Year 8 - English
The patriarchal world of William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
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Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
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 explore how the patriarchy is presented in William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', focusing on the openings of Act 1 and Act 2.
Key Notes
- Athens is a patriarchal society.
- Egeus has the right to kill his daughter.
- Act 1 and Act 2 both begin with a conflict.
- It could be argued that Titania is presented as Oberon's equal.
- Oberon has to use a magical love potion on Titania in order to get what he wants.
Vocabulary To Learn
- patriarchy: a society in which men hold the power; the laws and structure of that society prevent women from having power
- quotation: words from a text
- analysis: in English, this means looking at a text closely and considering what it might mean and why it was written in that way
- conflict: a serious argument
- dialogue: in a play, these are the words that the characters say
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Titania seems to have some power, but Hermia has none.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Athens is a patriarchal society. Egeus has the right to kill his daughter.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'patriarchy'
a society in which men hold the power; the laws and structure of that society prevent women from having power.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Titania seems to have some power, but Hermia has none. Correction: Hermia defies her father by saying that she will marry Lysander, and refusing to marry Demetrius. She is also willing to leave her father, and the place she was born rather than obey her father.
More Lessons In This Unit
- 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', Act 2, Scene 1: Titania and Oberon's conflict Study Guide
- 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': How is Puck presented in Act 3, Scene 2? Study Guide
- 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': powerful topic sentences about Puck Study Guide
- 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Puck - obedient servant or irreverent joker? Study Guide
- 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Puck's epilogue in Act 5 Study Guide
- 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': reviewing and refining an essay about Puck Study Guide
- 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Shakespeare and the supernatural Study Guide
- Act 3 of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': disorder in the forest Study Guide
- Act 3, Scene 2 of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': order is restored in the forest Study Guide
- Analysing Puck's epilogue in Act 5 of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Study Guide
- Analytical paragraphs: Puck and the supernatural in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Study Guide
- Conclusions to essays: Puck and the supernatural in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Study Guide
- Creating an argument about the character of Puck in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Study Guide
- Exploring key themes in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': love, power, disorder Study Guide
- Exploring the character of Puck in Acts 2 and 3 of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Study Guide
- How is Puck presented in Act 2, Scene 2 of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'? Study Guide
- How is Puck presented in Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'? Study Guide
- Including context when writing about Puck in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Study Guide
- Introductions to essays about Puck in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Study Guide
- Model paragraphs about Act 2, Scene 1 of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Study Guide
- The character of Oberon in Act 2, Scene 1 of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Study Guide
- The character of Puck in Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Study Guide
- The impact of the magical potion in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Study Guide
- The plot of William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Study Guide
- The presentation of Egeus in Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Study Guide
- The significance of the magical forest in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Study Guide
- Understanding the genre of William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Study Guide
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