TEACHER'S CORNER: SHAKESPEARE

FOR OLDER TEENS

August 12, 2014
As Shakespeare's 450th anniversary is already upon us, our Director of Studies has created a list
of fun activities drawing on some of the Bard's greatest plays
We are all well aware of the importance of the Bard, his plays and writings, and how he
contributed to the creation of expressions that are still currently in use in modern English.
However, not everyone is aware of how appealing Shakespeare can be even to ! to "#year#old
learners.
Here are a few suggestions that can help you out if you are planning on introducing this topic in
your lessons to celebrate Shakespeare$s %&'th anniversary.
(mage) *he British +ibrary
*eenagers are notoriously attracted to aggressive behaviour, bad language or hilarious
interpretations of the classics, so why not exploit these points to make your students enthusiastic
about Shakespeare,
Surely the gory scenes and the violent acts in -uite a few Shakespearean plays are .ust as
powerful and distressing as the most convoluted plots in modern tragic /lms. *hink of !itus
Andronicus, where murders, rapes and gruesome tactics to confront and humiliate the enemy are
at the core of the tragedy in which the characters attempt to gain power and seek revenge for
the loss of their kin.
0 se-uence of amputations and trading of limbs, along with throat slitting and the atrocity of
cadavers being left to rot and be devoured by wild animals are some of the loathsome elements
used by Shakespeare to reach the climax in many sickening and dismaying moments in his acts.
So, how can we use these elements to engage students,
1ndoubtedly, we want to prevent our students from being traumatised by some of the scenes or
encouraged to replicate bad behaviour, but pointing out some of the features in Shakespeare$s
tragedies will de/nitely make learners aware of how contemporary such a playwright is.
Select some scenes and delete part of the dialogues, so that your students will be
able to complete them creatively
Here are some tips on how to use tragedies to engage students)
2 3o not reveal the whole synopsis but rather ask your students to /nish it o4 using their own
creativity.
2 Spur students to create a modern version of the whole play, where special e4ects and
unexpected plot twists are allowed to occur. *eens will enthuse over the new version of the play,
imbuing it with intricacies and details that will enrich and personalise the story.
2 Select some scenes and delete part of the dialogues, so that your students will be able to
complete them creatively. 0lternatively, ask them to introduce puns or mocking expressions that
convey a touch of satire and make the plot more of an observational account of the political or
social situation of the time.
2 5et students to predict the ending of a scene or the reason for the characters$ reactions in
particular circumstances. 6ompare students$ ideas with the original version of the plot and
highlight any similarities. +et students decide on the most original prediction.
2 0sk students to act out one of the scenes, replacing the original dialogue with the e-uivalent
in modern English and encouraging them to include expressions that would convey the same
powerful meaning as in the original script, by using speci/c words or /gures of speech such as
alliteration, metaphors, assonance and consonance, similes, etc.
A pox o your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog The Tempest
Shakespeare$s plays and tragedies are also scattered with bad language which is often no longer
in use, although still powerful enough to make your students understand the degree of the
o4ence. Here are some examples of insults taken from his works)
75o thou and /ll another room in hell8 9 :ing ;ichard
7Scall, scurvy, cogging companion<8 # =erry Wives of Windsor
7By this hand ( will supplant some of your teeth8 9 *he *empest
70 pox o$ your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog8 9 *he *empest
How can we make learners enthusiastic about this topic,
2 0fter analysing some of the new language and clarifying the meaning of such expressions,
hand out slips of paper with a -uote containing bad language to the students and ask them to
mill about in the classroom) students try to insult their peers reading their -uote with the correct
intonation. Which one was the most memorable one, Who performed it best,
2 Hand out a list of ad.ectives and nouns that can be combined to form insults and ask students
to create their personal ones according to the situation. >ou can organise the list in three
columns, the /rst two of which contain a list of ad.ectives and the third one a noun.
column 1 column 2 column 3
artless base-court apple-john
;emind students that every insult should start with 7*hou8.
?or a list of insults taken from Shakespeare$s works, google 7Shakespeare (nsult :it8.
2 +earners can then create their own script inserting, their personalised insults.
2 *hrough some autonomous research, it is possible to /nd out if the words are still in use and if
the meaning is still the same. 3o your students have a similar word in their language, Has it got
the same meaning,
0nd if your students are passionate about comic strips, why not introduce the"orri#le
"istories book series on Shakespeare, *his is an alternative way to approach literature and
ensure learning is fun.
?ollow#up activities can include the creation of comic strips for some of the scenes from the
Bard$s works. 0dding captions and speech bubbles with unusual and witty comments would
enable learners to reuse the context and language analysed @e.g. if the word 7hasty8 had been
previously encountered, a drawing of :ing ;ichard ((( with a rocking horse and thinking 7=aybe (
was a bit too hasty<8 would be a funny representation of the moment the character exclaims 70
horse< 0 horse< =y kingdom for a horse<8A.
0re your students fascinated by idioms, Why not introduce them to Shakespeare$s song and let
them guess the meaning of the idioms they are exposed to,
?inally ask learners to create slogans for modern commercials to promote products, incorporating
the idiom selected. *hey will then have to try to pitch their product to their peers, who need to
reply by using as many other idioms as they can @e.g. 7(f your car has seen better days, why not
buy a new one,8 7Well, if truth were knownB8A.
+ast but not least, some inspirational activities are suggested by stage actors such as Ben
6rystal, 3avid 6rystal$s son, who delivered a whole seminar on acting out Shakespeare$s
scripts and making them appealing to students.
uring Titus Andronicus ! felt as though ! had been transported to an ancient
"oman arena mas#uerading as a $uentin Tarantino splatter film%
Have you ever thought of attending one of Shakespeare$s plays at *he 5lobe, 3id you know that
a single standing ticket is only C&,
Here is what our colleague *ommaso thought of !itus Andronicus)
$During the performance % felt as though % had #een transported to an ancient &oman arena
mas'uerading as a (uentin !arantino splatter )lm % was catapulted into an intricate murder plot
and #ecame part of the play !he *lo#e itself gives you the impression of travelling through
space and time !he actors would interact with the spectators, walk amongst them and address
them as if they were the people of ancient &ome %f you en+oy the performance from the yard, ,
the standing area around the stage , you inevita#ly feel like you're on stage Although going to
the theatre is not usually my cup of tea, % was enthralled #y !itus Andronicus from #eginning to
end-
;ead more about Shakespeare$s %&'th anniversary by following these links)
*he Best of Shakespeare$s %&'th birthday celebrations
Shakespeare$s %&'th birthday) Dow all the world is his stage
*he best of the Bard< ?rom plays to street performances, how the 1: is celebrating the
%&'th anniversary of Shakespeare$s birth
Giulia Revelli is our Director of Studies here at ADC College. If you would like to hear
more from her, have a look at our popular Teacher Developmet courses !eligi"le for
#$ fudig% or su"scri"e to our ewsletter for more updates a"out the programme.
This artic! s!ts th! stag! t" !ar# a$"ut c"#%ict !scaati"# $& 'a&i#g a ga(!) Th! ga(! is ca!* Th! D"ar Aucti"#, a#*
th! ru!s ar! as %""+s) ,"u ar! th! aucti"#!!r) -# a#& gr"u', !ith!r s"cia "r at +"r., 'r"'"s! th! %""+i#g) ,"u +i aucti"#
a /1 $i t" th! high!st $i**!r) Th! high!st $i**!r +i +i# /1 !ss th! a("u#t "% th! $i*) -% th! high $i* is 10 c!#ts, &"u +i
'a& "ut 10 c!#ts 2/1 (i#us th! $i*3) Th! catch is that th! s!c"#* high!st $i**!r (ust 'a& &"u his "r h!r $i* as +!) S" i% th!
s!c"#* $i**!r +as 12 c!#ts, th! $i**!r 'a&s &"u 12 c!#ts)
P!"'! t&'ica& start this ga(! $& cai#g "ut a s(a a("u#t "% ("#!& $!caus! th!& %igur! th!& ha4! itt! t" "s!) Th!&
thi#. t" th!(s!4!s, 5-% - ca# +i# a $uc. %"r 10 "r 10 c!#ts, -'( 'r!tt& s(art)5 Th! 'r"$!( is that !4!r&"#! !s! i# th! ga(!
has th! sa(! "gic) C"#s!6u!#t&, s!4!ra '!"'! start t" $i*) E4!#tua&, th! $i*s +i a''r"ach /1 a#* t+" thi#gs ha''!#)
First, th! #u($!r "% 'a&!rs t&'ica& *!cr!as!s u#ti th!r! ar! t+" $i**!rs) S!c"#*, th! ("ti4ati"# "% th! r!(ai#i#g t+"
$i**!rs cha#g!s %r"( a *!sir! t" (a7i(i8! r!tur#s t" "#! "% (i#i(i8i#g "ss!s) Thus, th! 6u!sti"# tra#s%"r(s %r"( 5H"+
(uch ca# - +i#95 t" 5H"+ *" - .!!' %r"( "si#g95 :u!ss +hat9 At this '"i#t, th! aucti"# "%t!# g"!s a$"4! /1)
;h& *"!s#'t s"(!"#! 6uit +h!# th! !7'!ct!* r!+ar* is !ss tha# th! .#"+# !7'!#s! "% c"#ti#ui#g th! ga(!9 First, th!
'a&!rs ha4! !7'!#*!* ti(! a#* !%%"rt i# a# !7'!ctati"# "% a# !as& gai#) Th!& ha4! (a*! a# 5i#4!st(!#t5 that th!& ar!
"ath! t" r!i#6uish) S!c"#*, !ach 'art& s!cr!t& h"'!s th! "th!r $i**!r +i 6uit, !a4i#g 4ict"r& t" th! r!(ai#i#g 'a&!r) O%
c"urs!, $"th 'arti!s r!as"# this +a&, a#* #!ith!r "#! 6uits)
As th! $i**i#g !7c!!*s /1, a#"th!r tra#s%"r(ati"# "ccurs) N"+, a c!rtai# %ataistic attitu*! t&'ica& s!ts i# s" that !ach
'art& (a.!s c!rtai# th! "th!r +i "s! <ust as (uch) 5- (a& g" *"+# i# %a(!s, $ut -'( ta.i#g &"u +ith (!)5 This r!acti"#
s!!(s t" st!( %r"( a %!ar "% "".i#g +!a. "r %""ish %"r 6uitti#g a#* !tti#g th! "th!r gu& +i#) Th! $i**!rs ar! #"+
c"#c!r#!* +ith thr!ats t" th!ir '!rs"#a i(ag!) Th! aucti"# has cha#g!* %r"( a# 5i#4!st(!#t5 t" 5a (att!r "% 'ri#ci'!)5
-% &"u 'a& this ga(!, - +"u* $! i#t!r!st!* i# .#"+i#g h"+ (uch th! *"ar uti(at!& +as s"* %"r) - ha4! h!ar* "% aucti"#s
g"i#g as high as /0 "r /=, a#* i# "#! cas! +h!r! th! aucti"# +as %"r /100, th! %i#a $i* +as />,000) P!rha's &"ur 'a&!rs
+i sh"+ s"(! r!strai#t, $ut '!rha's #"t)
Th! D"ar Aucti"# ga(! is a gr!at !7a('! "% c"#%ict !scaati"# 'r"c!ss!s) N"tic! h"+ th! g"as cha#g! as th! ga(!,
+hich is a (!ta'h"r %"r c"#%ict, 'r"gr!ss!s) ?!r& "%t!# c"#%icts start +ith "#! s!t "% g"as) At a# i#t!r(!*iat! stag!, th!
g"as shi%t t" s"(!thi#g 6uit! *i%%!r!#t) -% th! g!#!sis "% th! c"#%ict +as t" gai# s"(!thi#g, th! %irst tra#s%"r(ati"# +i $! t"
(i#i(i8! "ss) Thus, th! c"#%ict +i !scaat! as this #!+ g"a ta.!s h"*) Si#c! th! tra#s%"r(ati"# is u#c"#sci"us, "gic
'r"4i*!s a rati"#ai8ati"# rath!r tha# a r!as"#!* $!%"r!@th!@%act *!cisi"#) As 'arti!s $!c"(! a+ar! "% th! *!structi4! #atur!
"% th! !scaati"#, a s!c"#* tra#s%"r(ati"# "ccurs) N"+ th! c"#%ict is c!#t!r!* "# i*!#tit&@'r!s!r4i#g "#!'s "+# %ac! a#*, i%
'"ssi$!, *!str"&i#g th! "th!r's %ac!) O#! ca# "#& $ac. *"+# #"+ $& a*(itti#g *!%!at) Th!r! s!!(s t" $! a# i('icit
(!ssag! that th! +i##!r is str"#g!r, $!tt!r, a#* ("r! ca'a$!) ;! r!act agai#st this, agai# u#c"#sci"us&, $!caus!
succu($i#g t" a#"th!r i# this +a& c"#stitut!s a 'ri(a thr!at t" "ur a$iit& t" sur4i4! i# th! gr"u')
;h!# - +as tr&i#g $usi#!ss cas!s, - sa+ this 'h!#"(!#"# ti(! a%t!r ti(! $ut *i* #"t u#*!rsta#* it) - su''"s! - $!ca(!
!#tra''!* i# it as +!) As a '!ac!(a.!r, - #"+ r!c"g#i8! th! s&('t"(s a#* u#*!rsta#* th! caus!s) O#c! i# this c&c!,
'!"'! ha4! a# !7tra"r*i#ari& *i%%icut ti(! $r!a.i#g "ut) That is +h!# (!*iati"# a#* '!ac!(a.i#g ca# $! 4!r& !%%!cti4!)
H"+ *" &"u .#"+ i% &"u "r &"ur c"!agu!s ar! caught i# th! c&c!9 List!# %"r !7'r!ssi"#s i.! 5- *"#'t car! a$"ut th!
("#!&) -t's th! 'ri#ci'! "% th! thi#gA5 5;!'4! g"t a "t i#4!st!* i# this, $ut it sh"u* $! "4!r i# a %!+ ("r! ("#ths)5 5- *"#'t
car! +hat it c"sts, B,C is #"t g"i#g t" +i# this "#!D5 Th!s! 'hras!s a#* "th!rs i.! th!( r!4!a h"+ c"#%ict g"as ha4!
cha#g!* t" !scaati"#) This 'h!#"(!#"# is #"t i(it!* t" itigati"#) F"r th"s! "% &"u !#gag!* i# $i**i#g +ars %"r c"('a#i!s,
thi#. a$"ut +h!th!r &"ur "rigi#a $usi#!ss "$<!cti4!s $!ca(! tra#s%"r(!* t" 'r!4!#ti#g "ss a#* th!# t" 'r!s!r4i#g &"ur
s!% "r c"r'"rat! i(ag!) Th! c"('!titi"# i# a c"#t!st!* (!rg!r "r ac6uisiti"# has !* (a#& ac6uiri#g c"('a#i!s i#t" a *!a
that (a*! #" s!#s! +hats"!4!r) H"+ "%t!# ha4! &"u h!ar* "% a# i#t!#s!, c"('!titi4! aucti"# %"r a c"('a#&, "#& t" h!ar "%
th! 6ui!t *i4!st(!#t t+" "r thr!! &!ars at!r9
Th! '"i#t - (a.! is that c"#%ict !scaati"# is "%t!# caus!* $& u#c"#sci"us tra#s%"r(ati"#s trigg!r!* $& th! *!!'!#i#g
c"#%ict) E!i#g a+ar! "% this 'r"'!#sit& ca# h!' &"u a4"i* $a* *!cisi"#s a#* h!' &"u g!t "ut $!%"r! th! c"st $!c"(!s
!7c!ssi4!)