Titania, Queen of the Fairies, from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream - stock photo

CORRECT ANSWER

Titania is totally in love with Bottom.
Titania doesn't notice he has the head of an ugly donkey.

EDDIE SAYS

The correct answers are that Titania is totally in love with Bottom and doesn't notice his donkey head!

ANSWERS

Question 10

Titania then instructs her fairies to take Bottom to her fairy bower. What do you imagine the set to look like?

Here are some images to help you. You may decide to create a modern fairy bower on stage. Think about lighting and props. From the list below, select the three items that would work best on stage.

CORRECT ANSWER

a luxurious four-poster bed covered in fairy lights
soft lighting
lots of props made out of natural things found in the woods

EDDIE SAYS

Three aspects that would suit a fairy bower best would be: a luxurious four-poster bed covered in fairy lights, soft lighting and lots of props made out of natural things found in the woods.