What does Bottom's desire to play every role reveal about what he thinks acting is for?
A Midsummer Night's Dream
30 minutes total
ByWilliam Shakespeare
Grade9-10
Time30 minutes
Essential question
What does Bottom's desire to play every role reveal about what he thinks acting is for?
Marked passage
Passage location
Act I, Scene II
Start anchor
What is Pyramus—a lover, or a tyrant?
End anchor
Therefore you must needs play Pyramus.
Passage focus
Bottom wants every role
Ways to teach it
Listening
Listen to the exact passage; visual following is optional. Same question and evidence demand.
Solo
Read the exact passage independently.
Supported
Use narration and sentence highlighting while reading the same passage.
Teacher guide
Close
Name the single detail that most changed or sharpened your interpretation, and explain why.
Evidence
Use multiple role requests and the reasons Bottom gives for why he should perform them.
Mark
Underline every role Bottom asks to play. Beside each request, write what opportunity for attention it gives him. Star the moment Quince has to limit Bottom in order for the play to remain possible.
Instructional move
Infer a character's idea of performance from repeated choices
Notice
• What attracts Bottom to roles that require completely different qualities? • Why does he imagine he can improve each role simply by performing it himself? • What does his eagerness reveal about whether he sees acting as collaboration or self-display?
Strong answer
Bottom treats acting as a chance for personal display. His repeated desire to play incompatible roles suggests he values attention, versatility, and showing what he can do more than serving the play as a collaborative whole.
Think
Answer provisionally: What does Bottom's desire to play every role reveal about what he thinks acting is for? Choose the strongest interpretation you can defend from this passage alone.
Watch for
Do not answer merely that Bottom is enthusiastic. Explain what his choices reveal about his theory of performance.
Why this passage
Bottom repeatedly volunteers for roles that conflict with one another because he treats acting as a chance to display himself rather than serve the play. His choices reveal a theory of performance built around visibility, versatility, and applause.
Write
Write a short evidence-based response to: What does Bottom's desire to play every role reveal about what he thinks acting is for? Use at least two details from the assigned passage and explain how they support your interpretation.
Student tasks
Mark
Underline every role Bottom asks to play. Beside each request, write what opportunity for attention it gives him. Star the moment Quince has to limit Bottom in order for the play to remain possible.
Notice
What attracts Bottom to roles that require completely different qualities? Why does he imagine he can improve each role simply by performing it himself? What does his eagerness reveal about whether he sees acting as collaboration or self-display?
Think
Answer provisionally: What does Bottom's desire to play every role reveal about what he thinks acting is for?
Write
Write a short response using at least two pieces of evidence from this passage. Use evidence from the assigned passage. Show what you noticed and how the text supports your interpretation.
Ready-to-teach lesson
TumbleTA 6-12 · TEXT-BASED LESSON
BATCH 04 · 9-10 · LESSON 86
A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare
What does Bottom's desire to play every role reveal about what he
thinks acting is for?
TOTAL TIME
PASSAGE
30 minutes
Bottom wants every role
FIND THE ANCHOR TEXT
Use the Anchor Text Table of Contents in the Enhanced Reader to open the START anchor. Then use the dropdown to select the END anchor.
SECTION / LOCATION
Act I, Scene II
START
What is Pyramus—a lover, or a tyrant?
END
Therefore you must needs play Pyramus.
PASSAGE ID
sec-msnd-04
THE MOVE
Infer a character's idea of performance from repeated choices
WHY THIS PASSAGE
Bottom repeatedly volunteers for roles that conflict with one another because he treats acting as a chance to display himself rather than serve the play. His choices reveal a theory of performance built around visibility, versatility, and applause.
MARK
Underline every role Bottom asks to play. Beside each request, write what opportunity for attention it gives him. Star the moment Quince has to limit Bottom in order for the play to remain possible.
NOTICE
What attracts Bottom to roles that require completely different qualities?
page 1
Why does he imagine he can improve each role simply by performing it himself?
What does his eagerness reveal about whether he sees acting as collaboration or self-display?
THINK
Answer provisionally: What does Bottom's desire to play every role reveal about what he thinks acting is for? Choose the strongest interpretation you can defend from this passage alone.
WRITE
Write a short evidence-based response to: What does Bottom's desire to play every role reveal about what he thinks acting is for? Use at least two details from the assigned passage and explain how they support your interpretation.
CLOSE
Name the single detail that most changed or sharpened your interpretation, and explain why.
STRONG ANSWER
Bottom treats acting as a chance for personal display. His repeated desire to play incompatible roles suggests he values attention, versatility, and showing what he can do more than serving the play as a collaborative whole.
EVIDENCE
Use multiple role requests and the reasons Bottom gives for why he should perform them.
WATCH FOR
Do not answer merely that Bottom is enthusiastic. Explain what his choices reveal about his theory of performance.
SOLO
Read the exact passage independently.
SUPPORTED
Use narration and sentence highlighting while reading the same passage.
LISTENING
Listen to the exact passage; visual following is optional. Same question and evidence demand.
page 2
STUDENT PAGE · SAME PASSAGE, SAME THINKING
A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare
What does Bottom's desire to play every role reveal about what he
thinks acting is for?
START ANCHOR
What is Pyramus—a lover, or a tyrant?
END ANCHOR
Therefore you must needs play Pyramus.
Use the Anchor Text Table of Contents in the Enhanced Reader to open the START anchor. Then use the dropdown to select the END anchor.
OPEN THE MARKED PASSAGE IN TUMBLELIT
SOLO: read independently. SUPPORTED: use narration + highlighting. LISTENING: listen to the exact passage. The question and evidence task stay the same.
1.MARK - Underline every role Bottom asks to play. Beside each request, write what opportunity
for attention it gives him. Star the moment Quince has to limit Bottom in order for the play to remain possible.
2.NOTICE - What attracts Bottom to roles that require completely different qualities? Why does
he imagine he can improve each role simply by performing it himself? What does his eagerness reveal about whether he sees acting as collaboration or self-display?
3.THINK - Answer provisionally: What does Bottom's desire to play every role reveal about what
he thinks acting is for?
4.WRITE - Write a short response using at least two pieces of evidence from this passage.
Use evidence from the assigned passage. Show what you noticed and how the text supports your interpretation.
page 3
Original printable PDF
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