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Year 8 - English

The significance of the magical forest 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 explain why some of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' takes place in a magical forest.

Key Notes

  • Elizabethans believed that everyone had their place in society, a hierarchy they called The Great Chain of Being.
  • To question or disrupt this hierarchy was a threat to society.
  • The theatre was a place you could explore disorder because what was on stage wasn't real life.
  • It was even safer to explore disorder in a setting that wasn't associated with law and order, a setting like a forest.
  • Whilst much disorder takes place in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', order is restored at the end of the play.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • hierarchy: a system whereby people or things are ranked, with some being higher than others.
  • status quo: the accepted standards and rules by which a community lives.
  • disorder: confusion, chaos.
  • restore: to return something back to its original state.
  • The Great Chain of Being: a term used by Elizabethans which referred to a system of ranking which they believed was created by God.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Oberon and Puck deliberately try and create disorder between Hermia, Lysander, Helena and Demetrius.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

Elizabethans believed that everyone had their place in society, a hierarchy they called The Great Chain of Being. To question or disrupt this hierarchy was a threat to society.

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

a system whereby people or things are ranked, with some being higher than others.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Oberon and Puck deliberately try and create disorder between Hermia, Lysander, Helena and Demetrius. Correction: Oberon orders Puck to put the magical potion on Demetrius so that he falls in love with Helena. Puck makes a genuine mistake by putting it on Lysander.

More Lessons In This Unit

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