Hello, my name is Ms. Grant.

I'm so glad you decided to learn with me.

Today, we are looking at A Midsummer Night's Dream.

And our focus today is going to be looking at three key themes.

Now, looking at key themes can sometimes feel a little bit daunting, a bit scarier perhaps, than looking at the plot, than looking at language, than looking at character.

But by the end of this lesson, you're gonna feel really, really confident in knowing what a theme is and how you can explore it within a play.

I cannot wait to hear all of your fantastic ideas.

I'm gonna be your support and guide as we work through today's lesson together.

Let's get started.

So by the end of today's lesson, you're going to be able to explain how three key themes in A Midsummer Night's Dream are explored.

Now, this can seem quite daunting.

I remember teachers saying to me when I was at school, you should explore this theme, you should develop your ideas by exploring a theme.

And I was thinking, well, I'm just not quite sure what that means or what that looks like.

But by the end of today's lesson, we're gonna have a really clear understanding, well, what is a theme, how do I begin to explore it, what might that look like? There are some key words which are going to help us unlock our learning today, and they're gonna be referenced throughout.

Now, the first one is theme.

Of course, that is our central focus for today's lesson.

We've also got the word explore, hierarchy, patriarchy, and the supernatural.

So let's have a look at their definitions.

So a theme.

A theme is an important idea in a text that's explored in a number of different ways.

So that is a good working definition.

But the whole of today's lesson is going to look at what it means to explore a theme.

So don't worry if you don't quite understand what it means at this precise moment.

Explore.

This means to look at something in detail, and we are gonna explore some themes in detail in today's lesson.

Hierarchy.

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

Now, hierarchy is so important to A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Understanding the comedy comes from understanding the importance of hierarchy to the play's first Elizabethan audiences.

And indeed, understanding this concept can really help us understand all of Shakespeare's plays.

So you might have studied some of Shakespeare's plays earlier in your school career, and you probably will study some more of Shakespeare's plays later in your school career.

And understanding the importance of hierarchy to Shakespeare's first audiences can be a real key to unlocking what these plays mean and what are some of the things that Shakespeare is trying to explore.

Patriarchy.

This is a society in which men hold the power, the laws and structure of that society prevent women from having power.

Now, Athens is set up as a patriarchal society, and we see the opening with Aegeus and Theseus kind of forcing Hermia to bend to their will.

That is because they are powerful patriarchs.

And the supernatural.

This is things that can't be explained by the laws of nature.

So the magical potion in A Midsummer Night's Dream is an example of the supernatural, and we also have some key supernatural characters.

So these words today are gonna help us unlock our learning.

They're gonna be referenced around, and they're gonna help us achieve our objective.

Our lesson outline for today, we're gonna start off by thinking, well, how do you explore a theme, and then we're going to look at in our second learning cycle, what might Shakespeare be saying about this theme? Let's start off with how to explore a theme.

Now, a theme is an important idea in a text.

This important idea will be explored in lots of different ways, so looked at in detail in lots of different ways.

As students of English, our first tasks are to work out what themes are important to your text and when these themes are explored.

So an idea that could be loads and loads of different ideas in a text.

And we need to think, well, what are the most important ideas, the most important themes to this text? And when? When are these themes explored? So this is why it's really important to have a really detailed understanding of the plot and the characters of a text, because that means you can pinpoint when a particular theme is explored.

So let's have a look at an example that will make it much easier to understand what a theme means, and what it means to start exploring it.

So Sam says, "I think an important theme is love." And Sam practises exploring this theme.

So what theme is important? Well, Sam says love, more specifically romantic love.

How and when is this theme explored? Well, Sam says through the four Athenian nobles who fall in and out of love with each other.

So really clear theme there, love, and then refining it further by saying, well, specifically romantic love, and then looking at a particular moment when this theme is explored through the four Athenian nobles who fall in and out of love with each other.

So really nice at starting to explore this theme.

Now, Laura agrees.

She says, "I think an important theme is love too." However, Laura looks at a different idea.

"What theme is important?" And Laura says, love, more specifically mismatched relationships.

So it's the same theme, but she's just refining it in a slightly different way to Sam.

How and when is it explored? Well, I'd like you to discuss.

We've seen Sam's example where she pinpointed that it's explored through the four Athenian Nobles.

Well, for Laura, when she wants to look at love, more specifically mismatched relationships, what moment in the play do you think that she could look at? And you might have more than one example.

So you're gonna pause the video and think, well, when is love, more specifically mismatched relationships, when is that explored in A Midsummer Night's Dream? pause the video and discuss this question now.

Well done.

A really fantastic discussion there, showing off your brilliant knowledge of A Midsummer Night's Dream, but also your understanding of what it means to explore a theme.

You have just been exploring a theme, the theme of love, more specifically mismatched relationships.

And lots of people came up with the same idea as Laura, which was that the relationship between Titania and Bottom, a supernatural queen and a low status Athenian man is one of the strongest examples of mismatched relationships.

Though it was really nice to see people talking about the Athenian nobles as well, because actually when both men, Demetrius and Lysander, are in love with Helena, this is an example of a mismatched relationship because these two are rivals, Demetrius and Lysander, for Hermia's love, and now rivals for Helena's love instead.

And actually we need to get to a point at the end of the play where Helena and Demetrius can get married, and Lysander and Hermia can get married, so that that chaos, that disorder, is resolved.

So Sam also believes order and disorder is an important theme.

So we looked at the theme of love, and we looked at how Sam and Laura started to explore that theme.

We're now gonna look at the theme of order and disorder, another really important theme in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and we're gonna see Sam practise exploring this theme as well.

So what theme is important? Order is how Sam is refining that exploration, more specifically, the importance of hierarchy.

So we talked about hierarchy when we were looking through our keywords, the idea of a ranking system and how important that is to Elizabethans, who were the first audiences of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

So really nice to look at this idea of hierarchy and the theme of order and disorder.

How and when is it explored? Well, I'd like you to discuss.

So we've got, Sam has given us this fantastic theme.

Order more specifically the importance of hierarchy.

How and when is this theme explored? And you might have more than one example.

So pause the video, cast your mind over the whole of the plot of A Midsummer Night's Dream and think, well, when is order, more specifically the importance of hierarchy, when is that explored? Pause the video and discuss the question now.

Welcome back.

Lovely discussions about this next theme that we are looking at, order and disorder.

So you've thought about the theme of love already, you had a really nice discussion about that.

We're now looking at order and disorder, again, showing off your brilliant knowledge of the play.

So some people are saying, well, it starts off with a moment of disorder because we have the disobedience of Hermia with her father.

And we can see how important hierarchy is to this play because Aegeus is so angry with Hermia that he threatens to kill her.

And Theseus also someone who likes to enforce the hierarchy.

He backs Aegeus up.

Well, here is the moment that Sam chose.

Well, it was actually Puck's relationship with Oberon.

He's a loyal and obedient servant to his master.

So there might be another example that you have, but there are loads of different examples of how important hierarchy is in this place.

So you might have had lots and lots of different moments where you thought, ah, I can actually see that order is really at the heart of this play.

This is an incredibly important theme.

Now Laura agrees that ordering disorder is an important theme, but she explores it in a different way.

So what theme is important? She looks at the idea of disorder, more specifically the comedy of disorder.

So how and when is this explored? Again, you are going to discuss this question.

So really pushing you to think about all the plot points of A Midsummer Night's Dream and to tie it to a specific theme.

And in this case, it is disorder, and more specifically the comedy of disorder.

So how and when is this theme explored? And you may have more than one example.

So pause the video and discuss this question now.

Beautiful discussions there about disorder and the comedy of disorder.

And actually, that's a part of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Acts 2, 3, and 4, there is so much chaos and disorder.

So there are lots of different ideas.

People say the Athenian nobles being in love with the wrong person.

Titania being in love with Bottom.

And certainly all of this provides a lot of the comedy of the play, especially when we are in the magical forest.

So this is the moment that Laura chose, Puck's enjoyment of the Athenian nobles' unhappiness in act 3, scene 2.

So you'll remember that Puck says, "Oberon, please, please, can we watch the Athenian nobles in chaos? It is sport to me, it is funny.

It is a pageant, it is a show." And that is the moment that Laura thought, ah, this will be a really good way to explore the theme of disorder, more specifically, the comedy of disorder.

So I'd like to pause for a check for understanding, 'cause we were looking a really hard idea here, the idea of what it means to explore a theme.

So first of all, let's just reassure ourselves that we know what this word, theme, means.

So what is a theme? Is it A, the language choices a writer makes in a text, B, the plot of a text, C, the most important ideas in a text, or D, the characters in a text? Pause the video and select your response now.

Well done If you selected C, it's the most important ideas in a text.

Now, a writer might use the plot of a text to explore a particular theme.

They will use characters in a text to explore a particular theme.

They'll use language choices in their text to explore a particular theme.

But that is not what a theme is.

A theme is the most important ideas in a text.

So which of the following are important themes to A Midsummer Night's Dream? A, the Athenian Nobles, B, love and Marriage, C, order and disorder, D, Puck.

Pause the video and select your responses now.

Well done if you selected B and C.

Love and marriage are really important themes.

Order and disorder, we had a look at those with Sam and Laura earlier in the learning cycle.

Again, the Athenian nobles might help us understand a particular theme.

Puck is a character, he might help us understand a particular theme, but they are not themes themselves.

They are characters that is different to a theme.

So we have seen Sam and Laura explore the themes of love and the theme of disorder and order.

And now, they want to explore the theme of power.

Now I'd like you to complete each table to show how this theme is explored.

Come up with two or more examples for each.

So Sam, what theme is important? And they've looked at power, more specifically, patriarchal power.

So how and when is this theme explored? And Laura is looking at the theme of power, but more specifically, the power of the supernatural.

How and when is this theme explored? So you're gonna come up with two or more examples for each theme that is explored.

Pause the video, give this activity the time it deserves 'cause it's really gonna test your knowledge of the play, which I've seen from earlier in this learning cycle is absolutely fantastic.

So coming up with some really, really clear examples of how particular theme is explored in the play.

Pause the video and complete the tasks now.

Well done for completing both of those tables and exploring the theme of power, the first, patriarchal power, and the second, the power of the supernatural.

Really, really nice to see some really perceptive, clear ideas where you are showing off your knowledge of the whole text.

So here's one of Sam's ideas.

So they were looking at power, more specifically patriarchal power.

How and when is the theme explored? So we've got, "Even though Titania doesn't want to give Oberon the little boy, he overpowers her through trickery." So Oberon exerting his patriarchal power there over Titania.

Now I'd like you to discuss.

Did you pick a similar idea or did you pick a different moment in the text? So pause the video, have a look at your table, have a discussion.

Did you pick a similar idea to Sam or did you have a different idea from the text? Pause the video and discuss the question now.

Lovely discussion there.

Really exploring so many different moments in the text.

Some people looking at the power of Theseus and Aegeus in Act 1, and looking at the patriarchal power that they exert over Hermia.

Some people focusing on other moments of Oberon.

So looking at the idea that he manages to exert his power over everyone it seems in the play.

So to Titania initially refuses to give him that little boy, and then he uses his power over Puck, over the power of the supernatural, the magical potion, in order to get that little boy from her.

But not only to get it from her, but also to humiliate her in the process.

Now let's have a look at one of Laura's ideas about the power of the supernatural.

How and when is this theme explored? Well, Laura looked at the idea that Lysander loves Hermia so much he's willing to leave his home, but then the potion makes him love Helena.

So definitely the power of the supernatural there, because Lysander doesn't really love Helena.

He loves Hermia in his heart of hearts, but it's the supernatural that makes him love Helena.

Now discuss, did you pick a similar idea or a different moment in the text? Pause the video and discuss the question now.

Some really lovely discussions there, looking at the power of the supernatural.

So some people looking really specifically at the character of Puck, that was an idea that had lots of people talking about in terms of his ability to transform himself into lots and lots of different things.

Huge list of things.

Over the course of the play that he can transform himself into different creatures, different concepts.

He transforms himself into fire.

Apparently at one moment, he transforms himself into Demetrius and Lysander in order to restore order to the Athenian.

So he has this huge, huge amount of power in his kind of physical presence, his ability to transform himself.

So really a nice other example of the power of the supernatural.

So we have had an amazing time exploring some key themes in the first learning cycle.

We've looked at what themes might be being explored, and when they're explored in the text, showing off our fantastic knowledge of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Now the next stage is to consider what might Shakespeare be saying about this theme.

So we know he's included it or why did he include it? What is he actually saying about this theme? And that's gonna be the focus for our second learning cycle.

So the next step in exploring theme is to consider what the writer might be trying to say about it.

So here is Sam's example.

"What theme is important?" Love, more specifically romantic love.

"How and when is this theme explored?" Through the four Athenian nobles who fall in and outta love with each other.

We saw this example from learning cycle 1.

So the next step, "What might Shakespeare be trying to say about this theme?" Well, Sam says, "Perhaps Shakespeare's exploring that romantic love is sometimes painful and confusing." So just considering we've got this really, really important idea, love, more specifically romantic love.

This is not an idea that Shakespeare came up with himself.

He's including an idea that has been explored in lots of different texts and is a reality in lots of people's lives.

And what might he actually be saying about this concept, about this theme about romantic love? And Sam is thinking, well, romantic love is often presented as confusing, it's often presented as painful in this place.

So maybe that's what Shakespeare's trying to explore, that romantic love can be painful and confusing.

Laura also practises linking her chosen theme to what Shakespeare might be trying to say about this theme.

So again, if we remind ourselves that Laura wanted to look at mismatched relationships.

So she wants to look at the theme of love, more specifically mismatched relationships.

And how and when is this theme explored? Through the relationship between Titania and Bottom.

So what might Shakespeare be trying to say about this theme? Well, Laura says, "Perhaps Shakespeare's exploring people's worst fears about what disrupting the hierarchy looks like." So we know hierarchy was incredibly important to the play's first Elizabethan audiences.

And so we have this example here, which is meant to be used for comedic effect plays after all comedy.

But this relationship between Titania and Bottom, it is meant to be this kind of strangely mismatched relationship where we've got a queen with a low status man who's been transformed, his head has been transformed into that of a donkey.

So it's kind of people's worst fears realised on stage.

And even though this is a moment of comedy, very carefully, Shakespeare makes sure that order is restored by the end of the play.

So perhaps Shakespeare's exploring people's worst fears about what disrupting the hierarchy looks like.

Now I really like this word that Laura has used, perhaps.

So it's quite tentative, which means she's not saying Shakespeare is definitely trying to do this, he's saying perhaps he's trying to do this.

It could be that he's trying to do this.

So offering an interpretation rather than saying, this is absolutely the right answer.

And that's a really nice thing to do in English to offer a kind of tentative approach to kind of say, it could be this, it could be that.

This is how I interpret it, but obviously there are other interpretations as well.

So it's a nice use of that word there.

Now I'd like you to consider Sam's exploration of the theme of order and disorder.

So if you remember, Sam looked at the theme of order, more specifically the importance of hierarchy.

And their example was Puck's relationship with Oberon.

He's a loyal and obedient servant to his master.

So I'd like you to discuss, we are now gonna consider what might Shakespeare be trying to say about this theme? What might he be trying to say about hierarchy given that puck's relationship with Oberon? We see that he's a loyal and obedient servant to his master.

So a tough question.

Give it some time so that you can really consider what Shakespeare might be saying about this theme.

'cause this is the final step in exploring the theme, probably the hardest one.

So I'd like you to discuss the question, what might Shakespeare be trying to say about order, more specifically the importance of hierarchy through Puck's relationship with Oberon? Pause the video and discuss the question now.

Really lovely discussion there.

Really grappling with this idea, what might Shakespeare be trying to say about this theme? And some really nice ideas about the importance of hierarchy.

So even though we are here in this supernatural world, this magical forest where there's lots of chaos and women to enjoy that chaos, actually, there's still a really clear example of hierarchy.

And Shakespeare might be saying, well, hierarchy is incredibly important even in a magical, disordered world.

And this is Sam's idea that perhaps Shakespeare's exploring that hierarchy is important even in a place like the magical forest.

So the idea is that you were discussing just then, Sam absolutely agrees, and this is the idea that they put into their table, "Perhaps Shakespeare is exploring that hierarchy is important even in a place like the magical forest." Now I'd like you to consider Laura's exploration of the theme of order and disorder.

So remember that Laura wanted to look at disorder, more specifically the comedy of disorder.

And how and when is the theme explored? Well, Laura looked at Puck's enjoyment of the Athenian nobles' unhappiness in act 3, scene 2.

And again, I'd like you to discuss, well, what might Shakespeare be trying to say about this theme, the comedy of disorder, Puck's enjoyment at the Athenian nobles' unhappiness.

What could he be saying about the comedy of disorder? So again, a really difficult question, but give it the time it deserves, try different ideas.

What might he be trying to explore? Listen to each other's ideas.

We've got somebody to kind of work through this idea with.

Pause the video, discuss the question, and I'll see you back here shortly.

Well done.

Beautiful discussion there.

People really trying to think what might Shakespeare be trying to say about the comedy of disorder.

And actually Puck's enjoyment of the Athenian nobles' unhappiness is not very nice in Act 3, Scene 2.

He's not being a very kind character.

So perhaps Shakespeare's exploring this kind of unhappiness.

It can be quite comic to watch, taking pleasure in other people's pain.

So not maybe a particularly noble emotion, but one that perhaps people do feel.

Perhaps he's trying to explore those kind of more ignoble, those not very nice emotions that we sometimes feel when we see someone else in pain.

And absolutely, Laura was looking at this idea that perhaps Shakespeare's exploring how we can find pleasure in other people's unhappiness just like Puck.

And you can see Laura used that word perhaps again, just being a bit tentative, a bit careful in her approach.

And I had lots of people using that word as they were trying to explore the theme of disorder, more specifically the comedy of disorder.

So a quick check for understanding before we start to explore themes by ourselves.

Some more independent work, really looking at what Shakespeare might be trying to say about particular themes.

Sam and Laura believe Shakespeare explores patriarchal power through the character of Aegeus.

I absolutely agree with their interpretation.

Which people has best answered this question, "What might Shakespeare be trying to say about this theme?" Now Sam says, "Perhaps Shakespeare is trying to explore the extremes that some men can go to when they feel their patriarchal power is being undermined." And Laura says, "Shakespeare's trying to make us hate Aegeus by exploring who he is as a character and showing he is a patriarch." So which people do you think has best answered the question, "What might Shakespeare be trying to say about this theme?" Pause the video and discuss the question and select your response, sorry, now.

Well done if you selected Sam.

So Sam absolutely has explored at this idea, this big idea of patriarchal power and saying, well, Shakespeare's trying to explore patriarchal power and its extremes.

Laura is looking at Shakespeare and our reaction to a character.

So that's not a thematic analysis, that is just looking at a character, which is an important thing to do in a play or in any text.

But here, we're trying to explore a theme and showing that he is a patriarch.

Well, we know that he's a patriarch, we know that's how he's presented.

Again, that's not an analysis of the theme itself, that is an analysis of the character and the presentation of the character.

So Sam has looked at the idea and explored what Shakespeare might be trying to say about the idea, whereas Laura has looked at the character.

What we are interested in is looking at the big idea, the big theme.

So I would like you to develop your first table about patriarchal power.

So you looked at two tables in learning cycle 1.

I just want you to look at your first table.

The first table was about patriarchal power.

And I'd like you to explain what Shakespeare might be trying to explore.

So what theme is important? Power, more specifically patriarchal power.

How or when is this theme explored? You have put to examples in from the play.

And what might Shakespeare be trying to say about this theme? We've got a sentence started there to help you, "Perhaps Shakespeare's trying to explore.

So that tentative word, "Perhaps Shakespeare's trying to explore," and just think, what is he trying to say about this big idea? Pause the video and I'd like you to complete this task now.

Well done for returning to that first table about patriarchal power and completing that final stage in terms of exploring a theme, considering what Shakespeare might be trying to say about this theme, using that sentence starter, "Perhaps Shakespeare is trying to explore," to show that you've got a tentative approach.

You are not saying this is definitely what he's saying, but perhaps he's trying to say this.

Now, before we do some feedback, I want you to return to your second table and I want you to develop your second table about the power of the supernatural, explaining what Shakespeare might be trying to explore.

So what theme is important? Power.

You looked at patriarchal power in your first table, we're now gonna look at the power of the supernatural.

You've got your two examples that you looked at in learning cycle 1.

What might Shakespeare be trying to say about this theme? "Perhaps Shakespeare is trying to explore.

." That's gonna be our sentence starter again.

So turning your attention to the final stage of this exploration of this particular theme, the power of the supernatural.

And having to think, what is Shakespeare trying to explore? Pause the video and develop your table now.

Well done for developing that second table and looking at a slightly different slant of this idea of power, looking at the power of the supernatural this time and thinking perhaps Shakespeare is trying to explore.

We're gonna do some feedback now to have to consider what we've said about these two themes.

Here is one of Sam's ideas.

So Sam was looking at the power of the patriarchy, specifically patriarchal power.

And their example was, "Even though Titania doesn't want to give Oberon the little boy, he overpowers her through trickery." So what might Shakespeare be trying to say about this theme? Well, Sam has suggested, "Perhaps Shakespeare is exploring the cruelty of patriarchal power with Oberon humiliating Titania and taking what he wants despite her wishes." So really nice idea, nice to use that tentative approach.

Perhaps Shakespeare is exploring the cruelty of patriarchal power.

So looking at this idea, this big idea rather than focusing on a character.

So I'd like you to discuss, what did you think Shakespeare might be trying to say? So this was Sam's response, but you might have a completely different idea based on the example of patriarchal power that you found within the play.

So pause the video and discuss the question now.

Really lovely discussions there.

Lovely to hear all these.

Perhaps Shakespeare's trying to explore, perhaps Shakespeare is trying to explore, all these different ideas about this particular theme.

So lots of people looked at the character of Aegeus, and were looking the looking at the extremes of patriarchal power, which in some ways is reflected in Oberon when he's taking his patriarchal power to an extreme.

But it was also nice to hear people looking at the character of Theseus and saying that his patriarchal power extends over all of Athens.

And Aegeus turns to him in a moment of distress when he feels Hermia is disobeying him and she should be punished for that.

And Theseus backs it Aegeus up.

So looking at the power of the patriarchy over a whole city rather than just in individual cases.

So really nice exploration there of patriarchal power.

Now let's turn to Laura's idea, the power of the supernatural.

And how and when is this theme explored? Well, Laura focused on Lysander loving her is so much he's willing to leave his home, but then the potion makes him love Helena.

And Laura said, what might Shakespeare be trying to say about this theme? Well, perhaps Shakespeare's exploring Elizabethan beliefs about the ability of the supernatural to dramatically impact your life.

So lots of ideas about Elizabethan folklore, the idea that these characters, characters like Robin Goodfellow, Puck, existed and kind of impacted your life.

And so perhaps Shakespeare's trying to explore that when we see the power of the magical potion on Lysander, forcing him to love Helena and turn his affections away from Hermia.

Now I'd like you to discuss, what did you think Shakespeare might be trying to say when you looked at the power of the supernatural? Pause the video, discuss this question now.

Some really lovely discussions there.

People looking at their table and sharing some of the ideas that they have.

So some people are really thinking, well, perhaps Shakespeare's trying to explore the malevolence of the supernatural because lots of the supernatural characters in this play do terrible things, ranging from the kind of practical jokes that Puck plays, to the more aggressive humiliation of Titania by Oberon.

So really exploring the malevolence, the evilness of the supernatural rather than its ability to create mischief and fun.

So really, really nice to explore both of these themes of power of the supernatural and patriarchal power, and hearing all your ideas about what you think Shakespeare is trying to say about this idea.

That is you exploring a theme, a really, really key skill in English and not an easy one.

So well done for completing those tables so beautifully.

In summary, a theme is an important idea in a text that is explored in a number of different ways.

As students of English, the first step is to work out what are a text's most important themes, and the next step is to consider when these themes are explored in a text.

And finally, you could consider what a writer might be trying to say about this particular theme.

And these are all the steps that we've gone through in today's lesson.

What is a theme, when is it explored, what might Shakespeare be trying to say about this theme? It has been such a pleasure to hear of your fantastic knowledge of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and then to really start interpreting what Shakespeare might be trying to say about some key themes in his play.

I look forward to seeing you next time.