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Year 8

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

I can write focused analytical paragraphs about how Shakespeare uses the character of Puck to explore ideas about the supernatural in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.

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Year 8

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

I can write focused analytical paragraphs about how Shakespeare uses the character of Puck to explore ideas about the supernatural in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Topic sentences state a paragraph’s main idea.
  2. Topic sentences should develop and maintain your thesis.
  3. Select main quotations and supporting quotations to include in an essay.
  4. Main quotations should be analysed; supporting quotations don’t need to be analysed.

Keywords

  • Thesis - an idea you develop and maintain throughout an essay

  • Topic sentence - the first sentence of a paragraph stating its main idea

  • Capricious - impulsive, reckless, changeable

  • Main quotations - quotations which support your topic sentence, and that require analysis

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

Common misconception

Every quotation in a main body paragraph should be analysed.

Some quotations should be analysed, but others you can simply embed into sentences.


To help you plan your year 8 english lesson on: Analytical paragraphs: Puck and the supernatural in ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Consider that at the end of this lesson, pupils could have written an introduction and three main body paragraphs. Timing is going to be key, as well as knowing if your pupils have already written parts of this essay in a previous lesson (i.e. their introduction).
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

You need access to William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. However, the relevant extracts for this lesson can also be found in the additional materials.

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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
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Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
When writing about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', you should include quotations. What is a quotation?
words that you want to use about a text
dialogue from a text, but no other words
any words the writer said about the text
Correct answer: any words from the text
when you summarise what a character says from a text
Q2.
When writing about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', you could start with an introduction which follows a three part structure. Starting with the first sentence, put the three part structure in order.
1 - a general statement about the text
2 - a general statement in relation to the character or theme in the question
3 - a specific thesis
Q3.
When writing about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', you should analyse quotations from the play. What does it mean to analyse?
summarising the plot of a text
explaining whether you think the text is good or not
Correct answer: considering why a writer wrote their work in the way that they did
selecting the longest quotations to show off your knowledge of the text
Correct answer: looking at a text closely and thinking about what it might mean
Q4.
In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', why might the characters of Puck and Oberon be considered dangerous?
because Puck is Oberon's servant
Correct answer: because of their ability to transform and control others
because they restore order at the end of Act 3
Correct answer: because they sometimes have malicious intentions towards others
because they don't know how to remove the magical potion
Q5.
In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', why might the characters of Puck and Oberon be considered harmless?
because Titania gives Oberon the little boy he wants
Correct answer: because Oberod Puck are key to restoring order
Correct answer: because the play is a comedy, Puck and Oberon create comedic chaos
because Puck makes a mistake putting the magical potion on Lysander
because Puck can transform into many different creatures and things
Q6.
Starting with the first plot point, order Puck's role in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.
1 - He talks to a fairy about the practical jokes he likes to play.
2 - He fetches the magical potion for Oberon.
3 - He accidently puts the magical potion on Lysander.
4 - He transforms Bottom's head into that of a donkey.
5 - He asks Oberon if they can watch the unhappy Athenian nobles.
6 - He leads the Athenian nobles through the forest so he can restore order.
7 - He apologises to the audience if the play caused offence.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
When writing about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', it can be helpful to know some key terms relating to essays. Match the key terms to their definitions.
Correct Answer:thesis,an idea you develop and maintain throughout an essay
tick

an idea you develop and maintain throughout an essay

Correct Answer:topic sentence,the first sentence of a paragraph stating its main idea
tick

the first sentence of a paragraph stating its main idea

Correct Answer:main quotations,quotations that support your topic sentence, and that require analysis
tick

quotations that support your topic sentence, and that require analysis

Correct Answer:supporting quotations,quotations that support your topic sentence, but don’t need analysis
tick

quotations that support your topic sentence, but don’t need analysis

Q2.
When writing about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', you will include main quotations in your paragraphs. What is true of main quotations?
they will be the same for every essay
they will be your longest quotations
Correct answer: they should link to your topic sentence
they don't require analysis
Correct answer: they require analysis
Q3.
When writing about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', you will include supporting quotations in your paragraphs. What is true of supporting quotations?
they will be your shortest quotations
they will be the same for every essay
they require analysis
Correct answer: they don't require analysis
the don't need to link to your topic sentence
Q4.
When writing about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', you will include a thesis and topic sentences. What is the relationship between these two aspects of the essay?
A topic sentence contrasts your thesis.
A topic sentence questions your thesis.
Correct answer: A topic sentence maintains your thesis.
Correct answer: A topic sentence develops your thesis.
A topic sentence repeats your thesis.
Q5.
Which is the strongest topic sentence which answers a question about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and the supernatural?
Shakespeare uses lots of techniques to present the supernatural.
Shakespeare says, "you are that shrewd and knavish sprite".
Correct answer: Shakespeare presents the supernatural as ambiguous.
Shakespeare presents the supernatural as both good and evil, but mainly good.
I think that the supernatural is the most important theme in the play.
Q6.
In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', Puck uses his ability to transform to scare the Rude Mechanicals. He says he will be "A hog, a , sometime fire."
Correct Answer: headless bear

Additional material

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