Melissa Reichard Shakespeare and Film Dr.

Borlik 6 December 2012 Shakespeare in the Classroom Cutting across all subject areas, reading is one of the most talked about subjects in districts today. Everything that is encapsulated within an English classroom including, reading fluency, comprehension, writing, speaking, and listening has the ability to progress students cognitive developments and deeper understanding of other subjects and society around us. One method that has proven to be effective in students enrichment is meaningful learning. The process in which students can engage in a work of literature, see the deeper meaning behind it, and apply it to their daily lives is what helps keep students in school and flourishing with individual, social, and cultural appreciation. In Linda Tabers-Kwak and Timothy U. Kaufmans article, Shakespeare through the Lens of a New Age, both journalists quote students reactions to reading Shakespeare, exclaiming, Hes too hard! and Shakespeare? Boring! His work isnt relevant to my world (69). William Shakespeare has proven himself to be the most renowned artist in all of history and his works are not only meaningful, but they also procure the ability to enhance and enrich students understanding of literary language, cognitive development, and cultural and social perspectives. One way in which Shakespeares works can be meaningful to students is through his ability to transcend time in his texts and draw importance on not only historical issues, but also ones that are very much alive today. Taking an opposing view on this statement, Charles Frey quotes Henry W. Simon in his article, Teaching Shakespeare in America, who declared,

Reichard 2 Shakespearean plays do not deal so well with contemporary problems, and he does not appeal to the interests of modern students (Shakespeare Quarterly 541). Contrasting his belief, Frey argues back, quoting Esther Cloudman Dunn, a teacher at Smith College who reviewed Simons materials stating, The genius of Shakespeare is extraordinarily sensitive to the hour and the age. Into his book, each age has peered, as into a mirror, to see its own face (Shakespeare Quarterly 541). Similar to Simons belief, some say Shakespeare is dead in society and that his works are no longer relevant to our upbeat and modern lives; however, it can be argued that Shakespeare himself had the ability to transcend time and gaze into the problems of the future without having left his writing desk. The only way educators can reach students in seeing this aspect of Shakespeares writings is through meaningful learning; showing them the reflections of our society through the mirror Shakespeares works have created and how the image can demonstrate our understanding of humanity and everyday life. Tabers-Kwak and Kaufman proclaim, Rosenblatt tells us that literature should be lived through by the reader (277), and if we want our students to share their thoughts and become active participants in the literature, then in the process of setting up the transaction we must focus teaching and learning through the lens of a new age by establishing a connection to our students experiences (69). For example, in Shakespeares, Tragedy of Hamlet, T.S. Elliot declared it to be the classic of classics. The Tragedy of Hamlet serves as a deep meditation on the human condition and the inward psychological development of mankind. Similar to many high school students today, Hamlets character experiences the profound emotional and mental effects of his fathers death and mothers remarriage to his uncle. With the rise in divorce rates, blended families, and familial deaths, Hamlets emo personality and character traits are sure to

Reichard 3 capture students attention through relativity and help them grasp a deeper understanding of his character development. In addition to Hamlets character traits, Shakespeares plays also resonate the inwardness of the human conscious by exploring the mysteriousness of individuality and the thoughts that reside within all of us. During the Middle Ages, the people were governed by the church and lived through the Age of Faith. However, when the Renaissance period began to celebrate the rebirth of the individual, the people were confounded with religion and struggled through skepticism and questioning. The emergence of scientific theories and technology forced them into a time of doubt in which Shakespeare addresses and responds to through his tragedies. In Hamlets famous To be or not to be soliloquy, Shakespeare addresses the laws of politicians, conflictions of love, and injustices of the life we live in. His deep meditation on suicide universalizes the human condition, illustrating that it has embedded itself within every mans mind. As teens mature and grow throughout high school, they attest to difficult times in which doubt and reasoning are in a continuous battle with one another. Living in a society in which diversity is celebrated and beliefs and politics are often debated, Shakespeares response to doubt, fear, and questioning of religion and traditions still hold true in present times and is very relatable to teenagers in high schools today. By creating a bridge between students consciences and the deep meanings of Shakespeares texts, teachers have accomplished the first step in opening the gateway to enhance their understanding of linguistics and growth of cognition. Once students are willing to dive into Shakespeares works with intrigue, rather than by force, they are more likely to grow in their intellectual development. Author of Shakespeare, Rhetoric and Cognition, Raphael Lyne addresses the dense, complex, and psychological language Shakespeare conveys through his

Reichard 4 literature and how renaissance rhetoric could be considered a kind of cognitive science, or an attempt to map out the patterns of thinking. His study reveals how Shakespeares metaphors and similes work to think, interpret, and resolved, and how their struggles to do so result in extraordinary poetry. Lyne states, Shakespeares characters mental strains and stretches must be conveyed in the strains and stretches of language: in the tropes of rhetoric (3). Through the language of Shakespeares characters, readers can grasp a deeper understanding of each characters psychological development, motifs, and visualize the individual as a real person. Through their intrinsic delivery of figurative language, students are studying the basics of humanism and exploring the views of man. For example, it is through speech, that Shakespeare unfolds these characters; Polonius mishandling of language parallels his mismanagement of human affairs; Laertes betrays a strain of superficiality by indulging in florid bombast at Ophelias graveside; Hamlets shifts from introspection and depression to passionate anger with himself and the world are precisely reflected by the variety of his discourse, the quality of his diction (Veidemanis 243). In Shakespeares language, he establishes a foundation in which readers are challenged to understand the psyche through rich rhetoric and tropes. In Abrahams Fraunces, The Arcadian Rhetorike, he defines trope as when a word is turned from his naturall signification, to some other, so convenientlie, as that it seeme rather willinglie ledd, than driven by force to that other signification. This was first invented of necessitie for want of words, but after continued and frequented by reason of the delight and pleasant grace thereof. Fraunces definition of trope is fascinating because he illustrates that it is a necessityour desire for words to describe new things and create this explanation for the ongoing predicaments of humanity. Following up with his definition of trope, Henry Peachams,

Reichard 5 The Garden of Eloquence builds on the ways in which tropes are closely related to cognitive aspects: It is apparent that memorie is the principall efficient of a Metaphore, for being the retentive power of the mind, it is the treasure house of mans knowledge, which as it possesseth the forms of unknown things, so is it readie at all times to present them to mans use, as often as occasion, and cause does necessarily require . . . . It is to be confessed notwithstanding, that memorie worketh not alone in the framing of translations, but hath exact judgement always to helpe her, for memorie presenteth the former part of the comparison, and judgement applieth the later, for man may easily remember what he hath seene, but yet if he want discreete judgement, he cannot aptly compare to it the thing that he now seeth although there be some fit similitude between them, and also some necessarie occasion to use it: and therefore ample knowledge, perfect memorie, and exact judgement joyning together in one mind, are the principall and especiall causes of all apt and excellent translations (88-89). Lyne summarizes Peachams analysis on rhetorical thoughts in a way that resembles cognitive linguistics and other attempts to understand problem-solving and creativity via the analogy of metaphor. He goes on to state that in the brain, new connections are formed by partial intersections . . . . Perhaps Shakespeare is recalling Peachams formulation, but it is more solid, and no less significant, to assert that both writers are investigating the same cognitive quality here: the ability to think new thoughts by means of metaphor (Shakespeare, Rhetoric and Cognition 89). In addition, author Philip Davis argues the greatness of Shakespeares text, declaring that it activates deep pre-conceptual levels of the brain, close to the vital electrical

Reichard 6 origins of thought as it comes to being (Shakespeare Thinking). To make the point, it is clear that the use of language goes far beyond simple understanding of definitions. Shakespeares use of rhetoric, tropes, and intrinsic design expose individuals to a phenomenon in which language can nurture and quench the brain in its thirst for further development and intellectual growth. Having proven how influential Shakespeares language is on the cognitive development of readers, it is important to explore how educators can encourage students to be engaged through methods of instruction and pedagogy. As was already established, making his works meaningful is the first step to getting students engaged. However, now that teachers have their attention, the lesson needs to expand so that students are retaining the information and applying it. According to journalist, Margaret Webster, in her article, Shakespeare in Our Time, she states, The reality of Shakespeares people is what has made them last three hundred and fifty years. The cardboard figure and the manufactured joke do not last three hundred and fifty days (The Living Shakespeare 22). In addition, journalist Gladys Veidemanis states, The appeal of his characters and plays is perhaps particularly intense in our modern age because of their testimony to the worth of life and the need for the restoration of goodness and order in human affairs (Shakespeare in the High School Classroom 242). If educators want their students to obtain these great benefits Shakespeares works have to offer, it is vital that they teach it the right way, emphasizing the contemporary relevance of Shakespeare. Teachers in classrooms can do this through so many different means of instruction. One of the most effective ways is through drama and film. Living in a society with a technological foundation, it is sometimes difficult to include three hundred year old literature into curriculum, helping students enjoy it and see the contemporary relevance. However, when a teacher uses this literature through technology, it

Reichard 7 creates a spin on the text, allowing it to not only come to life, but also snatch the interest of the media generation. In Samuel Crowls text, Shakespeare and Film, he analyzes the different aspects of studying Shakespeare through film; categorizing each genre of film into different modes and ages, and specifying different cinematic techniques that enhance the performance of the play on the big-screen. His book dexterously explains the wonders of Shakespeares plays as they are acted out through cinematography and the ability film has to truly create Shakespeares text into a breathing phenomenon. According to Davis, Shakespearean drama is an original text or background script for the creation of lifean argument made not in the spirit of bardolatry, but on behalf of recognizing in the plays a genuine mental template for evolutionary creation, a linguistic equivalent of the structuring work of DNA. For, like DNA, the original text hidden within the workings of Shakespeare is a text not so much to be read or explained as to be activated in life form (Shakespeare Thinking 1). In his statement, Davis emphasizes that Shakespeares works are meant to be represented in life forms. Seeing the characters facial expressions, acting and body language, costume design, setting of the time period, etc. helps enhance students understanding of the text. In Andy Fickmans 2006, Shes the Man adaptation of Shakespeares, Twelfth Night, audiences are introduced to a modern twist on this gender-based play in which actress, Amanda Bynes and actor, Channing Tatum play the lead roles of Viola and Duke Orsino. Watching the play on the big-screen are beneficial because it allows students to see the plot acted out in a presentist fashion, with the inclusion of special effects, modern language, and present-day actors. Tabers-Kwak and Kaufman tackle some other methods of instruction that educators can utilize in order to help students see Shakespeare through the lens of a new age. One method is teaching Shakespeare through music. Helping students analyze the language and rhythm of

Reichard 8 Shakespeares works allow them to get a better feeling of the atmosphere in the scene, the characters internal conflict, and what feelings and emotions are being expressed through that particular passage or scene. As their understanding of the tone and mood surfaces, students can create their own score or put a certain song/track to that scene, allowing the music of the present to run parallel to the scene/speech of the past. Sharing Shakespeare through music invites students to become the interpreters of the symbolism associated with Shakespeares drama. It is the students, rather than the teacher, who become the experts in reading into the scenes and motivation of the characters. Another way in which educators can incorporate Shakespeare within their classroom is through the use of picture books. Tabers-Kwak and Kaufman suggest that assigning older students to rewrite the play in a way that is readable for younger grade levels not only establishes the older students to procure a better understanding of the work, but it also grants the student leadership and enables confidence in their interpretation of Shakespeare. It can be argued that these methods of making Shakespeare more modern actually have a negative impact on students intellectual growth and understanding of Shakespearean language. Encouraging students to see the modernity in Shakespeares plays so that they can relate to them and make them meaningful can also give students the false impression that Shakespeare should only be examined in a presentist fashion. With the accessible No Fear Shakespeare books, students can whiz through any Shakespeare play without reading a miniscule of his rich rhetoric. Skimming through SparkNotes and No Fear create a damper on students intellectual growth and cognitive development that was previously discussed. When students read Shakespeares language in modern day text, they miss the richness and beauty of his language, inhibiting them from extracting deeper meanings. In addition, the excitement of film inclusion within the

Reichard 9 classroom may also give students the impression that they can watch the film and completely understand the play without having actually read it. No matter the case, it is clear that by making Shakespeare meaningful, students are more likely to be aware of his deeper meanings and values of society. Not only do students have the ability to flourish in language and cognition, but they also have the ability to understand Shakespeares works in the cultural context through the introduction of film and media. Watching Shakespeares works come to life through cinematography enhances students understanding of different cultural contexts in which we are surrounded by because it makes it more relatable to their media-based lives and paints a picture, celebrating the art of his masterpieces. The study of Shakespeare in the American classrooms is not only vital to the intellectual and cognitive evolution of students minds, but it is also rewarding; as he proves to be so rich with understanding of the human mind and social and cultural conventions that were bridging to the surface then and are surely overflowing now. His works provide individuals with an understanding of human nature and the depths of our actions and consciences. Davis declares, This is what is so remarkable . . . Shakespeare is so unafraid of the brain beneath the mind, sending its messages in advance of realization. Every intention and action, was anticipated by distinct tremors of activity across the brains surface. His brain was ahead of him. Ideas were bubbling up in the neuronal cauldron a good half-second before they appeared in consciousness (Shakespeare Thinking 63). Shakespeares ingenious artwork is something to be embraced, rather than casted away and lectured about in the curriculums. Instead of teachers panging through the text, lecturing and over-teaching, let the students get their hands on Shakespeare and experience the beauty for themselves. Allow students to experiment with his works through drama, poetry, letters, music, stories, film, and research projects. Teach them that

Reichard 10 SparkNotes and No Fear may help them understand whats going on; however, they wont benefit their cognition and linguistic development in the long run. Illustrate to students that Shakespeare was a man of daring inventions himself, and rather than being terrified to immerse themselves into his works, help them to know that its okay to experiment and come to their own interpretations and understanding of his characters, plots, and conflicts. Painting their own understanding of Shakespeare will only help them further their own knowledge as they gaze into the mirror of the past and see it as a reflection of present-day society as it flourishes today.

Reichard 11 Works Cited Crowl, Samuel. Shakespeare And Film: A Norton Guide. New York : W.W. Norton & Company, 2008. Print. Davis, Philip. Shakespeare Thinking. London: Continuum International Publishing Group, Limited, 2007. Print. Fraunce, Abraham. The Arcadian Rhetorike. London: Thomas Orwin, 1588. Print. Frey, Charles. Shakespeare Quarterly, Vol. 35, No. 5, Special Issue: Teaching Shakespeare in America pp. 541-559. 1984. Foldger Shakespeare Library. Web. Lyne, Raphael. Shakespeare, Rhetoric and Cognition. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Print. Peacham, Henry. The Garden of Eloquence. London: H. Jackson, 1593. Print. Tabers-Kwak, Linda & Kaufman, Timothy U. The English Journal, Vol. 92, No. 1, Shakespeare through the Lens of a New Age pp. 69-73. 2002. National Council of Teachers of English. Web. Veidemanis, Gladys. The English Journal, Vol. 53, No. 4 Shakespeare in the High School Classroom pp. 240-247. 1964. National Council of Teachers of English. Web.