07 May 2008

Could you be a fairy? - Midsummer post #3

At the beginning of Act II, we get a glimpse of the kind of powers and duties the fairies have in the world of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Both Puck and and the unnamed fairy at the beginning of Act II describe ways that they interact with and affect the humans in the world.

What would you do if you were a fairy?

Go back to the beginning of Act II and re-read the exchanges between the fairies, including Puck. If these fairies existed in our world today, which power or duty do you find would have the most impact on the world? If you were a fairy how would you use one of the powers described to change something in our world today?

In your answer, make sure you clearly identify one of the powers or duties the fairies have (as described in the play). Make sure you clearly state where in the play the power or duty is described. Then imagine how that power or duty could be used today.

To help you, I posted the first comment which contains one way to start your response. You can use it as a model.

30 comments:

Miller said...

In Midsummer, the unnamed fairy states that she serves "the fairy queen,/To dew her orbs upon the green." Her duty is to make sure that, every morning, there is beautiful, shiny dew on the grass. It might seem like a minor thing, but I think the dew would have a great impact on the world because ...

If I were a fairy and could have the power to put dew on the grass in today's world, I would ...

Anonymous said...

In the play act 2 the fairy that Puck was talking to had the job of putting the morning dew on the grass everyday for the "queen". I think this power impacts the world today because when u wake up every morning it can bring joy to people becasue of the shimer u see when the sun hits it. If i were a fairy and i could put the dew on the grass now a days i would make it so everyone could see my work and how lovely it is in the morning. I would also make it so that it would make everything much greener and looking more fresh.
Annemarie period 4

Anonymous said...

If I was a fairy and I had the power to make people fall in love,such as Puck, I think that it would be the most impact on the world.Their wouldn’t be a lot of arguments and their wouldn’t be any harm or hate in the world. I would use the love to turn the world peaceful and calm. Everyone would get along and no one would be alone. This is described in the play where Oberon send Puck to make Demetrius fall in love with Helena and Hermia to fall in love with Lysander. This power could be used today to turn the world.

Anonymous said...

In the play, fairys (which don't exist) could have an outcome on the weather of Earth. So if I was a fairy i would like to change the weather. I would like to have this power so I could be able to have snow days when I don't want to go to school. I would also change bad weather to good weather so I can go outside like if it was thundering out I would change it to hot weather so I can go swimming.

Aaron per 6

Anonymous said...

If I was a fairy, I would probably most want the power to shape shift. Puck says that he uses this power to trick people, such as by becoming a stool and then pulling away when someone tries to sit. This power could help people because I could become anything I wanted, so I could change myself into something that would make people happy. For example, if a small child was really upset, I could turn into a toy for them to play with which would lift their spirits. Also, it would be fun for me to change into different objects and see the joy on peoples' faces.

Colleen period 4

Anonymous said...

If I were a fairy, or if I had the power of a fairy, I would choose the power to control the seasons/weather. This power is exhibited in the play when Titania, Queen of the Fairies, proclaims: “And through this distemperature, we see the seasons alter…Is, as in mockery, set; the spring, the summer, the childling autumn, the angry winter…From our debate, from our dissensions; We are their parents and original.” (20-21) If I had the powers to control the weather and seasons, many things would change in the world. I could bring rain to any part of the world experiencing draught, I could bring out the sun to grow crops in the most barren parts of the world, and I could use the clouds to provide relief from the sun’s harsh rays. I would help remedy global warming by increasing cloud cover in areas with holes in the ozone layer. My sun and rain could grow crops to feed the starving, or warm up the chilliest place. I could alter the seasons, so there would be no fear of dying from frostbite or heat stroke. However, as I am human, I would probably use my powers for selfish reasons at times. I could create destructive hurricanes to destroy the settlements of my enemies, or create dust storms of biblical proportions to blanket whichever region I wanted in darkness. I could cause the sun to beat upon the planet so much that the ground would crack, streams would dry up, and wood would become so dry that it would spontaneously combust. Lastly, I could blanket the planet in ever lasting winter, so nothing new could grow or succeed. It would be dangerous to have this power however, especially knowing what we know now about the climate. I would have to be careful not to meddle too much, as it could lead to the complete annihilation of the planet. And, after all, where would be the fun in that?

Anonymous said...

If I had the power of a fairy such as the ability to change the weather like Titania does I could change the world for the better. She says she has this power when she explains to Oberon that their fighting is causing a changes in the weather for the humans. With the power to control the weather natural disasters could be avoided such as hurricanes and tornadoes which cause a lot of damage. I could also of course use it for personal gain such as getting out of school or to make it a bright sunny day when it was previously cloudy and raining.

Josh Period 4

Anonymous said...

If I was a fairy, I would most definitely want to be like Puck. Puck has the privilege to entertain the King of all the fairies, Oberon. He says in line 44, "I jest to Oberon and make him smile..." That is a wonderful person to have in your life; a person who makes you smile and laugh and happy. They relieve stress and make life enjoyable. Also, Puck causes mischief and to have a devil side as a fairy would be a lot of fun! In lines 39-42, a fairy calls Puck on his trouble. He goes on in lines 47-56 to talk about his mischief. We learn he can change forms and sizes. That would be so handy for me! I could play pranks on my opponents if I loose in tennis or I could get back at my brother for eating my brownies for class! Or maybe I could use my powers for good. I would stop the criminal from robbing a bank or save the little girl in danger. Being a fairy would be so much fun. If only I could be one like Puck!

Jenna G, Period 6

Anonymous said...

If I had the powers of a fairy, I would try to help people because of my superior power. Puck takes his powers for granted and uses them to prank other people and make them feel worse abou thtmeselves. That is not something he should be doing as a fairy. The power that had the most impact on the world in the play is when Oberon and Titania were fighting and the seasons intermingled. When they were having the argument Titania had a long monologue where she said that their fight was causing grief within the humans because of the irregular weather patterns. That could be used today if we have a drought, a fairy could change the weather to make it rain, ending the drought.

Anonymous said...

If i were a fairy and had the power to change the weather I would use the power to help the world. I would be Prevent natural disaster from occurring. I would only make it rain as often as needed so that we have as many sunny days as possible.

Anonymous said...

If I had the powers of a fairy, i would use my powers of contoling agriculture to help the world. This power is described in the play when Titania and Oberon were arguing about the Indian boy, and Titania mentions that their fighting is making the farmers and oxen stop working. If i had the power to control agriculture i would make it so that there's enough food for everyone in the world to eat. With my powers global hunger would disapear and nobody would suffer from hunger anymore.

Anonymous said...

If I were a fairy, I would most likely be Puck. I would want to be Puck because I want to be able to spread love throughout the world. This would have a great impact on the world because it would prevent future or continuing wars that are going on. This would also make people a lot more happier all the time, then having people be argueing every minute.

Anonymous said...

If I were presented with the mystical powers of a fairy, I would use the powers of shape shifting. Unlike Puck, I would not use these powers for trickery on other people, rather, I would shape shift into a leader of our country who knows how to make a substantial difference in our world and can make good changes for all. This leader would have the ability to negotiate with other foreign leaders to end disagreements between countries. This leader would set our country straight and on the right path to an economically stable country and an environmentally clean country.

Sean S. Period 4

Anonymous said...

If I were to be a fairy and allowed one specific power to use I believe I would like ability over time the most. I know the fairies have the ability to alter time because Oberon tells Puck, after Titania leaves, to scour the world and find a flower within forty minutes. As Puck illustrates by coming back in time with the flower that fairies have ability to affect the flow of time. With such a power I would try to help people with decisions. I would try to help people make good decisions by showing them how things will turn out, but only if they are deserving. In a way it is like the ghosts in the book, A Christmas Carol. I will be showing them how their behaviors now will impact themselves and those important to them in the future. Also, in some cases I may be benevolent and help a person running late by turning time back for them. So all in all having the ability to affect the flow of time could be very beneficial to me and the people I help.

Dom D Period 4

Anonymous said...

If I had the power of a fairy, I would use the potion of love. In the book Oberon uses the power to make Titania to fall in love with the first thing she sees. Puck is told to use this power to make the Athenians love each other. Like Oberon, I wouldn't use my power as a curse. Instead I would use it for good. I would use it to create mutual love between people so there is less jealousy, hatred and envy in the world. Besides, the romantic love, I would use it to change people's hate. If people are prejudiced, I would make them realize other people's point of view and feel sympathy for them. I would make the richest people in the world have sympathy for the starving people so they would donate some of their money. If money could make a person "happy", why not make hundreds of people happy instead of one man? I would also use it to stop wars that are occurring all around the world. I would make them realize the great impacts the war is creating and make them create an agreement and settle down. I think this power would make all the people happy in their lives because everyone need feel beloved in order to be happy. Also, the world be a much better place if there were no war.

Anonymous said...

If I were one of the fairies in Midsummer, I would want to be and have the powers of Puck, Oberons right hand man. Puck like a little kid at heart, he plays jokes on the “mortals,” and does so for His own and Oberons amusement. What Puck does to promote such humor is he can change shapes and sizes into anything he desires. “I jest to Oberon and make him smile… Sometime for a three-foot stool mistaketh me, Then slip I from her bum, down topples she.” (18) Puck is saying how he could do things like pretend to be a stool and when someone sits on the stool he turns back into a fairy and the person falls. It is this crude humor that I myself might find enjoyment to, messing with peoples minds and making fools out of them for fun would bring amusement to me and the people around me, which is why I would choose to be like Puck if I were a fairy.
- Mike R, P. 6

Anonymous said...

If these fairies were in our world today, I think the power that would have the most impact on our world would be the controlling of the seasons. The king and queen fairy are fighting, which alters the patterns of the seasons. When it is supposed to be summer it is winter, and when it is supposed to be winter it is summer. That would have a huge impact on our world for many reasons such as; crops, certain jobs that can only be done during certain times of the year, money from tourists coming in on certain seasons, plants, mood of people, all things like that are affected when seasons are affected. If I could have the power to alter the seasons in my world today, I would make it tropical all year long, so we could all lay out on the beach in the nice weather, swim in the warm water, and enjoy the hot sun all year long. I know it would make me feel a thousand times better, and refreshed. I feel like when the weather is nice everyone is happier, and if I had the power to make everyone enjoy themselves, then I would absolutely do it.

Anonymous said...

If I could have the powers of a fairy, I would use them to control the weather. During Oberon and Titania's argument Titania states on p. 20 that their ongoing quarrel is affecting nature. I think that in today's day and age, controlling the weather is one of the most important powers I could have. When I watch the news, there is sometimes a story about a natural disaster, whether it's a tornado, hurricane, or flood. And in every one of these stories there are always reports of people being killed because of these events. By using my powers I could stop hurricanes and tornadoes from developing, and make storms disappear before an area gets flooded. This will save countless lives and billions of dollars in damages which could be put into other projects to help humanity. I could also control the seasons, and I would make it summer all year because I hate the cold temperatures of winter.

Peter per.4

Anonymous said...

If i were a fairy i would want the power to make people fall in love, and that everyone would get along. People i think would be a lot more happier with themselves and other people. There would be no wars, or arguments. In the play, Oberon wanted everyone to be happy, and he sent Puck to make Demetrius fall in love with Helena, and Hermia to fall in love with Lysandar. If that was the way the world really was, everyone would be a lot happier and peaceful.

jessica, period 4

Anonymous said...

If I were a fairy, I would want to have the power to “BeDazzle” the world, like how Titania and her fairies “BeDazzled” the Queen’s bodyguard’s coats. “In their gold coats spots you see; those be rubies, fairy favors, in those freckles live their savors.” (II: I; 11-13) This might be making the beauty of nature and making things like the Grand Canyon. These are things that make the world a stunning place. It might not be the most significant power to have, but it is very important. The World is the Fairies home, so they would want it to look beautiful, and I think they would do that by making natural wonder of the world. Megan period 6.

Anonymous said...

If I had the powers that the fairies possess in A Midsummer’s Night Dream have, I would try to do something better with them then argue over a young boy and cause such damage to the mortal world. I believe I would like to have the power over love. It would make the world a better place, less war, more peace would be nice. I think I would try to be careful with such a strong power though because not everything can be perfect, it takes the life out of life. I think I would try to use the power of love where it was needed, I would suck some of the hate out and the prejudices of man-kind. If there was more love and acceptance in this world and less discrimination then it would be a better place in general.

Anonymous said...

If I were a fairy I would be a fairy that would give things to the poor to make them happy. I also could put a spell on the wealthy people to help the poor people out with food and giving them money. I would also take jealousy away so that people could all get along becuase jealousy is what makes people hate eachother. And I would be very differnet from the other fairies that cuase trouble all around the world.
Per. 4 Andrew

Anonymous said...

If I was a fairy I would want to power to control the weather and conditions of the earth. I would want to make the weather benefit the people. Titania and Oberon control this and Titania mentions all of the problems that have come up in the world since their arguement over the Indian boy. This power could become very dangerous if not used properly, but it could also be great. I coulder create better weather when the people need crops and animals, or make a nice winter. If handled and used correctly, the power to control the climate and weather of the earth could help many people. Also, a nicer weather could exist in time for flowers and rain could come when those flowers need water. This could be an exciting power to control and could do so much for the people on earth.
maria period 6

Anonymous said...

Well even though imp pretty sure fairies don’t exist if I was one in midsummer night’s dream I would just mess with people all day. Like what Puck does. He does things like change his shape to resemble a stool and lure people into sitting then disappears as they sit. I would just ruin people days, trip them as there walking while they are in a great mood. I would enjoy being able to play tricks on people all day.

Nick A. period 6.

Anonymous said...

no i could not be aq fariy and if i were id be the one fariy that would destroy all the others by turnning them mortal and making them star in a rambo movie with live amuniton. yes i hate fairys.
Logan Vanacore

Anonymous said...

If I were a fairy, I would choose to have the power that Puck has, which is the power to make people fall in love. I believe this power would make the most impact on the world because love is one of the hardest emotions to change. If someone is sad, you may be able to cheer them up. Love is more of an unpredictable emotion, and one that can not be changed just with one action. No one can make you love someone other than the person you love. People just don't have that kind of control. If this was possible, there may be less arguing and sorrow amongst people. We may all be at ease because we would finally be able to make the person we love, fall in love with us. If I were a fairy, I would use this power to the best. When someone was truly upset over someone they loved, I would simply make the person love them back. I believe this power may help to make people happier, even if the joy only lasts for a certain amount of time.

Lindsay, Per. 4

Anonymous said...

If i had the power to be a fairy simiar to the powers that we see in the play exhibited by Puck, oberon, titania, ect..I would choose to make people fall in love or at least not hate each other. There are many things that can be changed/fixed with this power. One thing that this power can do is to help keep people loe relationships stronger, making less conflict in the world so everyone would be much happier. Another way this power can help the world would be to make peace between enemy countries. There are many wars that have occured and are currently being fought and if i had this power i would make peace between the countries so the whole world would be much more peaceful.


Mike P.
P-4

Anonymous said...

In act 2 it shows how the fairys have the power to shape shift. If i were a fairy i that would definetly be the power i would want to have. It miight not help the world as much as myself but i think it would be a fun power to have.

pat p.6

Anonymous said...

In act II Puck has the power to make people fall in and out of love. If I were a fairy I would want to have this power. I think that this power would impact the world the most. I think this because I would be able to make world piece and there would be a lot less arguments. Also I would be able to help people find their true love more easily. This is described in the play when Oberon sends Puck to go and make the man wearing athenien garmets fall in love with the women he disliked.

Anonymous said...

If I were a fairy in A Midsummer Night's Dream, I would probably choose the power to shape shift. I would want this power because I would be able to morph into anything I wanted at any given moment. Not that I'm for the war, but this power would especially come in handy if I were a soldier in Iraq because it would be the ultimate camouflage. Also, not that this would help the world much, but it would be a pretty sick power to have when playing hide and seek.