The BP exhibition
Shakespeare:
staging the
world
Until 25 November 2012
Teacher resources
for Key Stage 2
Supported by BP
In collaboration with
Shakespeare: staging the world – teacher resources
2
Contents
Using the exhibition 3
Exhibition briefing sheet for adults 5
Exhibition activities 6
Classroom activities to support the exhibition 7
Exhibition PowerPoint presentation 16
Further resources 20
Shakespeare: staging the world – teacher resources
Using the exhibition
Exhibition entry is free for school groups. All visiting groups must pre-book through
the Museum’s Ticket Desk.
In advance
Use some of the ideas for pre-visit activities in the classroom.
Use the whiteboard PowerPoint presentation and the information on the exhibition briefing
sheet to familiarise students and accompanying adults with the exhibition.
Go through the exhibition activity sheets with the students and accompanying adults.
Decide on a follow-up activity and go through this with the students and accompanying
adults to ensure they gather the necessary information from the exhibition to support the
work back in the classroom.
Decide on an additional ‘big question’ for the students to think about as they go round the
exhibition (see page 6).
On the day
Divide the class into small groups, with an adult assigned to each group, for working
in the exhibition.
Give each adult a free exhibition guide, available at the exhibition entrance.
If your visit is alongside the general public, please remind students to behave
calmly and politely.
Photography is not allowed within the exhibition space but students may take photos in the
Museum’s permanent galleries.
Afterwards
Discuss the students’ thoughts and responses to the exhibition.
Apply information gathered in the exhibition to the relevant follow-up activity.
Revisit any preparation resources, such as the whiteboard presentation, which support
follow-up activities.
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Shakespeare: staging the world – teacher resources
Key exhibition learning outcomes
Shakespeare’s plays provide vivid and unique insights into the early modern world
particularly in conjunction with related objects. Shakespeare’s own experience of life
in both London and the countryside informed much of his work.
Shakespeare’s plays helped to shape national identity. Under Elizabeth I they played an
important role in shaping English (and later, British) identify under her successor James I
(who was also James VI of Scotland). The plays also presented the classical and medieval
pasts to the audience.
The playhouse (theatre) performed a key role in informing, persuading and provoking
thought on the issues of the day.
During Shakespeare’s life London was increasingly a world city where regional,
international and ethnic identities were debated and contested.
Shakespeare’s plays retain their relevance today due to the universal questions
they raise and through subsequent interpretations by new generations of directors,
dramatists and actors.
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Shakespeare: staging the world – teacher resources
Exhibition briefing sheet for adults
and older students
Each section of the exhibition explains a different aspect of Shakespeare’s world.
Shakespeare’s London
Shakespeare’s London was a centre for trade and cultural exchange. The city’s suburbs
were home to a new experience – the playhouse. Here audiences saw plays which
discussed history, politics and the issues of the day.
The Forest of Arden
Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire. He made his name in
London, but remained proud of his regional roots. His plays presented the romance and the
reality of rural England.
The medieval past
The past was explored in the playhouse as a means of understanding the present.
Shakespeare’s medieval history plays helped to forge a new sense of identity as England
reinvented itself as a Protestant nation.
The classical world
Shakespeare’s Roman tragedies tackle the contemporary fear of assassination, conspiracy,
and question the nature of power. Setting these politically sensitive issues in the classical
past allowed them to be aired in the playhouse.
Venice and the modern city
For Shakespeare and his audience Venice was a place of fantasy, famous for luxury and
fashion. It was also a multicultural trading city, open to immigrants. It mirrored Londoners’
hopes and concerns for their own city.
Kingship, rebellion and witchcraft
In 1605 the Catholic Gunpowder Plot to kill James I was discovered and the national
mood darkened. Shakespeare’s Macbeth explores fears of conspiracy, assassination and
witchcraft as a political crime.
The birth of ‘Great Britain’
James I’s accession brought England and Scotland together under one king. He sought full
unification of ‘Great Britain’ and his vision led to debates about British history and origins in
the playhouse.
Exploring new worlds
Shakespeare’s Britain had an expanding range of global contacts and imperialist
aspirations. The Tempest, set on an uninhabited island between the Old and the New
World, reveals the wonder and exploitation of maritime adventuring.
Shakespeare today
Shakespeare’s worldwide fame began with the publication of his collected plays in the
First Folio of 1623. His plays have continued to be printed and performed from then to the
present day.
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Shakespeare: staging the world – teacher resources
Exhibition activities
Big questions
You may find it useful to set a ‘big question’ for the students to consider and discuss as
they go round the exhibition. For example:
What was the most interesting object in the exhibition?
What did I learn about Shakespeare that I did not know before?
What sources of evidence does the exhibition include and how useful did I find them?
What have I learnt about Shakespeare’s world from the objects in the exhibition?
What else would I put in the exhibition to make it interesting/informative?
Exhibition activity sheets
Organise the students into small groups, each with an accompanying adult. Provide each
accompanying adult with an exhibition briefing sheet and a copy of the exhibition activity
sheet for each student.
The sheets are designed to be photocopied as separate sheets of A4.
The sheets follow the order of the exhibition and encourage the students to think about
some of the major themes covered in Shakespeare’s plays.
Each sheet relates to an aspect of Shakespeare’s world explored in his plays. You can
select whichever sheets you think will work best for the needs of your students or choose
sheets which will best support the classroom work/topic for the autumn term. Each sheet
relates to one section of the exhibition and each sheet is self-contained.
The sheets include some areas for the students to fill in – ticking, key words and drawing
– but are also designed to encourage group discussion without the need to write down
individual answers.
Remind accompanying adults about any objects which you will be using for follow-up work
so that they can ensure students engage with these in the exhibition.
Accompanying adults should feel free to encourage discussion about the objects, dwell
at objects which particularly interest the students and share things they find out as they
go round.
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Shakespeare: staging the world – teacher resources
Shakespeare’s London – exhibition activities
Shakespeare came to London to work as an actor. London is where his
plays were performed in the new theatres built in the south of the city.
Find this the long drawing which shows London in 1647.
Starting at the left hand end of the drawing, spot and tick off these places.
The Globe Clue: a round shaped wooden theatre right next to the river. River Thames Clue: it has got its name written on it in Latin.
St Paul’s Cathedral Clue: it looked like this when Shakespeare was alive. London Bridge Clue: it was the only bridge across the Thames at this time.
Tower of London Clue: castle built by King William I.
Do you think old London looks like modern London? Write two things you think are different about London in 1647 and London
in 2012.
Write two things you think are the same about London in 1647 and London
in 2012.
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Shakespeare: staging the world – teacher resources
The Forest of Arden – exhibition activities
Shakespeare lived in London (a city) and Stratford-on-Avon (a country
town). He set many of his plays in the countryside. He often used forests
as a setting for part of a play.
Find this piece of tapestry (a picture made by sewing). It shows people enjoying the
countryside in Tudor times.
What can you seeing happening in this rural scene?
Keep an eye open for the dancing!
Next find this embroidered jacket and see if you
can spot the acorns.
There were no zips in Tudor times.
How is this jacket done up?
Look at the other objects in this section of the exhibition.
Look out for objects which show wild animals
or plants.
Use these objects to help you collect ideas for your own countryside
design below. You might use plants or animals or both. Create your
design back at school.
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Shakespeare: staging the world – teacher resources
The medieval past – exhibition activities
Shakespeare wrote many plays set in the past. These are known as the
history plays.He was particularly interested in how medieval kings and
queens had ruled Britain.
Kings and queens used symbols to represent their royal family or their
personal rule. Below are some medieval kings and their symbols.
Find each symbol in this section of the exhibition. When you find it, tick it off.
Richard II chose a white hart
(deer) as his symbol.
Henry IV and Henry V were both members
of the House of Lancaster which used a
swan as their family symbol.
Richard III used a boar (wild pig)
as his personal symbol.
Which animal would you choose as your personal symbol?
Write your name and draw your symbol in the box below.
Why not imagine you are a king or queen and put a roman numeral
after your name?
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Shakespeare: staging the world – teacher resources
The classical world – exhibition activities
Shakespeare learned about the ancient world when he was at school. Some
of his plays tell stories about people from ancient Rome, Egypt and Greece.
We still study ancient history at school today.
Tick the topics which you have learnt about already or know you will
be doing later.
The Greeks
The Romans Ancient Egypt
Walk over and watch the film clip from Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar.
The character speaking in the clip is called Brutus. The Romans spoke,
read and wrote Latin.
Try out the Latin phrases shown below and then ask somebody in your
group to chose one of the English words and see if you can remember
how to say it in Latin.
Greetings …
salve = hello
vale = goodbye
bene = great!
euge = hurray!
At school …
schola = school
magister = teacher
amicus = friend
liber = book
Find this statue of Cleopatra. Cleopatra VII
was the last Egyptian pharaoh. She knew
Julius Caesar. Cleopatra spoke Greek, Latin
and ancient Egyptian.
The natural world …
silva = forest
aqua = water
terra = land
mons = mountain
Choose one of the Latin words above to use in a conversation
this week. Write it in the box.
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Shakespeare: staging the world – teacher resources
Venice and the modern city – exhibition activities
Venice is a city in northern Italy. Like London, it was a busy trading
city where people from different parts of the world lived and worked.
Shakespeare set some of his plays in Venice.
Find this view of Venice. Venice is built on a number of islands.
Look at the painting carefully and find:
The areas of the city which are water (the canals). The areas of the city which are land (the islands). The bridges which join the islands together. The large ships sailing to Venice from overseas. The small boats on the city canals. Venice, like London, was a busy trading city visited by
people from all over the world.
Imagine you have been to Venice. Look at the other objects in this section
of the exhibition and choose three objects from the city which you would
bring home as souvenirs.
Draw them in the box below.
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Shakespeare: staging the world – teacher resources
Kingship, rebellion and witchcraft –
exhibition activities
In 1603 James I became king of England (he was
already James VI of Scotland). James was worried
about people rebelling against his rule (causing trouble or even trying to kill him).
Find this portrait of James I.
Circle the words below which you think best describe James in this portrait and then add a word of your own.
scared
poor confident
clever
arrogant
well dressed
messy
rich
My word to describe James I is ………………………….
Look for these objects which tell us about some things which
worried James.
A lantern
This was the lantern used by Guy Fawkes when he tried to blow up
the king and parliament.
Vestments
These vestments (clothes) were worn by Roman Catholic priests
who did not agree with James’s ideas about religion.
Magic brooches
James did not like magic and was worried that spells may be cast
to harm him and his family.
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Shakespeare: staging the world – teacher resources
The birth of Great Britain – exhibition activities
James I was the king of Scotland before he became king of England.
James described himself as king of Great Britain (Scotland, England and
Ireland). In 1707 an act of parliament created the United Kingdom of
Great Britain ruled by a single government based in London.
Find this drawing which shows six different designs created in
1603 for a new flag for the countries ruled by the new king.
Think of another way to combine the red cross of England and the white cross on a blue background
of Scotland.
Draw your idea in the box below.
During the reign of Elizabeth I, England and Spain had been at war. When
James became king he decided to stop all the arguments and fighting
between the two countries.
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Stand in front of this painting which shows a peace conference held in 1604 between England and Spain.
The table is covered with an expensive cloth Look for the colours and shapes used to create the pattern on the cloth.
The English negotiators are sitting on the right.
Try copying some of their poses.
The Spanish, Dutch and Flemish negotiators are sitting on the left.
Choose one and imagine what they might be thinking.
Shakespeare: staging the world – teacher resources
Exploring new worlds – exhibition activities
During Shakespeare’s life European countries sent ships across the oceans
hoping to find new areas of the world. These explorers met people living in
other parts of the world and learnt about the different ways that people lived
around the world.
Find two large globes. One of them shows what
people in Europe during the 1600s thought the earth looked like.
Look closely and see if you can spot these continents
Africa America Europe Look around this section of the exhibition at some of the things which
were helping people in Britain to learn about the rest of the world during
Shakespeare’s lifetime.
Find the drawing of a marmoset. What can you learn about this animal by
studying this drawing? Write something you have discovered in the box below.
A marmoset has …..
Shakespeare probably never went abroad but he would have seen objects
and drawings brought back to Britain. These often gave him ideas for his
plays.
Draw an object you find interesting in the box below.
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Shakespeare: staging the world – teacher resources
Shakespeare today – exhibition activities
In 1623 Shakespeare’s plays were published in a single book known as the
First Folio. This meant that everybody could read his plays and actors could
continue to perform them. Shakespeare’s plays have been translated into
many different languages.
Find the book of Shakespeare’s plays known as the ‘Robben Island Bible’
Which of the plays is the book open at?
Shakespeare’s plays are usually grouped under three headings.
Draw a line matching each heading with the sentence which describes this
group of plays.
Comedies stories about important rulers from the past
Histories stories where people experience difficulties
Tragedies funny stories with people getting into silly situations
As a group see how many of Shakespeare’s plays you can name
in two minutes.
Ask your adult to count for you. Ready, steady, go …
How many plays did you remember?
1–3
4–6
7–9
Oh dear – you probably need to go round the exhibition again!
Well done – you have a good memory.
Fantastic – you are a Shakespeare expert!
Write two things you have learnt about Shakespeare in this exhibition
in the box below.
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Shakespeare: staging the world – teacher resources
Classroom activities to support a visit
to the exhibition
There are whiteboard resources (a PowerPoint presentation) relating directly to the
exhibition available at britishmuseum.org/shakespeare
Supporting information for these resources is available in the Notes section of each slide.
Below you will find a list of suggestions for classroom activities which you can use
before or after the exhibition as either preparatory or follow-up work.
Shakespeare: staging the world is an excellent starting point for single-subject
and cross-curricular work in a number of areas.
History: sources of evidence, chronology, communicating findings,
historical figures
Geography: countries of the world, major world cities
Citizenship: national identity, understanding your country’s past
Literacy: plays, poetry, dialogue, selecting and using vocabulary
The following is a list of suggested activities which can be undertaken in the classroom to
support a visit to the exhibition as either preparatory or follow-up work.
• Look at the whiteboard presentation on the exhibition learning pages to provide the students with an idea of the type of objects they will see in the exhibition.
• Look at Tudor and Stuart objects in the Explore section of britishmuseum.org
• Look at a world map to identify different places mentioned in the exhibition such as London and Venice.
• Read an extract from one of Shakespeare’s plays. Discuss the nature of a play as written dialogue between different characters in a story. Ask your students to create some short dialogues between two or three characters and write it down using script format. Your students could then act the dialogue out as a performance piece.
• Watch all or part of a filmed performance of one of Shakespeare’s plays.
• Design a poster to advertise a performance of one of Shakespeare’s plays.
• Send a postcard from Shakespeare’s London.
• Find out about William Shakespeare and write a short biography of his life.
• Compare Tudor and modern London.
• Learn some famous lines from Shakespeare and discuss what they mean.
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Shakespeare: staging the world – teacher resources
Shakespeare: background information
William Shakespeare was the son of John Shakespeare, an alderman and glovemaker, and Mary Arden, the daughter of a wealthy farmer. He was born in Stratfordupon-Avon. His actual birth date is unknown, but is traditionally celebrated on 23 April.
He was baptised on 26 April 1564. He was the third of eight children and the eldest
surviving boy. Shakespeare was probably educated at the King’s New School in
Stratford, a grammar school, where he would have studied Latin grammar and Latin
classical authors.
In 1582 Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. In 1583 the couple had a daughter,
Susanna, followed by twins Hamnet and Judith in 1585. Their son Hamnet died at the
age of 11 in 1596. Susanna and Judith continued to live in Stratford when they grew
up. They married local men. Susanna had one daughter and Judith had three sons.
In 1592 Shakespeare was working in London in the theatres. He had already written
several plays and was also a player (actor), performing in his own and other people’s
plays. He was one of a group of players who built their own theatre on the south bank
of the River Thames, which they called the Globe, in 1599. It was in this theatre that
Shakespeare’s later plays were performed.
Shakespeare’s plays began to be printed from 1594 though it was the publication of
a collection of his plays in 1623 which helped to spread his work in Britain and later
abroad. Shakespeare wrote history plays, comedies, tragedies and romances. Some
of his plays are based on stories written by other people and some of his plays were
completely original pieces of work.
During his career in the theatre Shakespeare lived in both London and Stratfordupon-Avon. In 1596 he bought New Place in Stratford-upon-Avon as his family home.
In London he lived as a lodger in a number of places including Bishopsgate in the
City, Southwark and near St Paul’s Cathedral.
From 1607 Shakespeare wrote fewer plays and his last three plays were written with
another person, probably the playwright John Fletcher. He seems to have stopped
writing altogether after 1613. Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616. He was buried in
Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.
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Shakespeare: staging the world – teacher resources
Shakespeare’s London: background information
During the 1500s and early 1600s London was the largest city in Britain. The population
grew from around 50,000 people in 1500 to 200,000 in 1600. By 1600 London was 13
times larger than the second largest city, Norwich. Much of this growth was due to the large
numbers of people moving to London from other parts of Britain and abroad. The city was a
major port, busy with trade and industry, the seat of government and the royal court, and a
centre for literature and the arts.
London was about three miles long from the Tower of London in the east to Westminster
Palace in the west. The City of London, inside the ancient walls, was crowded with narrow,
winding streets. London was surrounded by fields and it would have only taken about 20
minutes to walk from the centre of the city out into the countryside.
There was one bridge across the River Thames in London. This was London Bridge which
connected the City of London in the north and the area of Southwark which lay south of the
river. The easiest and quickest way to cross the river was by boat. There were many small
ferry boats crossing from one side to the other and also carrying passengers up and down
the river to different parts of London.
The first purpose-built theatre opened in Shoreditch in 1576. It was called the Theatre.
Soon other theatres were built in Southwark: the Swan (built 1595), the Hope (1614), the
Rose (1587) and the Globe (1599). Southwark also had many alehouses and taverns
where people could drink ale and beer. By 1613 the City of London had over 1,000
alehouses.
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Shakespeare: staging the world – teacher resources
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Exhibition whiteboard presentation
The images in the PowerPoint presentation can be used to introduce students to the types
of objects they will encounter in the exhibition.
The presentation can also be used as a source of images which can be used as starting
points for follow-up activities back in the classroom.
Individual images can be printed out for use during small group work.
The images included in the presentation are:
Shakespeare: staging the world – teacher resources
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Further resources
British Museum website
Explore is an online database of over 5,000 objects from the Museum’s collection.
To investigate Tudor and Stuart objects click on Explore at britishmuseum.org
Books for children
Pocket Dictionary Kings and Queens of Britain by Katharine Hoare
(British Museum Press, 2006)
Books for adults
Shakespeare: staging the world by Jonathan Bate and Dora Thornton
(British Museum Press, 2012)
Shakespeare’s Britain by Jonathan Bate and Dora Thornton with Becky Allen
(British Museum Press, 2012)