Study Hub

Study Guides

This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.

Back to Study HubBrowse Year 8 English Guides

Year 8 - English

Analytical paragraphs: Puck and the supernatural in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

'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 write focused analytical paragraphs about how Shakespeare uses the character of Puck to explore ideas about the supernatural in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.

Key Notes

  • Topic sentences state a paragraph's main idea.
  • Topic sentences should develop and maintain your thesis.
  • Select main quotations and supporting quotations to include in an essay.
  • Main quotations should be analysed; supporting quotations don't need to be analysed.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • thesis: an idea you develop and maintain throughout an essay
  • topic sentence: the first sentence of a paragraph stating its main idea
  • capricious: impulsive, reckless, changeable
  • main quotations: quotations which support your topic sentence, and that require analysis
  • supporting quotations: quotations which support your topic sentence, but don't require analysis

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Every quotation in a main body paragraph should be analysed.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

Topic sentences state a paragraph's main idea. Topic sentences should develop and maintain your thesis.

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

an idea you develop and maintain throughout an essay.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Every quotation in a main body paragraph should be analysed. Correction: Some quotations should be analysed, but others you can simply embed into sentences.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 8 English guide library.