the main ideas in a text which are explored in a number of different ways.

the way in which a play is divided (like a book is divided into chapters); all of Shakespeare’s plays have five.

a play designed to make you laugh, often involving misunderstandings and ending in marriage.

The plot of William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

English

Understanding the genre of William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

The patriarchal world of William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

The presentation of Egeus in Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, Act 2, Scene 1: Titania and Oberon’s conflict

Model paragraphs about Act 2, Scene 1 of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

The character of Puck in Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

The character of Oberon in Act 2, Scene 1 of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

Exploring the character of Puck in Acts 2 and 3 of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

Including context when writing about Puck in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

The significance of the magical forest in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

The impact of the magical potion in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

How is Puck presented in Act 2, Scene 2 of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’: Puck - obedient servant or irreverent joker?

Act 3 of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’: disorder in the forest

'A Midsummer Night's Dream': How is Puck presented in Act 3, Scene 2?

Act 3, Scene 2 of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': order is restored in the forest

How is Puck presented in Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'?

'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Puck's epilogue in Act 5

Analysing Puck's epilogue in Act 5 of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

Exploring key themes in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': love, power, disorder

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’: Shakespeare and the supernatural

'A Midsummer Night's Dream': powerful topic sentences about Puck

Creating an argument about the character of Puck in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

Introductions to essays about Puck in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

Analytical paragraphs: Puck and the supernatural in ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream'

Conclusions to essays: Puck and the supernatural in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

'A Midsummer Night's Dream': reviewing and refining an essay about Puck

In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', pupils learn about marriage conventions within Shakespeare's patriarchal society. In 'Macbeth: Lady Macbeth as a Machiavellian Villain', pupils explore the ways in which this female character subverts the expectations of women in her day and question whether modern and contemporary audiences are likely to sympathise with her. 

In 'The Tempest', pupils explore the ways in which Ariel and Caliban, as 'outsiders', might be perceived by modern and contemporary audiences. In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', pupils use context to develop their understanding of marriage rituals and attitudes to magic in the play. 

In this unit, pupils read and explore Shakespeare's comedy 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. They focus on the character Puck and the theme of the supernatural, and analyse their role and importance at different points in the play. Finally, they plan and write an essay about Puck and the supernatural.

'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

the style or type of text: for example science fiction

a play designed to make you laugh, often involving misunderstandings and ending in marriage

physical comedy, sometimes violent but intended to make people laugh

the first collection of most of Shakespeare’s plays, published in 1623 (seven years after his death)

a society in which men hold the power; the laws and structure of that society prevent women from having power

in English, this means looking at a text closely and considering what it might mean and why it was written in that way

in a play, these are the words that the characters say

information about when and why a text was written that helps us understand a text more deeply

something that can’t be explained by the laws of nature

a person alive when Elizabeth I was on the throne (1558-1603); the first audiences of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ were Elizabethan

text in a play script which gives information about how a scene should be staged, or how an actor should say a particular line

in the context of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, it means followers, entourage, servants

the tools a playwright uses to create their work; for example, characterisation, setting, language choices, stage directions

to add short notes to a piece of text with your own ideas and comments; a key skill in English

the state of being of the same status as someone else, with the same rights

to look at something carefully and make a judgement about it

stories and traditions that are passed down from generation to generation; these are not written down, but told verbally

an indication or clue of a future event in a story

the Roman god of love, usually shown holding a bow and arrow

a name from Elizabethan folklore, a character connected with practical jokes and helpfulness

in Elizabethan folklore, this was a general term for a fairy, but they also associated pucks with the devil and evil deeds

a society in which men hold the power; the laws and structure of that society prevent women having power.

a system whereby people or things are ranked, with some being at the top, and others lower down.

a person alive when Elizabeth I was on the throne (1558-1603); the first audiences of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ were Elizabethan.

stories and traditions that are passed down from generation to generation; these are not written down, but told verbally.

a play designed to make you laugh, often involving misunderstandings and disorder, ending in marriage.

a system whereby people or things are ranked, with some being higher than others.

the accepted standards and rules by which a community lives.

to return something back to its original state.

a term used by Elizabethans which referred to a system of ranking which they believed was created by God.

in a play, a speech by one character expressing their thoughts, often directly to the audience

in English, this means looking at a text closely, considering what it might mean and why it was written in that way

the phrase Puck uses to describe the poor Athenian actors, referencing their day jobs as skilled manual labourers

humour that relies on rude words or ideas

a system whereby people or things are ranked, with some being higher than others

an important idea to a text that is explored through different characters and plot points

a term used by Elizabethans which referred to a system of ranking which they believed was created by God

in the context of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, it means an enjoyable hobby.

to return something back to its original state

the first sentence of a paragraph stating the paragraph’s main idea

the tools a writer uses to create their work; for example, characterisation, setting, language choices

a speech or piece of writing that comes at the end of a text and makes a comment on what has happened in the story

when a character in a play speaks directly to the audience, acknowledging the audience exists

to remove parts of a text that you think shouldn’t be seen

a speech or piece of writing that comes at the end of a text and makes a comment on what has happened in the story.

when a character in a play speaks directly to the audience, acknowledging the audience exists.

a hint or indication of what will happen later in the story.

the tools a writer uses to create their work; for example, characterisation, setting, language choices, foreshadowing.

an important idea in a text that is explored in a number of different ways

a system whereby people or things are ranked, with some being at the top, and others lower dow

things that can’t be explained by the laws of nature

a play written by Shakespeare which includes the supernatural; it is a tragedy with a sad, violent ending

the first sentence of a paragraph stating its main idea

a word which connects two clauses in a sentence; for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so and although are all examples

a piece of writing that explains and develops a big idea you have about a text

the idea you develop and maintain throughout an essay

the first sentence of a paragraph which states the paragraph’s main idea

an idea you develop and maintain throughout an essay

an idea that is not tied to a particular detail

an idea that is tied to a particular detail

quotations which support your topic sentence, and that require analysis

quotations which support your topic sentence, but don’t require analysis

making a judgement or comment about something

what a writer wants to achieve or explore in their work

information about the time period of when a text was written; context can help us understand a text more deeply

a play designed to make you laugh, often including misunderstandings and ending in marriage

'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

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