Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
Teachers
Pupils
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 8

'A Midsummer Night's Dream': powerful topic sentences about Puck

I can explain how Puck is presented in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ using evaluative and well supported topic sentences.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 8

'A Midsummer Night's Dream': powerful topic sentences about Puck

I can explain how Puck is presented in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ using evaluative and well supported topic sentences.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
View new resources
arrow-right

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Topic sentences state a paragraph’s main idea.
  2. Evaluative topic sentences offer a judgement about a character.
  3. You could compare one character to another, or the complexity of a character, to create an evaluative topic sentence.
  4. Conjunctions can help create an evaluative topic sentence.
  5. You must support your evaluative topic sentence with appropriate evidence from the text.

Keywords

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

  • Evaluate - to make a judgement about something

  • Irreverent - disrespectful

  • Conjunction - a word which connects two clauses in a sentence; for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so and although are all examples

  • Contemptuous - insulting

Common misconception

Paragraphs can only focus on one character at a time.

Comparing characters can be a useful way to deepen your understanding and analysis.


To help you plan your year 8 english lesson on: 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': powerful topic sentences about Puck, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Consider your questioning around both CfUs. What questions will help you understand if your pupils need a guided class model on the board before they embark on the practice tasks?
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

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

content-guidance

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sexual violence
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision required

copyright

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

Skip lesson video

Loading...

Starter quiz

Download starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', what do we know about the character of Egeus?
He rules Athens.
Correct answer: He's unhappy with his daughter.
He threatens Lysander with severe punishments.
Correct answer: He threatens Hermia with severe punishments.
He banishes his daughter from Athens.
Q2.
Puck and Egeus are both characters in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. What are some of the differences between them?
Correct answer: Puck is supernatural; Egeus is not.
Puck has a high status; Egeus does not.
Puck disobeys orders; Egeus follows them.
Correct answer: Puck likes to play harmless pranks; Egeus threatens severe punishments.
Correct answer: Puck is a servant; Egeus is a powerful patriarch.
Q3.
In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', both Oberon and Puck use the magical potion. What are the differences between how they use it?
Puck wants to create chaos; Oberon uses it for good.
Puck only uses the antidote.
Correct answer: Puck accidently causes chaos; Oberon deliberately harms Titania.
Puck uses it to transform Bottom; Oberon uses it to trick Titania.
Puck doesn't know what the potion can do; Oberon does.
Q4.
In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', how do we know that Puck enjoys watching the Athenian nobles in chaos?
He refuses to use the antidote as Oberon orders.
He leads the Athenians through the forest to increase their unhappiness.
He causes more chaos by putting the magical potion on Helena.
Correct answer: He says he finds watching unhappiness a fun hobby.
Correct answer: He asks Oberon if they can watch the chaos as entertainment.
Q5.
In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', how do we know that Puck respects the hierarchy?
He refuses to use magical potion Titania.
Correct answer: He obeys Oberon's orders swiftly and efficiently.
Correct answer: He obeys Oberon's orders even when he doesn't want to.
He shows respect to Egeus by using the magical potion incorrectly.
Correct answer: He only has fun with Bottom after he has fulfilled Oberon's orders.
Q6.
In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', why might we describe Puck as a contemptuous character?
Correct answer: He enjoys humiliating people.
Correct answer: He calls the Athenians "fools".
He doesn't always listen to Oberon.
He disobeys Oberon when he finds something more fun to do.
Correct answer: He makes fun of the Rude Mechanicals.

Exit quiz

Download exit quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
When writing about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', you should start each paragraph with a clear which states the paragraph's main idea.
Correct Answer: topic sentence
Q2.
When writing about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', you could start paragraphs with a topic sentence. You must support this topic sentence in the paragraph. What does it mean to support a topic sentence?
To repeat the idea.
To show why you could agree or disagree with the idea.
To show how you support the text you are reading.
Correct answer: To select quotations from the text you are writing about that prove your idea.
To list all the quotations you know from the text on this topic.
Q3.
In this topic sentence about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', which word is the conjunction? "Shakespeare presents Puck as a mischief maker but his pranks are often harmless unlike Oberon's."
as
Correct answer: but
harmless
presents
often
Q4.
In this topic sentence about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', which word is the conjunction? "Although Shakespeare presents Puck as an irreverent character, to Oberon he only ever shows respect."
Correct answer: Although
Shakespeare
presents
as
ever
Q5.
Which quotation would best support this topic sentence about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': "Shakespeare presents Puck as a character who restores order despite his love of chaos."?
"You are that shrewd and knavish sprite Called Robin Goodfellow." Act 2, Scene 1
"For now I must to Oberon." Act 2, Scene 2
"I am that merry wanderer of the night." Act 2, Scene 1
Correct answer: "All shall be well." Act 3, Scene 2
"I jest to Oberon and make him smile[.]" Act 2, Scene 1
Q6.
Which quotation would best support this topic sentence about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': "Shakespeare presents Puck as a character who is a devoted servant to Oberon despite his love of chaos."?
"You are that shrewd and knavish sprite Called Robin Goodfellow." Act 2, Scene 1
"Lord, what fools these mortals be!" Act 3, Scene 2
"I am that merry wanderer of the night." Act 2, Scene 1
"Shall we their fond pageant see?" Act 3, Scene 2
Correct answer: "I'll put a girdle round about the earth In forty minutes." Act 2, Scene 1

Additional material

Download additional material