A Midsummer's Night's Dream (2): Understanding the Setting Worksheet

This worksheet will enable you to understand how Shakespeare creates the setting for his play A Midsummer Night's Dream and how you could recreate this setting in a performance.

Think back to the work you did on the plot of the play.

Where is the play set?

Athens

the grounds of Hippolyta and Theseus' palace

a wood outside Athens

Shakespeare creates the magical woodland setting through language.

Read the following speech from a fairy in the opening of the play:

FAIRY:

Over hill, over dale,

Thorough bush, thorough brier,

Over park, over pale,

Thorough flood, thorough fire,

I do wander everywhere,

Swifter than the moon's sphere;

And I serve the fairy queen,

To dew her orbs upon the green.

The cowslips tall her pensioners be:

In their gold coats spots you see;

Those be rubies, fairy favours,

In those freckles live their savours:

I must go seek some dewdrops here

And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.

Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I'll be gone:

Our queen and all our elves come here anon.

Select the three phrases from the speech that create a woodland setting.

Thorough bush, thorough brier

Thorough flood, thorough fire

Swifter than the moon's sphere

The cowslips tall her pensioners be

And I serve the fairy queen, To dew her orbs upon the green

Shakespeare also uses this speech to create a magical setting. Which four phrases suggest magic?

Midsummer night's dream series - Fairies place - stock photo

FAIRY:

Over hill, over dale,

Thorough bush, thorough brier,

Over park, over pale,

Thorough flood, thorough fire,

I do wander everywhere,

Swifter than the moon's sphere;

And I serve the fairy queen,

To dew her orbs upon the green.

The cowslips tall her pensioners be:

In their gold coats spots you see;

Those be rubies, fairy favours,

In those freckles live their savours:

I must go seek some dewdrops here

And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.

Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I'll be gone:

Our queen and all our elves come here anon.

I do wander everywhere, Swifter than the moon's sphere

Over park, over pale, Thorough flood, thorough fire

And I serve the fairy queen, To dew her orbs upon the green

Those be rubies, fairy favours, In those freckles live their savours

I must go seek some dewdrops here

Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I'll be gone: Our queen and all our elves come here anon

Why do you think that Shakespeare chose to set the action in a wood?

It was a setting the audience would recognise.

It allowed different groups of characters who would never usually meet to come together.

It was easier to show on the stage.

Think about how you could recreate Shakespeare's magical woodland setting on stage. From the list below select things you could use.

props

lighting

posters

sound

fabric

ANSWERS

Question 1

Think back to the work you did on the plot of the play.

Where is the play set?

CORRECT ANSWER

a wood outside Athens

EDDIE SAYS

The play takes place in a wood outside Athens.

ANSWERS

Question 2

Shakespeare creates the magical woodland setting through language.

Read the following speech from a fairy in the opening of the play:

FAIRY:

Over hill, over dale,

Thorough bush, thorough brier,

Over park, over pale,

Thorough flood, thorough fire,

I do wander everywhere,

Swifter than the moon's sphere;

And I serve the fairy queen,

To dew her orbs upon the green.

The cowslips tall her pensioners be:

In their gold coats spots you see;

Those be rubies, fairy favours,

In those freckles live their savours:

I must go seek some dewdrops here

And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.

Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I'll be gone:

Our queen and all our elves come here anon.

Select the three phrases from the speech that create a woodland setting.

CORRECT ANSWER

Thorough bush, thorough brier
The cowslips tall her pensioners be
And I serve the fairy queen, To dew her orbs upon the green

EDDIE SAYS

Thorough bush, thorough brier,
The cowslips tall her pensioners be:
And I serve the fairy queen, To dew her orbs upon the green.

ANSWERS

Question 3

Shakespeare also uses this speech to create a magical setting. Which four phrases suggest magic?

Midsummer night's dream series - Fairies place - stock photo

FAIRY:

Over hill, over dale,

Thorough bush, thorough brier,

Over park, over pale,

Thorough flood, thorough fire,

I do wander everywhere,

Swifter than the moon's sphere;

And I serve the fairy queen,

To dew her orbs upon the green.

The cowslips tall her pensioners be:

In their gold coats spots you see;

Those be rubies, fairy favours,

In those freckles live their savours:

I must go seek some dewdrops here

And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.

Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I'll be gone:

Our queen and all our elves come here anon.

CORRECT ANSWER

I do wander everywhere, Swifter than the moon's sphere
And I serve the fairy queen, To dew her orbs upon the green
Those be rubies, fairy favours, In those freckles live their savours
Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I'll be gone: Our queen and all our elves come here anon

EDDIE SAYS

I do wander everywhere, Swifter than the moon's sphere;
And I serve the fairy queen, To dew her orbs upon the green.
Those be rubies, fairy favours, In those freckles live their savours:
Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I'll be gone: Our queen and all our elves come here anon.