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Year 8

The plot of William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

I can explain the plot and main themes of Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.

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Year 8

The plot of William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

I can explain the plot and main themes of Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is a Shakespearean comedy.
  2. There are three sets of characters in the play.
  3. The play starts and ends in Athens; in the middle, the play is set in a magical forest.
  4. The play ends with a number of marriages.
  5. A summary of the plot helps us understand some of the play’s main themes.

Keywords

  • Midsummer - the middle of the summer.

  • Theme - the main ideas in a text which are explored in a number of different ways.

  • Act - the way in which a play is divided (like a book is divided into chapters); all of Shakespeare’s plays have five.

  • Shakespearean comedy - a play designed to make you laugh, often involving misunderstandings and ending in marriage.

  • Athenian - someone from Athens.

Common misconception

The magical potion is removed from everyone's eyes at the end of the play.

Demetrius still has the magical potion on his eyes. This is why he is in love with Helena.

Consider the pace with which you want to move through the plot points, especially in learning cycle 1 and learning cycle 2. Where do you want to slow down, where can you speed up so that the pace of the lesson, and the fun of the play, remains engaging.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need access to a copy of William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. However, the relevant extracts needed for this lesson are found within the lesson slides.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What type of texts did William Shakespeare write?
books
speeches
Correct answer: plays
Correct answer: poems
sermons
Q2.
Whilst books are usually divided into chapters, what are plays divided into?
sub-headings
iambic pentameter
Correct answer: scenes
stanzas
Correct answer: acts
Q3.
All of Shakespeare's plays are divided into acts. How many acts is each divided into?
2
3
4
Correct answer: 5
6
Q4.
Shakespeare wrote a number of comedies. Which of the following of Shakespeare's plays are comedies?
'Romeo and Juliet'
'Hamlet'
Correct answer: 'As You Like It'
Correct answer: 'Twelfth Night'
Correct answer: 'The Comedy of Errors'
Q5.
'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is a Shakespearean comedy. What common features do Shakespearean comedies share?
Correct answer: often end in marriage
often include the death of the villain
Correct answer: often include disguise
Correct answer: often include misunderstandings
Correct answer: often include songs
Q6.
The title of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' could tell us something about what to expect in the play. What inferences could we make about this title?
The characters in the play will all be asleep
Correct answer: The play might explore the power of imagination
The play can only be performed in the summer
Correct answer: We perhaps shouldn't take what we see too seriously - it is a dream
Correct answer: Strange things could happen, just like they do in a dream

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is set in two different places. What are the two settings?
the stage
Correct answer: a magical forest
the Globe
Correct answer: Athens
England
Q2.
In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', who does Egeus want his daughter, Hermia, to marry?
Theseus
Lysander
Correct answer: Demetrius
Oberon
Bottom
Q3.
In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', why is Helena so unhappy at the beginning of the play?
Her father, Egeus, wants her to marry Lysander
She is sad that her friend, Hermia, is leaving Athens
Correct answer: She is in love with Demetrius, who doesn't love her back
Theseus says she must become a nun if she doesn't marry Demetrius
Oberon has put a magical potion on her eyes and she is in love with Bottom
Q4.
In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', why is Oberon so angry with Titania?
because she is in love with Bottom
because she won't give him his fairy kingdom back
because she is in love with Demetrius
because she used the magical potion on him
Correct answer: because she won't give him the little boy she is looking after
Q5.
In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', what does Puck to do Bottom?
makes him fall in love with Titania
Correct answer: turns his head into a donkey's head
turns him into Oberon's servant
makes him get the boy from Titania and give him to Oberon
makes him perform a play to the noble Athenians
Q6.
Match the Acts from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' to their plot points.
Correct Answer:Act 1,Hermia and Lysander run away from Athens.

Hermia and Lysander run away from Athens.

Correct Answer:Act 2,Oberon and Titania fight. Lysander falls in love with Helena.

Oberon and Titania fight. Lysander falls in love with Helena.

Correct Answer:Act 3,Titania falls in love with Bottom, Demetrius with Helena.

Titania falls in love with Bottom, Demetrius with Helena.

Correct Answer:Act 4,The love potion is removed from Lysander and Titania.

The love potion is removed from Lysander and Titania.

Correct Answer:Act 5,The poor Athenians perform a play to the rich nobles.

The poor Athenians perform a play to the rich nobles.