BringingShakespearetoLife!
Topics:
• Literature(Shakespeare)
Summary:Inthisinteractiveworkshop,studentslearnthebasicsofShakespeare’swritingstyleincludinghowto
defineandidentifyiambicpentameter,blankverse,rhymedverse,andprose.Workshopculminatesinstudents
bringingtolifepartsofShakespeare’stextusingchoralreadings,simplestaging,andtableaux.
Grades:6-12
Time:60-90minutes
Materials:
•
TextfromHamlet,HenryV,andRomeoandJuliet(providedinAppendix)
LearningTargets:
• ICANdefine“iambicpentameter”,“blankverse”,“rhymedverse”,and“prose”
• ICANworkcollaborativelywithmypeerstobringShakespeare’swordstolife.
Introduction(5minutes)
WhoisWilliamShakespeare?
Togetstudentswarmedup,letthemsharetheirknowledgeofWilliamShakespeareandhisworks.Ifpossible,
teacherorstudenthelpercouldwriteideasupontheboard.
KeyPoints:
•
•
•
WilliamShakespeareisafamouspoetandplaywrightwholivedmorethan400yearsago.
Hewrotemanyplaysincluding,RomeoandJuliet,Hamlet,HenryV,TamingoftheShrew,andA
MidsummerNight’sDream.
Hiswritinghasitsownuniquestyle,whichwewillbelearningmoreabouttoday!
IntroduceShakespeare’sWritingStyle(15minutes)
Point1àShakespeareoftenwroteinIambicPentameter,arhythmthatcloselyresemblesnaturalspeech
Definition:IambicàIambicmeteristwosyllables,consistingofasoftstressfollowedbyastrongstresssuchas
deDUM.Aheartbeatalsomirrorstherhythmofiambicmeter.
Definition:PentameteràFiveunitsofthemeterperline(“penta”=five)
Thus,“IambicPentameter”isfiveunitsofiambicmeterperline,orarhythmof:
deDUMdeDUMdeDUMdeDUMdeDUM
SomeexamplesofIambicPentameterfromShakespeare’swriting:
But,soft!whatlightthroughyonderwindowbreaks?(RomeoandJuliet).
Ifmusicbethefoodoflove,playon(TwelfthNight).
Oncemoreintothebreach,dearfriends,oncemore(HenryV).
Point2àShakespearewroteinrhymedverse,blankverse,andprose.
*RhymedVerse:Linestypicallyiniambicpentameter,rhymeschemetypicallywasaa,bb,etc.:
Lovelooksnotwiththeeyes,butwiththemind;
AndthereforeiswingedCupidpaintedblind.
NorhathLove’smindofanyjudgementtaste;
Wings,andnoeyes,figureunheedyhaste:
AdthereforeisLovesaidtobeachild,
Becauseinchoiceheissooftbeguiled.
(AMidsummerNight’sDream,Helena)
*BlankVerse:unrhymediambicpentameter
Hippolyta,Iwooedtheewithmysword,
Andwonthylove,doingtheeinjuries
ButIwillwedtheeinanotherkey,
Withpomp,withtriumph,andwithreveling
(AMidsummerNight’sDream,Theseus)
*Prose:Ordinaryspeech,thereisnopatternofstressedorunstressedsyllablesorrhymescheme.
Loveismerelyamadness,and,Itellyou,deserves
aswelladarkhouseandawhipasmadmendo:and
thereasonwhytheyarenotsopunishedandcured
is,thatthelunacyissoordinarythatthewhippers
areinlovetoo.YetIprofesscuringitbycounsel.
(AsYouLikeIt,Rosalind)
StudentsBringPassagesfromShakespeare’sPlaystoLife(30minutes)
• Breakstudentsintofourgroups,ideallywith4-5studentspergroupandgiveeachgrouponeofthe
excerptsprovidedintheAppendix.Ifneeded,morethanonegroupcoulddothesamepassagetokeep
groupnumberslow.
• Onceintheirgroups,studentsshouldreadthroughtheirpassagesatleasttwiceandnoticeiftheir
excerptisiniambicpentameterandifitisrhymedverse,blankverse,orprose.
• Ifneeded,studentsmaybegiventimetolookupunfamiliarwordsorcheckinwithteacheras
necessary.Itmaybehelpfulforthegroupsto“translate”whatisbeingsaidintoeverydayspeech.
StudentsCreateChoralReadingsforTheirPassages(15minutes)
Achoralreadingwillhavethestudentsreadingtheentirepassage.
Studentsworkasagrouptodecidehowtoreadthepassage,andmaybringinanyofthefollowingelements.
Encouragestudentstouseatleast3-4differentelementsintheirreading.Eachstudentshouldreadatleastone
lineorpart.
1) Readingwordsorsentencesasachorus(alltogether)
2) Usingasinglereaderorpartnersforawordorsentence
3) Repeatingwordsorphrases
4) Speedinguporslowingdownsections
5) Increasingordecreasingvolume
6) Addinginpercussionsuchasclapping,snapping,orstompingfeet
7) Addinginothersoundeffectsasdescribedinthetext
8) Speakingwordstoshowtheirtone-forinstance,sayingtheword“biting”withtheintentionofconveying
abitingtone.
• Asstudentsworkontheirchoralreadings,teachermaycirculatetoeachgroupforfeedbackand
assistanceasneeded.
StudentsStageTheirChoralReadingsUsingSimpleMovementandTableaux(15minutes)
• Oncestudentshaveasoliddraftoftheirchoralreading,theymaythenmoveontogivingitsomesimple
staging.Eitheraddinginsimplemovementorworkingwithtableaux-frozenpicturesthattellastory.If
timeislimited,studentscouldsimplyarrangehowtheywillsitandstandwhentheysharetheirwork
withtherestofthegroup.
StudentsSharetheirPerformances(15minutes)
• Givestudentstheopportunitytosharetheirworkwiththeclass.Asgroupsarepresenting,havethe
restoftheclassconsiderthestagingandvocalchoicesusedbyeachgroup.
ClosingReflection(5minutes)
• Howdidcreatingthechoralreadingforyourpieceinfluenceyourunderstandingofthewriting?
• Howdidhearingandseeingtheperformancesofyourpeersaffectyourunderstandingofthewriting?
• Whatwaschallengingaboutthisactivity?Whatcamemoreeasily?Whydoyouthinkthisisso?
Appendix
RomeofromRomeoandJuliet
But,soft!whatlightthroughyonderwindowbreaks?
Itistheeast,andJulietisthesun.
Arise,fairsun,andkilltheenviousmoon,
Whoisalreadysickandpalewithgrief,
Thatthouhermaidartfarmorefairthanshe:
Benothermaid,sincesheisenvious;
Hervestalliveryisbutsickandgreen
Andnonebutfoolsdowearit;castitoff.
JulietfromRomeoandJuliet
‘Tisbutthynamethatismyenemy;
Thouartthyself,thoughnotaMontague.
What'sMontague?itisnorhand,norfoot,
Norarm,norface,noranyotherpart
Belongingtoaman.O,besomeothername!
What'sinaname?thatwhichwecallarose
Byanyothernamewouldsmellassweet;
SoRomeowould,werehenotRomeocall'd,
Retainthatdearperfectionwhichheowes
Withoutthattitle.Romeo,doffthyname,
Andforthatnamewhichisnopartofthee
Takeallmyself.
HarryfromHenryV
Oncemoreuntothebreach,dearfriends,oncemore;
OrclosethewallupwithourEnglishdead.
Thenimitatetheactionsofthetiger;
Stiffenthesinews,summonuptheblood,
Forthereisnoneofyousomeanandbase
Thathathnotnoblelustreinyoureyes.
Iseeyoustandlikegreyhoundsintheslips,
Straininguponthestart.Thegamesafoot!
Followyourspirit;anduponthischarge
Cry,“GodforHarry,England,andSt.George!”
HoratiofromHamlet
MarcelusandBarnardo,ontheirwatch,
Inthedeadvastandmiddleofthenight
Beenthusencountered:Afigurelikeyourfather,
thricehewalked
Bytheiroppressedandfear-surprisedeyes,
Whilstthey,distilled
Almosttojellywiththeactoffear,
Standdumbandspeaknottohim.Thistome
Indreadfulsecrecyimparttheydid,
AndIwiththemthethirdnightkeptthewatch,
Where,astheyhaddelivered,bothintime,
Formofthething,eachwordmadetrueandgood,
Theapparitioncomes.Iknewyourfather,
Thesehandsarenotmorelike.