LESSON TOPICS:
- Theme vs. Main Idea
- Theme vs. Moral
- Theme vs. Motif
- Watch the Course Hero Theme Video on A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- In-class reading of “Impatient Griselda” by Margaret Atwood
- Completion of in-class activity
UNDERSTANDING THEME



THEMES IN A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
- Love & Marriage
- Order & Disorder
- Appearance & Reality
- Patriarchy
- Jealousy
MOTIFS IN A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
- Nature
- The Moon
- Sleep & Dreams
- Plays, Rehearsals, & Robes
- Magic
KEY TERMS RELATING TO THE THEMES
- Arranged Marriage
- Betrothal
- Dowry
- Elopement
IN-CLASS ACTIVITY
As a class, we will perform a reading of Margaret Atwood’s newest short story “Impatient Griselda” which she wrote at the request of The New York Times Magazine Decameron Project in their search for quarantine-related short stories. Select the link below to access this story.

POST-READING QUESTIONS
- List three themes in “Impatient Griselda”
- List three motifs in “Impatient Griselda”
- List two morals in “Impatient Griselda”
Be prepared to share your responses with the class.
HOMEWORK
PROJECT TEXT – WRITING EXERCISE 3
Write a 200-word entry in Egeus’s diary explaining why he thinks he is right to choose his daughter’s husband.
Assignment Value: 25 Points.