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Year 8 - English

Exploring key themes in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': love, power, disorder

'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils read and explore Shakespeare's comedy 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. They focus on the character Puck and the theme of the supernatural, and analyse their role and importance at different points in the play. Finally, they plan and write an essay about Puck and the supernatural.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain how three key themes (love, power and disorder) are explored in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.

Key Notes

  • A theme is an important idea in a text that is explored in a number of different ways.
  • As students of English, the first step is to work out what are a text's most important themes.
  • The next step is to consider when these themes are explored in the text.
  • Finally, you could consider what a writer might be trying to say about this particular theme.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • theme: an important idea in a text that is explored in a number of different ways
  • explore: to look into something in detail.
  • hierarchy: a system whereby people or things are ranked, with some being at the top, and others lower dow
  • patriarchy: a society in which men hold the power; the laws and structure of that society prevent women from having power
  • supernatural: things that can't be explained by the laws of nature

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • A theme is any idea or plot point in a text.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

A theme is an important idea in a text that is explored in a number of different ways. As students of English, the first step is to work out what are a text's most important themes.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'theme'

an important idea in a text that is explored in a number of different ways.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: A theme is any idea or plot point in a text. Correction: Themes are the most important ideas in a text. There may be multiple. The most important themes are the ones that are returned to over and over again, and explored in a number of different ways.

More Lessons In This Unit

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