The Use of Shakespearean Plays in Undergraduate EFL Courses in Taiwan
151
莎士比亞戲劇運用在台灣之大學英語課程
The Use of Shakespearean Plays in Undergraduate EFL Courses
in Taiwan
陳南妤
Nanyu Chen
東海大學外文系助理教授
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The Use of Shakespearean Plays in Undergraduate EFL Courses in Taiwan
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莎士比亞戲劇運用在台灣之大學英語課程
摘 要
英國文豪威廉‧莎士比亞 (William Shakespeare) 的戲劇被公認是世界文學史上
最重要的作品之一，也是大學主修英文者必讀的文本。莎士比亞作品ㄧ方面膾炙人口，
另ㄧ方面卻一直帶有著艱澀難懂的標籤。因為其文本的深奧，在台灣的大學非主修英語
課程裡，莎士比亞作品並不是常見的教材；然而ㄧ般學生對莎士比亞或是其著名劇作《羅
密歐與茱麗葉》，卻皆耳熟能詳。本文所要探討的主題，就是在台灣的大學非主修英語
課程裡，使用莎士比亞戲劇的可能性及其裨益學生英語學習之處。此研究以東海大學的
非英語主修之英語課程架構為例，進行主題的探討。全文分為兩部份：第一部份分析莎
士比亞戲劇特質中有利於台灣的大學英語課程之處，第二部份則針對筆者所推薦的莎士
比亞戲劇，提出一學期之課程規劃，將其融入於非英語主修之英語課程中。藉由本文，
筆者期能引起更多英語教學研究及實行者對於在語言課程中運用文學教材的探討及研
究，將英語背後所蘊藏的豐富文學文化藉由語言的教學帶給學生。
關鍵字：莎士比亞戲劇、英語教學、大學英語課程
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College English: Issues and Trends, Volume 1
The Use of Shakespearean Plays in Undergraduate EFL Courses
in Taiwan
Abstract
Plays written by William Shakespeare are beyond doubt among the most important heritage of world
literature. For English majors, Shakespeare’s plays are some of the must-read texts. On one hand, Shakespeare’s
plays are popular, but on the other hand, they are labeled as difficult texts. Because of their profundity, plays by
Shakespeare are rarely among the materials studied in English classes for Non-English-Majors in universities in
Taiwan, even though Shakespeare and his well-known plays like Romeo and Juliet have become household
names to most students in Taiwan. The present paper explores the possibility of incorporating Shakespearean
plays in undergraduate English courses offered for Non-English-Majors and the benefits students may obtain
from studying these materials. The exploration has been done on the basis of the curricular structure of English
courses offered at Tunghai University. This paper has two parts: the first part discusses the characteristics of
Shakespearean plays which may be beneficial to be used in English classes for Non-English-Majors; the second
part is a one-semester course plan which incorporates Shakespearean plays that are recommended by the
researcher of the study for English courses for Non-English-Majors. Hopefully this paper will invoke more
interest of researchers and practitioners of English teaching in incorporating literature in university English
courses for Non-English-Majors in Taiwan.
Keywords: Shakespearean Plays, English Teaching, Undergraduate EFL Courses
The Use of Shakespearean Plays in Undergraduate EFL Courses in Taiwan
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The Use of Shakespearean Plays in Undergraduate EFL Courses
in Taiwan
I. Introduction
For language teachers, whether to incorporate literature in their curriculum is the question.
Literature may be seen to be detached from everyday language use, which is the primary
target of language teaching and learning. Literature, however, has its magic which may be
beneficial for teachers and learners of foreign languages. The fact that literature is somewhat
distanced from real-life language provides a space where imagination can thrive and learning
anxiety may be lessened.
Collie and Slater in their book on teaching literature in the language classroom state some
valuable assets of literature which may promote language teaching and learning. To them,
literature contains “valuable authentic material” which goes beyond the “survival” level of
the content of most language textbooks (Collie and Slater, 2000, 3). Literature also increases
“cultural enrichment,” “language enrichment” and “personal involvement” in the language
classroom, among which “personal involvement” is the most crucial feature (Collie and Slater,
2000, 4-6). Hill relates a similar idea in her book on the same topic: “Literature provides not
only a genuine context for communication; it also gives pleasure by engaging in the
emotions” (9). When students’ emotions are engaged, their level of personal involvement in
the material therefore increased
Literature, in a broader sense, may include a variety of genres and texts, from poetry,
drama, fiction to multi-media productions such as films, television shows and commercials.
In a stricter sense, literature originates from classical poetry which defines a people’s history.
William Shakespeare’s works, viewed form either the broader or stricter definition of
literature, is no doubt the crème of the crème. His plays were written in verse. His name
equals the emblem of the history of English language. His works have been appreciated for
four hundred years and have been adapted to each era.
Shakespeare is the icon of English literature and world heritage. His works do not only
belong to a people, but to all human beings. Why then is Shakespeare not a common source
of material for EFL teachers? When I proposed to teach an elective course using
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Shakespeare’s plays for non-English-majors last fall, the concern of my colleagues was this:
Will you have enough students to sign up for the course? The turn-out was a pleasant surprise.
In this paper, I will tell this exuberant and hopefully useful experience of using
Shakespearean plays in the EFL classroom at Tunghai University.
II. The structure of College English at Tunghai Univeristy and Useful Characteristics of
Shakespearean Plays
In this section, first of all, I will explain briefly the structure of College English courses at
Tunghai University, and secondly, I will point out some useful characteristics of
Shakespearean plays for college-level EFL classes.
1. College English courses at Tunghai University
College English courses here are defined as courses offered at the undergraduate level
for non-English-majors. At Tunghai University, there are two kinds of college English
courses: Freshman English for Non-Majors (FENM) and non-majors’ elective courses. The
main characteristics of these courses are listed below:
i.
Freshman English for Non-Majors (FENM):
(1) English is the language of instruction.
(2) FENM courses are year-long, required courses for freshmen.
(3) Students take a placement test before being placed in classes of different levels.
(4) Class size varies from 25 to 35 students per class (25 for low-level, 30 for mid-level, and
35 for high-level).
(5) Four skills are taught in class.
(6) Students take unified midterm and final exams which are proficiency tests.
(7) Language use is emphasized in the program.
(8) Two program-wide activities are held: dialogue contest (fall semester) and play contest
(spring semester). All students participate in creating and performing the dialogues and plays.
ii.
Non-majors’ elective courses:
(1) English is the language of instruction.
(2) Non-majors’ elective courses are semester-long , 2-credit or 3-credit courses for
sophomores, juniors and seniors.
(3) Teachers are free to decide the content of the courses as long as they are language-based
and in accordance with the goals of the program.
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(4) Students are free to sign up for any elective courses they like, with a few exceptions of
special enrollment policies set by instructors.
(5) Students’ English level may vary in the same class.
(6) Examples of courses offered: “Enriching Your English through Fiction, Drama and
Poetry,” “Intermediate Oral: Focusing on Idiomatic and Colloquial Expressions,” “Learning
English through Shakespeare’s Stories.”
2. Useful characteristics of Shakespearean plays
Shakespeare’s original play scripts may be too difficult for non-English-majors, but
there are certain characteristics in his plays that can be useful in EFL classroom:
i.
Blank verse
Shakespeare’s plays were written mostly in blank verse, which is unrhymed iambic
pentameter. By introducing blank verse to students, teachers may encourage them to be aware
of the rhythm in English as a foreign language. Stresses are not as obvious in Chinese as in
English language. By reading aloud lines written in blank verse, students learn to put stress in
certain words. It is also fun for students to recite verses as it is somewhat similar to singing a
song.
ii.
Wordplay
Shakespeare’s language is full of wordplays such as puns and oxymoron. For
non-English-majors, it may have been the first time they heard “wordplay.” Many Taiwanese
English learners tend to learn vocabulary by memorizing the words. They may not be aware
of the fact that “words” can be “played.” It is a new experience for students to discover that
actually there can be fun in using foreign words.
iii.
Plot
Stories in Shakespeare’s plays usually include popular topics such as love, revenge,
tragic or comic coincidences, etc. Often in a play there is a main plot and a few sub-plots. The
simplicity of the main plot encourages students to easily reproduce an important scene
without much difficulty. At the same time, the complexity of the interplay of the main plot
and sub-plots brings excitement to the stories, and leaves room for students to add interesting
details to their simple reproduction of scenes.
iv.
Characters
There are main characters and minor characters in Shakespearean plays. Like the plot, it
is easy for students to focus on studying and performing main characters. If they would like
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to add more details, they can always find a minor but interesting character to perform in their
reproduction. The variety of characters also provides students with multiple perspectives
dealing with the same issue brought up in the play.
v.
Movies
Films adapted from Shakespearean plays are abundant. Since 1908 to 1996, Romeo and
Juliet alone has twelve different film versions (Rothwell, 1999, 308-40). Students, before
enrolling in the class, might have already seen one or two films adapted from Shakespeare’s
plays. Thus they have a basic understanding of famous plays such as Romeo and Juliet and
Hamlet. Movies are useful resources in class as they provide visual aid which can help fill in
the gaps in students’ comprehension of the stories, and can also help inspiring students while
they work on their own reproduction of the plays. The different film versions of the same
play “encourage students to rediscover the cultures in which the films were made. In turn,
students realize that there is no one Romeo and Juliet but rather that there are many” (Willson,
Jr., 2000, 184).
III. Learning English through Shakespeare’s Stories
In this section, I would like to introduce an elective course titled “Learning English
through Shakespeare’s Stories,” which I am offering at Tunghai University.
1. Course Description:
“Learning English through Shakespeare’s Stories” is a semester-long elective course
offered for non-English-majors. There are currently 34 students enrolled in the course, and
they come from different departments such as Chinese, Fine Art, Music, Chemistry,
Architecture, Industrial Engineering, Industrial Design, Philosophy, Accounting, Business
Administration, Hospitality Management, Public Administration, and International Trade.
Students may have different levels of English, but with the same interest of learning English
through Shakespeare’s stories.
The course description is as follows:
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Learning English through Shakespeare’s Stories (從莎士比亞故事學英文)
Credit hours: 2
Instructor:
Nanyu Chen (Sofia) 陳南妤 ([email protected])
Class Hours: Tuesday, 2:10 – 4:00 p.m.
Class Size: 35
Course Objectives:
Course Description:
On completion of the course, students should
This course offers an opportunity for
be able to
non-English-majors to learn English through
reading famous stories from Shakespeare’s
(1) have a general understanding of
plays, discussing and writing about issues
Shakespeare’s drama;
brought up in the stories, studying excerpts of (2) improve their reading fluency after
original plays, and performing famous
reading Shakespeare’s stories written by
Shakespearean scenes. Four plays are selected
Charles and Mary Lamb;
(3) increase their motivation in learning
for this semester-long elective course:
English by appreciating the beauty of
Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Night’s
literature;
Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet. By way of
(4) lead discussion on issues brought up in
appreciating literature through reading,
the Shakespearean stories;
writing, speaking and performing, students
(5) become more confident in speaking
are expected to enhance their English ability
English after performing famous
as well as their motivation in further study of
Shakespearean scenes
the language and its rich cultural heritage.
Course Materials:
Student Evaluation:
(1) Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and
Midterm Exam: 25%
Mary Lamb (New York: Children’s
Final Exam: 25%
Classics, 1999)
Homework Assignments: 20%
(2) Excerpts from Merchant of Venice, A
Performing A Shakespearean Scene: 20%
Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and
Participation: 10%
Juliet, Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Syllabus
9/19 Warm-up activity/Introduction
11/21 A Midsummer Night’s Dream
9/26 Merchant of Venice
11/28 A Midsummer Night’s Dream
10/3 Merchant of Venice
12/5 A Midsummer Night’s Dream
10/17 Merchant of Venice
12/12 Hamlet
10/24 Romeo and Juliet
12/19 Hamlet
10/31 Romeo and Juliet
12/26 Hamlet
11/7 Romeo and Juliet
1/2 Rehearsal
Midterm exam
1/9 Students’ performance
Final exam
In the first class, I did a survey to find out students’ motives of taking this course, and
their knowledge of Shakespeare and his plays. I found out that students took the course
mainly because they wanted to improve their English abilities. The second reason they chose
the class was that they were curious about Shakespeare. Before taking the course, students’
knowledge of Shakespeare and his plays was limited. Shakespeare meant to this group of
non-English-majors “a famous English playwright,” who was the author of Romeo and Juliet.
In a questionnaire, I asked students whether they would prefer reading the original plays
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of Shakespeare or reading adapted stories from Shakespearean plays. About half of the
students replied that they would rather read adapted stories, because they would be easier to
understand. Some students replied that they would prefer reading the original plays, while
some others would like to read both.
The materials used in this course are a combination of both. I used Tales from
Shakespeare written by Charles and Mary Lamb as the principle reading assignments. I also
provided some passages of original plays written by Shakespeare for students to study and
read aloud.
2. Some Useful Classroom Activities
In the syllabus presented above, four plays are studied in this semester-long course. Each
semester has 18 weeks, among which 2 weeks are used for midterm and final exams. The first
week is introduction and warm-up activity, and the last two weeks are used for rehearsals and
students’ performance. I spend 3 weeks on each play, which takes up 6 hours of class time.
The following example gives an idea of how the class is conducted:
i.
Merchant of Venice
(1) Role play
Role plays are useful in language classroom where literary texts are studied, because
they promote students’ personal involvement in the story, encourage students’ use of
everyday language to create a dialogue, and increase their confidence in using English by
performing the dialogue in front of the class. For this elective course, I planned an
approximately one-hour activity of role plays.
In the first class, students were given a handout with the beginning of the summary of
Merchant of Venice, taken from Rosenblum’s A Reader’s Guide to Shakespeare:
The Story
Bassanio, meeting his wealthy friend Antonio, revealed that he had a plan for restoring the
fortune he had carelessly spent and for paying the debts he had incurred. In the town of
Belmont, not far from Venice, there lived a wealthy young woman named Portia, who was
famous for her beauty. If he could secure some money, Bassanio declared, he was sure he
could win her as his wife. Antonio replied that he had no funds at hand with which to supply
his friend, as they were all invested in the ships he had at sea, but that he would attempt to
borrow money for him in Venice (Rosenblum, 1999, 204).
After reading and understanding the passage, which would take about 10 minutes,
students were asked to work in pairs to create a dialogue between Bassanio and Antonio.
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Because it was the first time students did this kind of role plays in class, I asked them to
create a dialogue of only 8 lines (4 lines for each character). After discussing for about 15
minutes, students performed their dialogue in front of the class. This kind of activity of
“reconstructing the script” is recommended by McCarthy in his essay on using drama texts in
the classroom (94).
Here is an example of a dialogue created by students in class:
Bassanio: Hello, Antonio, my friend, please do me a favor. Could you borrow me some
money to get married?
Antonio: Why do you want to get married? Do you have a lover? Which one is so
unfortunate?
Bassanio: Don’t laugh at me. I’m sincere. I’m sure that I could win Portia as my wife, who
is famous for her beauty in the town, and she’s very wealthy.
Antonio: Portia? She is such a beauty. You are my buddy. I really really want to help you,
but I invested all my funds in the ships.
Bassanio: Oh, please, do you have any ideas to solve my problem? It’s my hard time. I can’t
believe such a man like you.
Antonio: O.K. I will attempt to borrow money in Venice.
Bassanio: Thank you. I know that you won’t give me up.
Antonio: I’ll do my best not let you down. And help you win Portia as your wife.
Note that in the example given, there are several mistakes, which is expected knowing
the students’ level. They did not have time to use a dictionary or revise the dialogue in class.
The purpose of role plays is to encourage students to speak naturally and fluently, and most
important of all, to increase their confidence in using English. So mistakes are tolerated as
long as they do not impede communication. One mistake, though, stood out among many role
plays by students. The common mistake they made was on the usage of “borrow” and “lend.”
In Chinese language, there is no distinction of diction between “borrow” and “lend.” Chinese
speakers use the same word “chie4” in either case. So it may be confusing to students when
they should use “borrow” and when they should use “lend.” After all students performed their
role plays, I explained the usage of the two words on the blackboard. Hopefully, they would
learn to use them correctly afterwards.
(2) Reading of original lines
In the first class of Merchant of Venice, besides the role plays, students also read short
passages of original lines written by Shakespeare. The first passage is the opening speech by
Antonio:
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In sooth I know not why I am so sad,
It wearies me; you say it wearies you;
But how I caught it, found it, or came by it,
What stuff ‘tis made of, whereof it is born,
I am to learn:
And such a want-wit sadness makes of me,
That I have much ado to know myself.
(Act 1, Scene 1, lines 1-7; Shakespeare: 1985, 4)
Another two short passages chosen are from the famous speech on mercy by Portia in
Act 4, Scene1:
The quality of mercy is not strain’d,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest,
It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes, (lines 180-3)
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God’s
When mercy seasons justice… (lines 191-3) (Shakespeare, 1985, 111-2)
The passages above were explained in class, focusing especially on introducing to students
some special words that are commonly used in Shakespeare’s plays—‘tis, whereof, strain’d,
droppeth, blest, blesseth, doth, likest—and also explaining to students the special sentence
structure in his plays, such as “I know not why I am so sad,” which in today’s language
would be spoken as “I don’t know why I am so sad.”
As homework assignment, students translated the short passages quoted above from
English to Chinese. In the following class, I provided students with the Chinese translation of
the same passages by Prof. Perng, Ching-Hsi in his newly published Chinese version of
Merchant of Venice. By translating the text, students were forced to really study and
understand the lines. By comparing their translation with an expert’s translation of the same
text, they realized that there could be different renditions of the same text. They also could
learn from the Chinese translation where they found difficult in the text.
In the second class of Merchant of Venice, students were also provided with more
original lines from Shakespeare’s play from the famous trial scene. Students by that time had
already read “Merchant of Venice,” Tales from Shakespeare, by Charles and Mary Lamb as
their homework. In class, I asked students to retell the story. By retelling the story, students
could find out which part was not clear to them. Their classmates or the instructor then could
be able to help fill in the gaps.
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(3) Film watching
Some language teachers might think that they “can’t afford” film watching in class,
because during the two hours time, students just sit there and watch the movie without doing
any activities. It is hard for teachers to evaluate whether students learn anything by watching
films in class. However, it may be necessary for an elective class like “Learning English
through Shakespeare’s Stories.” Students may not be doing any visible activities during film
watching, but teachers can design some activities before and after film watching, to facilitate
students’ language learning.
Film watching in class might be necessary for this particular class because films adapted
from Shakespeare’s plays are not always the kind of films students would watch outside class.
Forcing them to sit in class for two hours to finish watching the film may provide students
with a new experience appreciating films adapted from famous literature. I showed the BBC
production of Merchant of Venice without caption to my students in class. For most of them,
it was the first time they watched a foreign film without any caption, not to mention a film
adapted from a Shakespearean play, in which original lines were spoken by characters
dressed in 16th century costumes.
Film watching provides students the visual aid which could facilitate their final
production of famous Shakespearean scenes. Also, students were excited when they heard the
original lines which they had studied in class, spoken by professional actors and actresses.
ii.
Romeo and Juliet
The second play studied in class was Romeo and Juliet. Students now had some positive
experience in role plays, so I made their task in the first session a little more complicated.
Students were given a longer text to read in class as preparation for their short scene
performance. This is the beginning of the story taken from Rosenblum, 255-6, which is
included in Appendix 1 of this paper.
I divided the class into five groups of six students and a group of four students. Three
groups would create a short scene based on the first paragraph of the text above. Each
member of a group would play a role of Romeo, Rosaline, Mercutio, Juliet, Tybalt or Old
Capulet. So there would be three different productions of the same scene. Three groups were
assigned to create two short scenes based on the second and third paragraphs—the meeting of
Romeo and Juliet at the dance of the Capulet house, and the famous balcony scene. Four
students would play Romeo, Juliet, Juliet’s mother and Juliet’s nurse, and the other two
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students would play Romeo and Juliet for the balcony scene (the only group of four students
would have some flexibility here in choosing the roles to play).
Two original passages from Shakespeare’s play were studied in class, and students would
have to incorporate them in their performance. One passage is the prologue by the Chorus at
the beginning of the play, and the other passage is from the balcony scene:
The Prologue
Chorus:
Two households, both alike in dignity
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured pitieous overthrows
Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.
The fearful passage of their death-marked love
And the continuance of their parents’ rage,
Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove,
Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
(Shakespeare, 1996, 53)
Juliet:
O Romeo, Romeo! –wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name.
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.
Romeo (aside):
Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
Juliet:
’Tis but thy name that is my enemy.
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What’s Montague? It is nor hand nor foot
Nor arm nor face nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name;
And for thy name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.
(Act 2, Scene 2, lines 33-48; Shakespeare, 1996, 85-6)
After studying the two passages in class with the instructor’s explanation on some special
diction such as “wherefore art thou” and “doff thy name,” students were allowed to discuss
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for about thirty minutes to create a short scene using their own language and incorporating
the original lines above. By studying the original passages, students may learn to appreciate
the profound meanings behind Shakespeare’s use of simple words such as “name”:
“Shakespeare’s simplest writing can bear great weight; and it can be precise, speedy, subtle or
resonant at will. A single syllable may be crucial or an easy and familiar phrase may be
transformed into a statement of distinct individuality” (Brown, 1996, 21).
In the following class meeting, students performed the short scenes they had prepared.
Following are some photos taken from students’ performances:
Photo 1: Tybalt and Romeo’s encounter at the dance at the Capulet house
(Left to right: Lilian Tseng, Athena Hsu, Kay Yang, Hugo Cheng)
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Photo 2: The balcony scene (Left: Sherry Lin; Right: Cleese Chuang)
3. Evaluation of Students’ Achievement
As specified in the course description, evaluation of students’ achievement for this course
has five parts: Midterm Exam 25%, Final Exam 25%, Homework Assignments 20%,
Performing A Shakespearean Scene 20%, Participation 10%.
The five parts of the evaluation are closely connected; for example, the midterm and final
exam questions were based on the reading materials (Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare and
teacher’s handouts on Shakespeare’s life and works). Homework Assignments included
readings of Tales from Shakespeare, and short answer questions based on teacher’s handouts.
Students, by working in groups, created their own play scripts for the performance of a
Shakespearean scene of their choice from Romeo and Juliet, Merchant of Venice or A
Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hamlet was not a choice because it was the last play covered in
the course and students would not have enough time to prepare for the production). In order
to successfully re-create these scenes in their own language, students would have to be
familiar with the storylines. In other words, they would have to first finish their homework
reading and assignments, and participate in in-class group discussions.
The final performance was the most exciting event of the course. Students rehearsed once
in class, and many times outside class. They made posters for their performance and invited
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friends and teachers to attend the final performance.
Questions for midterm and final exams, sample questions for in-class group discussions,
and photos from the final performance are provided in Appendix 2, 3 and 4 at the end of this
paper.
IV. Conclusion
To conclude, I would like to point out some observations after using Shakespeare’s plays
and their stories in the elective course.
First, it is definitely feasible to incorporate Shakespeare’s plays and their stories in the
language classroom. The one-semester experience of using Shakespeare’s plays in the
elective course for non-English-majors was inspiring and encouraging. Students had an
especially positive experience in their collaborative project of the final performance. Six
groups of students performed creatively scenes from Romeo and Juliet (the dance party at the
Capulet house and the balcony scene), Merchant of Venice (the trial scene and the dispute
over the ring), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (the confusion in the wood and the happy
ending). They incorporated original lines from Shakespeare’s plays into their play scripts, and
the successful presentation impressed their audience as well as themselves.
Second, students not only have a more profound understanding of the Bard and his
works after studying and using the material for some time, but they also have increased their
confidence in speaking and writing. The results were visible in students’ performance in class
and their writing assignments. For them, Shakespeare does not now only mean the author of
Romeo and Juliet, but they got to know more of his plays and the complex issues raised in the
plays which they may be able to further explore.
Third, students’ level of English may be an important concern of the instructor. With the
foundation of Freshman English for Non-Majors offered in students’ freshman year, they are
used to listening to English in the whole class periods. However, if students had not had the
experience of English-only environment for content courses, the instructor might have to use
more warm-up activities to encourage students’ involvement in class.
Each language class is different, and it’s indeed necessary for language teachers to cater
their lesson plans for any specific group of students. It’s also inevitable that language teachers
would have to be flexible and make changes in their curriculum along the semester to fit the
needs of the students. In any case, nevertheless, the incorporation of literary texts in the
language classroom can be a plus. There even may be pleasant surprises for teachers and
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students when the magic of literature sparks occasionally and unexpectedly in the language
classroom.
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Works Cited
Brown, John Russell. William Shakespeare: Writing for Performance. New York: St. Martin’s,
1996.
Collie, Joanne and Stephen Slater. Literature in the Language Classroom: A Resource Book
of Ideas and Activities. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2000.
Hill, Jennifer. Using Literature in Language Teaching. London: Macmillan, 1990.
Lamb, Charles & Mary. Tales from Shakespeare. New York: Children’s Classics, 1986.
McCarthy, Michael. “Reconstructing and deconstructing: drama texts in the classroom,”
Language, Literature and the Learner: Creative Classroom Practice edited by Ronald
Carter and John McRae. London and New York: Longman, 1996.
Rosenblum, Joseph. A Reader’s Guide to Shakespeare. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1999.
Rothwell, Kenneth S. A History of Shakespeare on Screen: A Century of Film and Television.
Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1999.
Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. Edited by John Russell Brown. London
and New York: Methuen, 1985.
Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. New York: Penguin, 1996.
Shakespeare, William. Wei1-Ni2-Si1 Shang1-Ren2 (Merchant of Venice) 《威尼斯商人》.
Translated by Ching-Hsi Perng 彭鏡禧. Taipei: Linking (聯經), 2006.
Willson, Jr., Robert F. “Start-Crossed Generations: Three Film Versions of Romeo and
Juliet,” Approaches to Teaching Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet edited by Maurice Hunt.
New York: MLA, 2000.
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Appendix 1:
Beginning of the summary of Romeo and Juliet from Rosenblum, 1999, 255-6:
The Story
In Verona, Italy, there lived two famous families, the Montagues and the Capulets. These two
houses were deadly enemies, and their enmity did not stop at harsh words, but extended to
bloody duels. Romeo, son of old Montague, thought himself in love with haughty Rosaline, a
beautiful girl who did not return his affection. Hearing that Rosaline was to attend a great feast
at the house of Capulet, Romeo and his trusted friend, Mercutio, donned masks and entered
the great hall of their enemy as guests. Romeo was no sooner in the ballroom than he noticed
the exquisite Juliet, Capulet’s daughter, and instantly forgot his disdainful Rosaline. Romeo
had never seen Juliet before, and in asking her name he aroused the suspicion of Tybalt, a fiery
member of the Capulet clan. Tybalt drew his sword and faced Romeo. Old Capulet, coming
upon the two men, parted them, and with the gentility that comes with age requested that they
have no bloodshed at the feast. Tybalt, however, was angered that a Montague should take part
in Capulet festivities and afterward nursed a grudge against Romeo.
Romeo went to Juliet, spoke in urgent courtliness to her, and asked if he might kiss her hand.
She gave her permission, much impressed by this unknown gentleman whose affection for her
was so evident. Romeo then begged to kiss her lips, and when she had no breath to object, he
pressed her to him. They were interrupted by Juliet’s nurse, who sent the young girl off to her
mother. When she had gone, Romeo learned from the nurse that Juliet was a Capulet. He was
stunned, for he was certain that this fact would mean his death. He could never give her up.
Juliet, who had fallen instantly in love with Romeo, discovered that he was a Montague, the
son of a hated house.
That night Romeo, too much in love to go home to sleep, stole up to Juliet’s house and stood
in the orchard beneath a balcony that led to her room. To his surprise, he saw Juliet leaning
over the railing above him. Thinking herself alone, she began to talk of Romeo and wished
aloud that he were not a Montague. Hearing her words, Romeo could contain himself no
longer, but spoke to her. She was frightened at first, and when she saw who it was she was
confused and ashamed that he had overheard her confession. It was too late to pretend
reluctance. Juliet freely admitted her passion, and the two exchanged vows of love. Juliet told
Romeo that she would marry him and would send him word by nine o’clock the next morning
to arrange for their wedding.
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Appendix 2:
Questions for midterm exam:
Answer the following questions in complete sentences:
1. What do you know about Shakespeare’s life? (6%)
2. What kinds of plays did Shakespeare write? (6%)
3. Name three comedies by Shakespeare. (9%)
4. Name three tragedies by Shakespeare. (9%)
5. Write a summary of Merchant of Venice. (15%)
6. Write a summary of Romeo and Juliet. (15%)
7. Describe the character of Portia. (10%)
8. Describe the character of Shylock. (10%)
9. Describe the relationship between Antonio and Bassanio. (10%)
10. What do you think about the story of Romeo and Juliet? (10%)
Questions for final exam:
1. Write a summary of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and your personal opinions about the
play. (50%)
2. Write a summary of Hamlet and your personal opinions about the play. (50%)
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Appendix 3
Questions for Group Discussion on A Midsummer Night’s Dream
(Based on the text in Lamb, 1986, 17-32)
Step I: Detail Questions
Group 1:
P. 17
1. Describe the law in the city of Athens about marriage.
2. What did Egeus complain to the Duke of Athens, Theseus?
P. 18
3. What reason did Hermia give her father for not marrying Demetrius?
4. What solution did Lysander suggest to Hermia after hearing about the problem?
Group 2:
P. 19
5. Who are the residents in the wood?
6. What was the cause of the disagreement between Titania and Oberon?
P. 20
7. Describe the character of Puck.
8. Give an example of a practical joke Puck played on others.
Group 3:
P. 21
9. What was the first order that Oberon gave Puck?
10. What was Oberon’s second order to Puck?
P. 22-3
11. Describe what Oberon did to Titania.
Group 4:
P. 23
12. Describe what Puck did to Lysander.
P. 24-5
13. What kind of misfortune happened to Hermia, Helena and Lysander?
14. What did Oberon do to rectify Puck’s mistake?
Group 5:
P. 26-7
15. Why did Helena and Hermia have a quarrel?
16. What did Oberon tell Puck to do to make things right?
P. 28-29
17. Who did Titania fall in love with?
Group 6:
P. 28-9
18. Describe what Titania did after she fell in love.
P. 30-2
19. Describe how Oberon and Titania reconciled.
20. Describe what happened to the four lovers at the end of the story.
Step II: Questions for All Groups
1. What do you think about the law in the city of Athens?
2. If you had the love potion described in the story, would you use it to win someone’s love?
Would you use it to help others? Why or why not?
3. Are you happy with the “happy ending” of the story? If you could rewrite the ending,
how would you end the story?
4. What do you think about the story of A Midsummer Night’s Dream?
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Appendix 4: Photos from students’ final performance:
Photo 3: Puck (Left: Stella Chuang) and Oberon (Right: Amy Chang) of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Photo 4: The trial scene from Merchant of Venice (Left to right: Hugo Cheng, Lilian Tseng, Chin-Chue Huang,
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Athena Hsu, Kay Yang)
Photo 5: Shylock (Left: Kay Yang) and
Photo 6: Romeo (Paso Fang) and Juliet (Nancy Wang)
Nerissa (Right: Chin-Chue Huang)
Photo 7: Romeo (Right: Paso Fang) and Juliet (Left: Nancy Wang) at the dance party