Decoding Shakespeare’s
UNDERSTANDING THE LANGUAGE AND THEMES
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Lesson Outline
This famous Shakespearean play unpacks the
intricate web of love, deception and humour.
Let’s Discuss:
Do you believe in love at first sight?
Learning Outcomes
Learn about William Shakespeare’s life, the Elizabethan Era and
A Midsummer
Night’s Dream
Learn how to decode a play through understanding themes and character analysis
Understand script elements and performance skills
Can you think of any of William Shakespeare’s famous plays?
William Shakespeare is a literary genius of the Elizabethan era. Born in 1564, Shakespeare's works have left an indelible mark on English literature. The Elizabethan era, spanning from 1558 to 1603, was characterised by flourishing arts, culture and the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Who Is William Shakespeare?
Written around 1595-1596, A Midsummer Night's Dream was one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays.
It is set in the magical realm of Athens and an enchanted forest, weaving together the lives of young lovers, a group of amateur actors and mischievous fairies. This play explores three themes:
A Midsummer
Night's Dream
Love
Deception
Humour
Name | Brief Description |
Theseus | The Duke of Athens, preparing for his wedding to Hippolyta |
Hippolyta | Queen of the Amazons, about to marry Theseus |
Hermia | In love with Lysander, resisting her father's wish for her to marry Demetrius |
Lysander | In love with Hermia, later enchanted to love Helena |
Demetrius | Initially in love with Hermia, later also enchanted to love Helena |
Helena | In love with Demetrius |
The play features a variety of characters, each contributing to interwoven plots. Here are some of the main characters:
Characters
Name | Brief Description |
Oberon | King of the Fairies |
Titania | Queen of the Fairies |
Puck | Mischievous fairy who carries out Oberon's commands, causing comedic chaos |
The Mechanicals | Group of amateur actors preparing a play for the Duke's wedding |
More Characters:
Can you begin to see how the characters connect to each other?
Interconnected
Stories
In the play, all the characters
have interconnecting storylines. Study the chart to see how they are interrelated.
The fairies highlight the complexities of love and jealousy. Puck, Oberon's mischievous servant, further entangles the mortal and fairy worlds through his magical interventions.
Fairy World
The Mechanicals introduce a layer of comedic relief. Their play within the play becomes a commentary on the romantic entanglements in the human and fairy worlds.
Mechanicals
The mortals in Athens display the tangled relationships of Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius and Helena. This is further complicated by the fairies’ interventions, causing a blur between love and confusion.
Humans in Athens
The play depicts the complexities of love through the lighthearted infatuations of young lovers in the Athenian court. It also portrays the profound, transformative power of true love embodied by characters like Hermia and Lysander.
Theme 1: Love
- Lysander, Act 1, Scene 1
‘The course of true love never did run smooth’
- Helena, Act 1, Scene 1
‘The more I love, the more he hateth me’
Deception is a central theme in the story. With the mischievous fairy Puck and the love potion,
a series of mistaken identities, confusions and misunderstandings among the characters ensued.
Theme 2: Deception
- Lysander, Act 1, Scene 1
‘So quick bright things come to confusion’
- Bottom, Act 3, Scene 1
‘And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays’
Shakespeare infuses the play with humour through clever wordplay, witty banter and situational comedy.
Theme 3: Humour
- Puck, Act 3, Scene 2
"Lord, what fools these mortals be!"
- Puck, Act 3, Scene 1
"What hempen
homespuns have
we swaggering here,
So near the cradle of
the fairy queen?"
Characteristics of
Elizabethan English
This form of Early Modern English was used during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and was influenced by Latin and Greek. These are some of the unique characteristics of Elizabethan English in Shakespeare’s plays:
Pronouns like ‘thou’, ‘thy’ and ‘thine’ were used. Today, we use ’you’ for both singular and plural.
Example:
‘Thou art a villain’
instead of
‘You are a villain’
Second-person Pronouns:
The third person singular of verbs often ended in ‘-eth’ or ‘-s’.
Example:
‘He loveth’
instead of
‘He loves’
Verb Endings:
Characteristics of
Elizabethan English
The word ‘not’ was often placed after the verb in negative sentences.
Example:
‘He does not love’
instead of
’He doesn't love’
Negations:
Some words that were commonly used in that era have fallen out of use today.
Example:
‘Husbandry’, which meant being thrifty and managing resources well.
Vocabulary:
The Elizabethan age is often seen as a great time in English history. This period led to a burst of creativity in poetry, music and writing. It is estimated that Shakespeare contributed around 1,700 to 3,000 words to the English language.
Characteristics of Elizabethan English
LYSANDER.
Why should you think that I should woo in scorn?
Scorn and derision never come in tears.
Look, when I vow I weep, and vows so born,
In their nativity all truth appears.
How can these things in me seem scorn to you,
Bearing the badge of faith to prove them true?
HELENA.
You do advance your cunning more and more
When truth kills truth, O devilish holy fray!
These vows are Hermia's. Will you give her o'er ?
Weigh oath with oath, and you will nothing weigh;
Your vows to her and me, put in two scales,
Will even weigh – and both as light as tales.
Read the extract and spot the following characteristics of Elizabethan English.
Act 3, Scene 2
Play Script
A play script is a document that serves as a guide for actors, directors and other members of the production team to stage a play. It typically includes dialogue, stage directions and other elements that help bring the story to life on stage.
Plays are typically divided into acts and scenes. Each act represents a major section of the play, and scenes indicate changes in time or location.
Acts and Scenes
There is a specific formatting for characters' names and dialogue. Characters' names are beside or above their lines, and dialogue is indented.
Formatting
ACT II
SCENE I. A wood near Athens
Enter a FAIRY at one door, and PUCK at another.
PUCK.
How now, spirit! Whither wander you?
FAIRY.
Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire [...]
FAIRY.
And here my mistress. Would that he were gone!
Enter OBERON at one door, with his Train, and TITANIA at another, with hers.
OBERON.
Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania.
TITANIA.
What, jealous Oberon! Fairies, skip hence;
I have forsworn his bed and company.
Elements of a script
Title
Scene setting
Character
Stage Directions
Dialogue
ACT IV
SCENE I. The Wood
Lysander, Demetrius, Helena and Hermia still asleep.
Enter TITANIA and BOTTOM; PEASEBLOSSOM, COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARDSEED and other FAIRIES attending; OBERON behind, unseen.
TITANIA.
Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed,
While I thy amiable cheeks do coy,
And stick musk-roses in thy sleek smooth head,
And kiss thy fair large ears, my gentle joy.
BOTTOM.
Where’s Peaseblossom?
PEASEBLOSSOM.
Ready.
Elements of a Script
Match the elements of a script to the correct spot:
Title
Dialogue
Scene Setting
Character
Stage Directions
ACT IV
SCENE I. The Wood
Lysander, Demetrius, Helena and Hermia still asleep.
Enter TITANIA and BOTTOM; PEASEBLOSSOM, COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARDSEED and other FAIRIES attending; OBERON behind, unseen.
TITANIA.
Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed,
While I thy amiable cheeks do coy,
And stick musk-roses in thy sleek smooth head,
And kiss thy fair large ears, my gentle joy.
BOTTOM.
Where’s Peaseblossom?
PEASEBLOSSOM.
Ready.
Scene Setting
Stage Directions
Title
Dialogue
Character
Answers
Match the elements of a script to the correct spot:
Title
Dialogue
Scene Setting
Character
Stage Directions
Think about:
What might Titania and Oberon be feeling in this scene?
Pair up and act out the script on the following page, working together to define the unfamiliar words.
Act it Out!
OBERON.
Do you amend it, then. It lies in you.
Why should Titania cross her Oberon?
I do but beg a little changeling boy
To be my henchman.
TITANIA.
Set your heart at rest;
The fairyland buys not the child of me. [...]
OBERON.
How long within this wood intend you stay?
Act it Out!
TITANIA.
Perchance till after Theseus’ wedding-day.
If you will patiently dance in our round,
And see our moonlight revels, go with us;
If not, shun me, and I will spare your haunts.
OBERON.
Give me that boy and I will go with thee.
TITANIA.
Not for thy fairy kingdom. Fairies, away.
We shall chide downright if I longer stay.
[Exit TITANIA with her Train.]
Act 2, Scene 1
Use the key on the right to unlock the meanings of unfamiliar words.
Rewrite the scene to give it a modern twist by adapting the language and structure while preserving the essence of the dialogue.
Change it up!
lll met – an unlucky meeting
forsworn – refused
cross – disobey
henchman – helper
thy – your
train – followers, entourage
Thou – you
Grove – forest
torment – torture, hurt
KEY:
OBERON.
Then change your mind, it’s up to you.
Why do you make me angry?
All I want is for that little boy to serve me.
TITANIA.
You need to calm down.
I’ll never sell the boy to your fairy land.[...]
OBERON.
How long do you plan to stay in the woods?
TITANIA.
Maybe after Theseus gets married.
If you are patient with our partying under the moon, you can join us. If not, ignore me, and I will avoid your usual spots.
OBERON.
Give me that boy and I will join you.
TITANIA.
No way. Fairies, let’s bounce.
We will argue even more if I stay on.
[Exit TITANIA with her Train.]
Change it up!
Sample Answer
Summary
Today, we have:
Choose a character from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and complete a character analysis. Focus on details about the character’s motivation, relationships and overall significance to the plot. Include quotes from the dialogue that support your analysis.
Assignment:
Character Analysis
Do you have any questions?
THANK YOU
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