'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Puck's epilogue in Act 5
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can create a convincing interpretation of Puck's epilogue from Act 5 of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ through performance.
Key learning points
- ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ ends with an epilogue given by the character of Puck.
- Puck’s epilogue breaks the fourth wall and offers to make “amends” for any offence caused by the play.
- Perhaps this epilogue acknowledges some of the fears that Elizabethans had about the potential dangers of the theatre.
- Some Elizabethans believed the theatres were a place of dangerous ideas and atmospheres.
Keywords
Epilogue - 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
Breaking the fourth wall - when a character in a play speaks directly to the audience, acknowledging the audience exists
Hierarchy - a system whereby people or things are ranked, with some being higher than others
Elizabethan - a person alive when Elizabeth I was on the throne (1558-1603); the first audiences of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ were Elizabethan
Censor - to remove parts of a text that you think shouldn’t be seen
Common misconception
It is not significant that Puck performs the epilogue. It could have been any of the characters.
There are many different ideas to explore in terms of why Puck performs this epilogue. It could speak to his centrality to the plot, his infamous reputation amongst the play's first Elizabethan audiences, and the way we should interpret key themes.
Teacher tip
Learning cycle 2 sees pupils perform the epilogue. Consider if watching different and varied interpretations of this epilogue over the years would aid their own performance.
Equipment
You need access to a copy of William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. However, the relevant extracts for this lesson can also be found in the additional materials.
Content guidance
Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', how does the character of Puck help restore order in Act 3?
Q2.In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', how does the character of Puck create chaos?
Q3.The first audiences of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' were Elizabethan. Elizabethan society was intensely hierarchical. What does this mean?
Q4.In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', Puck interacts with most of the characters in the play. Match each character to Puck's involvement with them.
obeys his commands
transforms his head into that o donkey
puts the magical potion on him by mistake
doesn't put the antidote on him
laughs at her distress
feels sorry for her when he sees her lying on the ground sleeping
Q5.In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', why is Titania and Bottom's relationship an example of disorder?
Q6.In Act 3 of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', why does Puck want to watch the Athenian nobles in chaos?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.'A Midsummer Night's Dream' ends with 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. This is called an .
Q2.In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', how does Puck's epilogue in Act 5 break the fourth wall?
Q3.'A Midsummer Night's Dream's' first audiences were Elizabethan. Why did some Elizabethans think the theatre was dangerous?
Q4.Elizabeth I was on the throne when 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' was first performed. She enjoyed the theatre, but also controlled it. What measures did she put in place so that the theatre was 'safe'?
Q5.In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', Puck begins his epilogue, "If we shadows have , Think but this, and all is mended".
Q6.'A Midsummer Night's Dream' ends with an epilogue from the character of Puck who apologises for any offence caused in the play, and asks those who are offended to think of the play as a " ".
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Puck's epilogue in Act 5, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Puck's epilogue in Act 5, 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.