Curriculum Guide for A Midsummer Night’s Dream

1. Introduction: Miami University Theatre Department’s Approach to A Midsummer Night’s Dream
2. Playwright Biography: William Shakespeare
   1. Who is Shakespeare?
   2. The Globe Theatres
      1. Audiences of Shakespeare during the Elizabethan Era
   3. Summary and Analysis of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
      1. Plot Summary
      2. Character Breakdown
      3. Genre & Themes
         1. Genre
         2. Themes
      4. Historical Contexts of the Play
         1. Social Order, Politics, and Religion in Elizabethan England
         2. Women and Gender in Elizabethan England
      5. Literary and Theatrical Influences on Aesthetics in A Midsummer Night’s Dream
         1. Commedia Dell’arte & Masques within the English Theatre
            1. Commedia dell’arte
            2. Masques
      6. The Structure of Shakespeare’s Language
   4. Adaptations and Contemporary Resonances
      1. Comparing Theatrical Productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (all streamable)
      2. Comparing Made-For-Film Productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (all streamable)

Printable guide