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Year 8 - English

The character of Puck in Shakespeare's '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 explain how Puck is introduced in Act 2 of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', and common Elizabethan beliefs about this character.

Key Notes

  • Oberon's servant has two names: Puck and Robin Goodfellow.
  • In Elizabethan folklore, 'puck' was a general term for a fairy.
  • Elizabethan folklore also connected the word 'puck' with malevolence and the devil.
  • Robin Goodfellow is a name from Elizabethan folklore, a character connected with practical jokes and helpfulness.
  • When Puck is first introduced, we are told about many of his practical jokes.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • mischievous: naughty, badly behaved
  • malevolent: cruel, malicious, evil
  • folklore: stories and traditions that are passed down from generation to generation; these are not written down, but told verbally
  • foreshadow: an indication or clue of a future event in a story
  • Elizabethan: a person alive when Elizabeth I was on the throne (1558-1603); the first audiences of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' were Elizabethan

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • There is one interpretation of Puck (either malevolent or mischievous) and you have to work out which one is correct.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

Oberon's servant has two names: Puck and Robin Goodfellow. In Elizabethan folklore, 'puck' was a general term for a fairy.

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

naughty, badly behaved.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: There is one interpretation of Puck (either malevolent or mischievous) and you have to work out which one is correct. Correction: A play, and its characters, can be interpreted in many different ways. Different performances will draw out particular interpretations.

More Lessons In This Unit

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