The presentation of Egeus in Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
I can explain how Shakespeare presents the character of Egeus in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, including considering relevant context.
The presentation of Egeus in Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
I can explain how Shakespeare presents the character of Egeus in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, including considering relevant context.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ was first performed to an Elizabethan audience.
- Elizabethans believed women should obey their fathers and husbands.
- Elizabethans believed the supernatural was evil.
- Shakespeare included ideas about the patriarchy and the supernatural in his plays as a way to connect to his audiences.
- When writing about ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, you should include context to help develop your ideas.
Common misconception
The characters in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' are Elizabethan.
The play's first audiences were Elizabethan, and Shakespeare explores Elizabethan attitudes and ideas in the play. But the play is set in Athens many centuries before the Elizabethan period.
Keywords
Context - information about when and why a text was written that helps us understand a text more deeply
Supernatural - something that can’t be explained by the laws of nature
Patriarchy - a society in which men hold the power; the laws and structure of that society prevent women from having power
Bewitch - to put a magical spell on someone
Elizabethan - a person alive when Elizabeth I was on the throne (1558-1603); the first audiences of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ were Elizabethan
Equipment
You need access to a copy of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
- Depiction or discussion of sexual content
Supervision
Adult supervision required
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).
Video
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