REVIEW

The following review will provide a comparison between Shakespeare's A Midsummer night's Dream and the film City Slickers discussing how each address the three basic elements of classic comedy:
Now let's identify the elements of comedy as they occur in A Midsummer Night Dream and compare them with the film City Slickers. Before continuing, list in your journals what you believe to be the main conflicts are in each work.


CONFLICT


A Midsummer Night s Dream                       City Slickers

Egeus wants Hermia to marry Demetrius           Mitch is disillusioned with 
                                                his life
Hermia wants to marry Lysander                    
                                                Ed is having difficulty
Helena loves Demetrius                          adjusting to marriage

Theseus, the Duke, says that Hermia must
marry Demetrius or be put to death
                         
Theseus and Hippolyta bickering as              Phil's wife finds out that
their wedding day approaches                    he is having an affair

Titania and Oberon jealous of each
other's romantic infatuations with humans

Titania and Oberon quarrel over 
who will raise the orphan child


Did you think of any other conflicts?

CONFUSION



Before continuing, list in your journal the types of confusion the characters experience as the plot progresses.


A Midsummer Night s Dream                       City Slickers

Hermia and Lysander run away			Difficulty adjusting to Wild West
								
Demetrius and Helena follow them		Fight with real cowboys
								
Demetrius wants to kill Lysander and 		Start a stampede
elude Helena					
						Mitch confronts Curley
They all get lost in the woods
						They all get lost on the range
Oberon tells Puck to put love juice in
Titania's eyes; She'll fall in love with the	Don't know how to finish the 
first man she sees.				cattle drive

Ditto Demetrius.				More trouble with cowboys

Puck messes up, put the juice into 		Almost lose their herd
Lysander's eyes--who falls in love with
Helena.						Many of the group drop out or get hurt

Having fun, Puck turns Bottom into an		Mitch has to deliver a baby calf
ass.

Upon awaking,  Titania falls in love
with Bottom

RESOLUTION



Before continuing, list in your journal how the conflicts are resolved



A Midsummer Night s Dream                       City Slickers

Oberon orders Puck to remove the		Mitch, Ed, and Bruno
spells						triumph over adversity
					
The human couples return home			Mitch learns from Curley the 
						importance of finding the
Egeus is so happy to see Hermia			"one thing"
that he allows her to marry 
Lysander					Mitch, Ed, and Bruno return
						home with new perspectives
Helena and Demetrius marry
						Mitch brings home a new addition 
Theseus and Hyppolyta marry			to the family
						
Oberon and Titania make up			Ed returns with a new love interest

						Bruno returns committed 
 						to his wife and marriage
In both the play and the film, marriage or new beginnings are stressed.

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