A Midsummer Night’s Dream is our fifth story for the year. It is an introduction to Shakespeare. Students will have a text with the original text of the play on the right side and on the left side will be a modern translation.

The following items will be our literary focus: 

• Introduce prose: the speech of the mechanicals/tradesmen. It is basically everyday speech, like we use today. 
  • There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and
    Thisbe that will never please. First, Pyramus must
    draw a sword to kill himself, which the ladies
    cannot abide. How answer you that? (3.1.9-12)
• Introduce Blank verse/unrhymed iambic pentameter: it is the speech patter of the royals in the play. It is basically speech with a certain rhythm. 

  da DUM, da DUM, da DUM, da DUM, da DUM

  Here's an example from Theseus's speech to Hippolyta:

  hippOLyTA, i WOO'D thee WITH my SWORD,
  and WON thy LOVE, doING thee INjurIES;

• Introduce rhymed verse: this is the speech pattern of the lovers. It basically rhymes. 

  • Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; (A rhyme)
    And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind: (A rhyme)
    Nor hath Love's mind of any judgment taste; (B rhyme)
    Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste: (B rhyme)
    And therefore is Love said to be a child, (C rhyme)
    Because in choice he is so oft beguiled. (C rhyme)

• Introduce catalectic trochaic tetrameter: the speech of the fairies. It is also a rhythmic speech and can rhyme. 

  DUM-da, DUM-da, DUM-da, DUM-da

  When the last syllable of the line is cut off, it's called catalectic trochaic tetrameter. Here's an example where Puck addresses Oberon:

  CAPtain OF our FAIry BAND,
  HELeNA is HERE at HAND;

We will also review these previously introduced literary techniques:

• Review of conflict-the struggle between two opposing forces that lies at the center of
  a plot in a story or a drama
  a. External Conflict: a conflict that exists when a character struggles
  against some outside force
        man vs. man
        man vs. nature
        man vs. society
  b. Internal Conflict: a conflict that exists within a character torn
  between opposing feelings or goals
        man vs. self
• Review of irony-the contrast between what is and what should be
  a. Dramatic Irony: the audience knows or understands something that
  the character or characters do not.
  b. Situational Irony: the result of an action is the reverse of what is
  expected. The reader is just as surprised as the characters.
  c. Verbal Irony: the contrast is between the literal meaning of what is
  said and what is meant. Also known as sarcasm.
• Review plot diagram-the main events of the story
  a. Exposition: contains the characters and setting
  b. Rising Action: the part of the story that builds interest
  c. Climax: the turning point
  d. Falling Action: the part of the story that brings it to a close
  e. Resolution: the end of the story
• Review mood-the feeling of a piece of literature
• Review foreshadowing-the use of clues by the author to prepare readers and build suspense by providing hints of what is to come.
• Review imagery-the picture that forms in the reader’s mind as they read.

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Below you will find the essential handouts for this play. Feel free to print and use. 

Below you will find items to enhance your learing for The Monkey’s Paw.

If you are struggling with this unit/story, below you will find items to assist you with your learning. 

Below you will find items to help build your background knowledge for additional understanding of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Play, Fiction, iPad iBook (Shakespeare) 118 pages

R.L. 8.1- Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

R.L. 8.2- Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

R.L. 8.3- Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

R.L. 8.4- Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

R.L. 8.6- Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.

R.L. 8.7- Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors.

L 8.4 a-d- Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

A.           Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

B.           Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., precede, recede, and secede).

C.           Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.

D.           Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

L8.5 a-c- Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

A.           Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context.

B.           Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words.

C.           Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent, resolute).

W8.4-Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

W8.9-Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

W8.10-Write routinely for a shorter time frames (a single setting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes and audiences.

SL8.1-Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions expressing one’s own ideas and building on others’ ideas.

               One on one, Group, Teacher led

SL8.1-Come to discussions prepared, having read/studied material and able to reflect/probe on issues

SL8.1-Follow rules for collegial discussions, set/track specific goals/deadlines, and define individual roles.

SL8.1-Pose/respond to questions and comments with detail and relevancy.

SL8.1-Acknowledge new information expressed by others and modify own views when warranted.

SL 8.2-Analyze the purpose presented in diverse media and formats

SL 8.2-Evaluate the motive behind diverse media and formats (social, commercial, and political)

SL8.3-Delineate speaker’s argument and specific claims-which are supported by sound reasoning/sufficient evidence- which are not?

SL8.4-Present claims/findings in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, valid reasoning, and well chosen details.

SL8.4-Use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

SL8.5-Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English.