The character of Oberon in Act 2, Scene 1 of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
I can explore how the character of Oberon is presented in Act 2, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.
The character of Oberon in Act 2, Scene 1 of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
I can explore how the character of Oberon is presented in Act 2, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- In Oberon’s and Puck’s first dialogue, Oberon speaks 27 lines and Puck speaks 3.
- Oberon commands that Puck get him the magical potion so he can use it on Titania.
- Puck obeys Oberon without question.
- When writing about ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, you could link quotations together to develop your ideas.
Keywords
Cupid - the Roman god of love, usually shown holding a bow and arrow
Imperious - arrogant, dominant
Contrast - difference
Sinister - threatening, menacing
Commands - orders
Common misconception
Oberon's commands, status and dominance in the dialogue mean he can only be interpreted as powerful.
There is much to suggest Oberon's power in this scene, but dialogue can be interpreted in many ways, and performance can affect how we perceive a character. There is no single reading of the play.
To help you plan your year 8 english lesson on: The character of Oberon in Act 2, Scene 1 of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 8 english lesson on: The character of Oberon in Act 2, Scene 1 of '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.
Equipment
You need access to a copy of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. However, the relevant extracts for this lesson can also be found in the additional materials.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
- Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required