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Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries & Replies From Everyone Else 4.2.97: Top | Help
The first thing you ned to do is the make the characters real for them. They can't care about people they don't believe. Try concentrating at first on Marc Antony, Ceasar, and Brutus-- see if you can get them to understand who these guys are, what they want, and what their relationship with one another are.The next thing is to make the play live. I would have auditions and cast the play. You don't have to act it out, but I would suggest reading it out loud in class and stopping whenever anyone has a question or a comment or in places that you feel disscussion is in order. It takes a while, but part of the problem with teaching Will to high school students is that they usually don't have the background in history, religion, sociology, and politics that they need to have to really make connections, so you end up having to teach all of those subjects as well as English, and in a limited time period.
I would not suggest having them watch vidoes until after you are done studying the play. Then show them two or three different versions so that they can see how individual interpretation effects what they see. I don't think that high schools don't want to teach Will because of the sex or blood, but rather because there is so much left up to interpretation. On the other hand, what a powerful tool for you to use in the class room.
To make the play tangible, I would have them design costumes and sets (on paper, maybe make miniature set models out of poster board) and write a one-page design concept explaining their choices. Then have them discuss their projects with the class. I also take monolouges from the plays and have them do collages with found objects based on the speeches. I have three or four people do the same piece, and then they read the piece while the class looks at their collage. Then they have Q&A and discussion. When they see that there are as many ways to interperate a piece as there are people in the world, discussion can become very animated. Art projects might make them grumble at first, but it lets them put a little of themselves into the play.
And don't back down from the language. They can understand it. Any generation that can figure out Nintendo and Sega games can figure out how to decipher that language. It is a tool they need to solve the puzzle, just like acquiring a flying cap in Super Mario. I hope this helps a little. Good Luck!
Posted by Lillith on April 13, 1997 at 06:26:42
In Reply to "Teachers--Share new ideas for teaching Shakespeare!" posted by Elizabeth Bennett on April 09, 1997 at 14:10:53
Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries & Replies From Everyone Else 4.2.97: Top | Help