51ºÚÁÏ

Challenge students to move beyond basic reading comprehension and exercise close reading analysis skills while engaging with A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare. The close reading activities are rigorous enough for students to find deeper meaning in the text, yet they are convenient in terms of quickly and efficiently gathering data on students’ textual analysis skills. Included are nine close reading worksheets and answer keys. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By the end of the play, students will have done the following (and more):

• Read for literal comprehension
• Infer the intended effects of Shakespeare’s word choices and figurative language
• Consider what the given excerpt reflects about Shakespeare’s mindset
• Describe tone in context
• Determine the functions of given details/excerpts
• Explore how characters think, behave, interact, and develop
• Compare and contrast characters
• Evaluate whether Oberon’s use of magic is beneficial in any way
• Evaluate how the term paramour (as it is used in the text) is applicable to the character of Bottom
• Identify the intended audience of Puck’s concluding speech (epilogue)
• Apply knowledge of literary devices such as allusion, assonance, dramatic irony, euphemism, epiphany, hyperbole, malapropism, metaphor, onomatopoeia, personification, simile, situational irony, symbolism, verbal irony, and more
• Conduct research as needed to answer questions about mythological, historical, and literary figures (Hecate, Tartar, and Robin Goodfellow)
• Consider themes in context
• Write about Shakespearean works with clarity, accuracy, and precision
• Support inferences and claims with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
• Come to class better prepared for discussions