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Year 8

Understanding the genre of William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

I can explain how I know that ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is a comedy.

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New
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Year 8

Understanding the genre of William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

I can explain how I know that ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is a comedy.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The First Folio divides Shakespeare’s plays into tragedies, histories and comedies.
  2. An additional genre - tragicomedies - has been used to describe plays which combine both tragic and comic elements.
  3. Shakespearean comedies usually focus on love, and end in marriage.
  4. The plots of comedies are often intricate and include a number of surprises and plot twists.
  5. Shakespearean comedies often include slapstick humour.

Common misconception

If a play is a comedy, it won't have any moments of sadness in it.

When thinking about genre, we consider the overall tone, plot and features of a play. However, many comedies have moments of sadness, just as many tragedies have moments of humour.

Keywords

  • Genre - the style or type of text: for example science fiction

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

  • Intricate - complicated

  • Slapstick humour - physical comedy, sometimes violent but intended to make people laugh

  • First Folio - the first collection of most of Shakespeare’s plays, published in 1623 (seven years after his death)

Consider if 'Macbeth' is the best comparison for your pupils in learning cycle 2. If they have studied another Shakespearean play in a different year, you might want to consider using it as an example instead.
Teacher tip

Equipment

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

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying

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).

Video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
How might we define Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'?
as a history play
as a Greek myth
Correct answer: as a comedy
as a tragedy
as a tragicomedy
Q2.
In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', there are a number of sets of different characters. What sets of characters are there?
Correct answer: rich Athenian nobles
talking animals
rich Athenian actors
Correct answer: powerful fairies
Correct answer: poor Athenian actors
Q3.
In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', there is much chaos and confusion. Which characters are the source of the chaos and confusion?
Egeus
Demetrius
Bottom
Correct answer: Oberon
Correct answer: Puck
Q4.
Which characters marry each other at the end of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'?
Correct answer: Lysander and Hermia
Titania and Bottom
Titania and Oberon
Correct answer: Demetrius and Helena
Demetrius and Hermia
Q5.
In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', which three characters have the magical love potion used on them?
Puck
Bottom
Correct answer: Titania
Correct answer: Demetrius
Correct answer: Lysander
Q6.
Starting with the first plot point of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', put the plot points relating to the Athenian noble people in order.
1 - Egeus and Theseus threaten to punish Hermia if she doesn't marry Demetrius.
2 - Lysander and Hermia decide to run away from Athens.
3 - Demetrius and Helena follow Lysander and Hermia into the magical forest.
4 - Puck puts the magical love potion on Lysander, who falls in love with Helena.
5 - Puck puts the magical love potion on Demetrius, who falls in love with Helena.
6 - Puck removes the magical love potion from Lysander; he loves Hermia again.
7 - The four Athenian noble people return to Athens and get married.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
The First Folio - the first collection of Shakespeare's plays published in 1623 - divides his plays into what categories?
Correct answer: comedies
tragicomedies
Correct answer: histories
romances
Correct answer: tragedies
Q2.
A pupil said: 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is a tragedy." How would you correct them?
Correct answer: The play is a comedy because it ends in a number of marriages.
The play is a comedy because nothing bad happens in it.
The play is a comedy because it includes the supernatural.
Correct answer: The play is a comedy because it involves misunderstandings.
The play is a comedy because some of it is set in a forest.
Q3.
Shakespeare's plays are often defined by their genre. Match each genre to its key features.
Correct Answer:comedy,presents young people in love, and ends in marriage

presents young people in love, and ends in marriage

Correct Answer:tragedy,explores complex emotions like jealousy or ambition; ends in death

explores complex emotions like jealousy or ambition; ends in death

Correct Answer:history,about English history; explore what it means to be a good monarch

about English history; explore what it means to be a good monarch

Correct Answer:tragicomedy,contain elements of comedy and tragedy

contain elements of comedy and tragedy

Q4.
In order to discuss the genre of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' accurately, you could use a number of key terms. Match the key terms to their definitions.
Correct Answer:genre,the style or type of text: for example science fiction

the style or type of text: for example science fiction

Correct Answer:Shakespearean comedy,a play that makes you laugh, involving misunderstandings and marriage

a play that makes you laugh, involving misunderstandings and marriage

Correct Answer:intricate,complicated

complicated

Correct Answer:slapstick humour,physical comedy, sometimes violent but intended to make people laugh

physical comedy, sometimes violent but intended to make people laugh

Correct Answer:First Folio,the first collection of most of Shakespeare’s plays, published in 1623

the first collection of most of Shakespeare’s plays, published in 1623

Q5.
The first published collection of Shakespeare's plays is called the .
Correct Answer: First Folio, 1st folio
Q6.
In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', Titania falls in love with Bottom, who has had his head transformed into that of a donkey. Why does this plot point reinforce the idea the play is a comedy?
they end up getting married, which is how comedies end
Correct answer: it is a moment of slapstick comedy
it involves the supernatural
Correct answer: Bottom doesn't know what has happened or why
Correct answer: it creates disorder and confusion