The impact of the magical potion in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
I can evaluate how the magical potion is used by Oberon and Puck, and the impact it has on different characters in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
The impact of the magical potion in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
I can evaluate how the magical potion is used by Oberon and Puck, and the impact it has on different characters in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The magical potion is used twice in Act 2, Scene 2.
- Oberon has malicious intentions; Puck is trying to carry out Oberon’s orders.
- Lysander falls in love with Helena, who believes Lysander is mocking her.
- Titania falls in love with Bottom, and makes him stay with her in the forest.
- When writing about ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, connect different moments of the play together.
Keywords
Malicious - deliberately cruel
Vile - horrible
Anoint - to apply or put something on someone
Mock - to make fun of
Consequence - result, outcome, effect
Common misconception
Oberon knows Titania will fall in love with Bottom.
Oberon hopes Titania will fall in love with something "vile" but he doesn't know about Bottom, or his transformation, until Puck tells him the joke he has played.
To help you plan your year 8 english lesson on: The impact of the magical potion in '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 impact of the magical potion 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.
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 upsetting content
- Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Duke of Athens
noble people of Athens
a low status Athenian actor
monarchs in the fairy kingdom
a supernatural servant
his daughter won't obey him
faces severe punishment if she doesn't obey her father
loves someone who doesn't love her back
loves someone who doesn't love him back
isn't allowed to marry the person he wishes
isn't being given something that he wants