QCR520 Approaches

- Teaching Shakespeare -

Activity 1

• One-minute defence– On your own, write a defence of introducing Shakespeare

in the classroom (or not!?)• You have about 5 minutes to list down your arguments (for or

against introducing Shakespeare into a Secondary classroom)• You have 1 minute to defend your stand.

Problems students encounter

• The language of Shakespeare

• The complicated plots of the plays especially the comedies or history plays

• The lack of stage directions

• The use of Acts, scenes and lines

• The use of blank verse

• The complication of the historical setting of the plays

Some Suggestions

• The language – With most classes, you will probably need to provide them

with a modern translation to begin with– As a start, you may want to skim scenes which may not

make much sense to the students. – Provide them with a glossary of terms pertinent to the

play they are studying

Some Suggestions

• We can get students to come out to the front and do the actions and facial expressions while another student reads the words.

• The role of FILM

– One way to teach Shakespeare is toread an Act and then show that section of the film with studentsreading along with their texts.

– After showing an original traditional version of Shakespeare show a modern version – the recent BBC series or modernist versions.

Some Suggestions

• Read a scene in class and then have them write a modern language expansion of the scene.

– For instance, when Lady Macbeth is going mad, write a scene where the servants, including her nurse, are speaking about her at the lunch table. Then the scene with the nurse and the doctor.

How much Background do the students need?• Not too much!

– Perhaps you could write a journal entry or a short narrative about someone living in Shakespeare’s time and their experience of going to the theatre.

– Use illustrations from the internet google image search • to show what London looked like –

what people wore.

– Use short excerpts from Shakespeare in Love, Elizabeth etc. to show what lifewas like.

– Introduce them to the MAN…

How to interest them?

• Use the sensational parts of Shakespeare to get students interested – the witches in Macbeth – the ghost in Hamlet – the storm in The Tempest, the murders and blood.

• With Romeo and Juliet students are really interested in Juliet’s age and her preparedness to be put in a tomb with dead bodies.

How to interest them?

• Students really enjoy

– the witches’ scene in Macbeth.

– scene of Banquo’s ghost in Macbeth.

– the nurse’s scene with Juliet in Romeo and Juliet.

– conflict – swordsmanship – choreography of scenes.

How to Interest them?

• Use the skills of the class – dancers/ singers/musicians/artists/ history lovers /film makers/ actors etc.

– Get students to use visuals to approach the texts.

– Comic strips

– Posters

– Illustrations for retellings

– Class room decorations

– Film making

– Collages

How to Interest Them?

• WRITING

– Lower Sec: It is better for them to do modern retellings of the scenes or stories. For example – set Macbeth in a school, or a football team, set Romeo and Juliet in two rival fashion houses.

• Students like writing in the forms they are familiar with in their own popular culture– Get students to sms message between Romeo and Juliet.

– Have students write the conversation in a chatroom.

– Get students on line making a blog for Romeo or Juliet – with pictures.

How to Interest Them?

• Get students to take a scene and select the music for the scene, download it and share it with class.

• Get students to take a scene and put in modern stage directions.

• Get students to storyboard a scene and how they would film it.

• Give each group a scene to record with music and sound effects

How to Interest Them?

• Get students to invite other classes to enjoy an Elizabethan feast with some music and a performance of a couple of scenes.

– Use the talents of different members of class to provide this.

– Students should be working on invitations, posters, props, music, menus, food. Students can be assessed on their contribution to the event. This kind of thing is a way to get students training in events management.

Reading Scenes• Instead of reading the whole thing at once set groups

of students the task of reading and acting the scene and then giving a plain English translation.

• Students MUST always know that they are reading and acting a play – they must understand the features of drama.

• Get students to perform and read scenes with different emphasis. For example the witches could be drunk – Macbeth could be a bit sleazy – hitting on the witches.

Resources on Net• There are plenty out there…but you may want to

check these three out:– http://www.teach-shakespeare.com/– http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/educational.htm#Intro– http://www.pbs.org/shakespeare/educators/– http://www.folger.edu/template.cfm?cid=618

Activity 2

• Introducing Macbeth– Witches– Pictures in the mind– Rhythm– Role play