Midsummer
Night's Dream Study Guide
Objectives:
To focus study on the "lists" upon which many speeches are built, their content, rhythm, and contributions to meaning.
To explore rhythm in other poetic forms.
To explore the difference between sense and nonsense.
To have some creative writing fun.
Details:
: Have students locate in Acts I-III as many speeches using lists as possible. Discuss:
Who is speaking? What is the list of?
What emotions or events are the background for each speech?
What, if any, is the wished for outcome of the speech?
What generalizations can you draw about the use of lists in this play (charms, vitriol, warnings, wishes)?
What specific list elements play a major part in other speeches or in the action of the play (a flower, a snake, a bear, a beard...)? What do you make of this?
When the list is read aloud, what tone is created by the sound?
: Read The Cat in the Hat with the students, showing illustrations. Discuss:
What unifies the list in the story?
What is the dramatic purpose of this list?
How is the list developed - what happens to it after the climax?
In what ways are rhythm and sound important to this list?
: Students are to select one of the lists identified from Midsummer identified in class and rewrite it in imitation of Dr. Seuss. The list should be placed in a dramatic setting, using the appropriate character(s) from the play. Students may want to use the 1st person. In a laptop classroom, this could be done in PowerPoint or other presentation program, incrementing the illustration with each slide. Use digital voice recording if possible.
Elizabeth Sky-McIlvain
Least
Tern