Including context when writing about Puck in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can include relevant contextual ideas in my writing when exploring the character of Puck in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
Key learning points
- Shakespeare was writing for an Elizabethan audience.
- The ideas, characters and plot points in the play are designed to engage with Elizabethan society, attitudes and values.
- Information about Elizabethan society, attitudes and values is called context.
- When writing about the play, you should include context to develop your ideas.
Keywords
Patriarchal - a society in which men hold the power; the laws and structure of that society prevent women having power.
Hierarchy - a system whereby people or things are ranked, with some being at the top, and others lower down.
Elizabethan - a person alive when Elizabeth I was on the throne (1558-1603); the first audiences of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ were Elizabethan.
Folklore - stories and traditions that are passed down from generation to generation; these are not written down, but told verbally.
Shakespearean comedy - a play designed to make you laugh, often involving misunderstandings and disorder, ending in marriage.
Common misconception
Context should be included in one sentence at the end of each analytical paragraph.
You can include contextual ideas where relevant - this could be at the start, middle or multiple times in a paragraph. Contextual ideas will often help you develop your analysis of a particular quotation or character.
Teacher tip
Consider your questioning and examination of the model answers in LC2, both in the explanation section and the CfU. How will you draw out how these models include context skilfully? Do you need to provide an additional example to support your pupils?
Equipment
You need access to a copy of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What word beginning with 'C' gives us a better understanding of when and why a text was written??
Q2.What is meant by the term 'folklore'?
Q3.Which monarch was on the throne when Shakespeare wrote 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'?
Q4.What words would you use to describe Puck in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'?
Q5.What does the key term 'patriarchal' mean?
Q6.What is being defined here: 'a system whereby people or things are ranked, with some being at the top, and others lower down.'?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the key term to its definition.
a society in which men hold the power
a system whereby people or things are ranked
stories and traditions that are passed down
a person alive when Elizabeth I was on the throne (1558-1603)
a play designed to make you laugh, often involving misunderstandings
Q2.Complete the sentence: 'Information about Elizabethan society, attitudes and values is called .'
Q3.How did Shakespeare engage with an Elizabethan audience when creating the character of Puck in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'?
Q4.Why might you include contextual ideas when writing about ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?
Q5.Complete the quote from Act 3 of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': "a hound, A hog, a headless..."
Q6.What is not an example of context for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'?
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Including context when writing about Puck in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Including context when writing about Puck in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 English lessons from the 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.