If you are studying Shakespeare at AS or A2 level, although the exam boards differ in their exact requirements and set texts, there are some questions which you are likely to encounter again and again.

• Why did Shakespeare write this play?
  
• How does it fit into Shakespeare's career as a dramatist?
  
• How can this play be interpreted? Are there alternative interpretations?
  
• What kind of interpretive choices might actors and directors make when moving the play from the page to the stage?
  
• How has this play been responded to over the centuries?

Although at this level you are likely to be told what to think about the play you are studying, a healthy disrespect is advisable. Keep in mind that what your teacher suggests is one view, a view held by many, but not necessarily the only view. Do feel free, in the privacy of your own imagination, to let the plays take on their own personal meanings. But also do what you have to do to pass exams!

By following the links below you can explore some of the material we have put togther which addresses some of the questions you are likely to be asked at AS and A2 level. If you are lucky enough to come to one of our study days or 'Tea and Shakespeare sessions' aimed at AS/A2 students then you will find this material explained and enhanced by a greater degree of interactivity than is possible on the internet. Why not get your teacher to look into organising a trip to Stratford, where you can visit us here as well as see the houses where Shakespeare and his family lived? But for now you can find out more about these plays here...

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Antony and Cleopatra