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

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

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

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

English

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

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'

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'

Depiction or discussion of distress or humiliation e.g. bullying.

Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying

In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' what has the character of Puck not tranformed himself into before? 

stories and traditions that are passed down, often verbally

a person alive when Elizabeth I was on the throne

a character connected with practical jokes and helpfulness

a general term for a fairy, also associated with the devil and evil

Match the key term with the correct definition. 

In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Shakespeare emphasises Puck's ability to...

Puck can be more friendly with Oberon as he knows him better

Oberon is Puck's master so Puck must be more obedient

Puck and Oberson are equals so Puck can talk down to other fairies 

In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' why does Puck speak differently to Oberon compared to other fairies?

Complete the quote from Act 2 Scene 1 of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': "I jest to Oberon and make him..."

He had two different names which were associated with different ideas 

He completely transforms throughout the play

Shakespeare showed he could transform the way he spoke to different characters

Why might Elizabethan audiences have had different opinions of Puck throughout 'A Midsummer Night's Dream?'

Which words could describe the character of Puck in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'?

gives Titania's boy the head of a donkey 

mild physical harm, like drinks being spilled, or falling over

In a 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Puck enjoys playing practical jokes. What are some of the practical jokes he plays? 

it was associated with fairies who served masters

In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' the character of Puck is a fairy spirit. An Elizabethan audience would be familiar with the word 'puck'. What were some of its associations? 

In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', the character of Puck is also known as: Robin Goodfellow. This name was familiar to Elizabethans. What would they believe this character was like?

In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' what is Puck's relationship to the fairy King Oberon? 

This lesson was made for home learning during the pandemic.

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

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

This lesson was made for home learning during the pandemic.