Approaches to Teaching Shakespeare

Classroom Activities

Day One. Defining Power.

This first class is key in defining the major focuses of the whole unit for students. In order for students to consider power in a realistic, compelling way, it is necessary for them to construct workable definitions for themselves. In this first lesson then, I articulate the broad understanding which students should develop as a result of study, namely that power in its many facets influences all human endeavors, and because this is so, Shakespeare in particular and literature in general reflect this influence, in themes, characterizations, conflicts, and language.

After I tell a true story to students illustrating how a bully's attack on me as a child overwhelmed and then empowered me, I ask them to reflect on incidents in their own lives. Students will be asked to write on this prompt: Retell an incident in your life that illustrates how any sort of power affected you or someone you know. Explain what kind of power the situation illustrates. A short discussion of power follows, where I describe the three types of power we will consider. At this point, students who feel that their stories clearly fit one of the categories are encouraged to relate the tale. After one anecdote illustrating each form of power is told, all of the students are directed to situate these rudimentary understandings of power in one of the three categories—physical, political, or personal power—by adding a descriptive phrase with post-it's to the basic definitions on large poster paper. When finished, the class as a whole will decide which operational definitions to proceed with.

Day Six. End of Macbeth.

On this the last day of intensive study of Macbeth, students are given a choice of three selections from Act V. The first choice is scene iii, culminating with Macbeth's words, "… My way of life/ Is fall'n into the sear, the yellow leaf…" The second choice is Macbeth's famous reaction to the news of Lady Macbeth's death in the fifth scene: "She should have died hereafter; / There would have been a time for such a word. / Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow/…" The third choice is Malcolm's final restorative speech at the very end of the play.

Students are placed into groups according to their choices. (A fourth group of students may be formed who decline the three choices suggested, and may wish to focus on some other dialogue or speech. If there is such a group, they share their analyses with each other.) After conducting the analysis of language for theme, character and conflict, students are divided randomly into three groups, each of which consider their responses in light of one of the aspects of power as the class has defined them. In these groups, students analyze the language for literary figures and rhythmic patterns at the word and phrase levels. They record their observations using Attachments B and C. Members of these groups are redistributed once again into smaller groups that host a member from each of the three larger "power" groups. Round-robin style, these students share their points of view with the others.

Concluding this session is a whole-class discussion as described above, except that the analysis of Act V is considered in the context of the entire play. The student leader is directed to lead the discussion in these terms.

Day 10. Final Projects.

Students will have been working with Romeo and Juliet for two days, and will have finished work with As You Like It. Definitions of power have been revised twice—at the culmination of each play. As the students are proficient now with the analytic tools, this class session is designed to bring the analyses together in a meaningful way expressively.

At students' disposal are filmed versions of each of the plays, the Lambs' versions, the original Shakespearean text of each of the plays, and all of the analytic material they have created in study and discussion. Five possible activities are given to students. They must choose to be involved in two of them. They are:

1. A dramatic reading of a studied passage from any of the plays. If the passage involves more than one character, partners should participate in the reading. The reading must be followed by the participants' oral analysis of the language in the scene and how it contributes to a conception of power in one or more of the three aspects.
2. A showing of a clip from one of the available film versions of the plays, followed by an oral presentation including the same elements as the first activity.
3. An original dramatic scene set in students' contemporary surroundings, i.e. home, the neighborhood, school, etc., which is designed to illustrate power at one or more of the levels they have defined. This performance is followed by a performer-led class discussion that draws out of the audience questions and observations about the nature of power in the action, the words, and the conflicts portrayed.
4. Students write an original poem in iambic verse whose language, figures, images and sounds are designed to suggest power at one of the levels defined. The writer(s) lead a short class discussion in which audience and writer discuss the success of the piece in communicating a message about power.
5. Using the "Shakespearean Insult Sheet"¹¹ students form teams of no more than four. Each team creates ten insults. For example, "Thou reeky, rug-headed waterfly." In a display of verbal venom, teams hurl insults at each other. The observers decide which team's insults have expressed the strongest "power," in terms of image, metaphor, sound, and rhythm. A brief discussion follows the match, in which the force of language is considered.

Each project is described, after which students make their choices and begin work on rehearsals, writing, finding clips, internet research, etc. My role is to float among groups as a consultant to clarify assignments or to suggest approaches. Students have a week to prepare their presentations.

Assessment

Assessment takes two forms in this unit. A culminating event calls on students to return to the discussion format described above. This time, the discussion returns to the enduring understanding and essential questions. Students have been reminded through the unit that the desired outcome of study has been to understand that power represents itself in many ways and lies at the heart of many human endeavors. The question that ends the unit asks students just how they see power defined; how they have seen it emphasized in the characters, conflicts, themes, and language of these plays; and how they perceive power operating in their own lives.

The second assessment in this unit calls for students to write an evaluative essay on a work of literature. They may well choose one of these three plays; but they may also choose Beowulf, The Pardoner's Tale, or a long work of fiction—usually Cry, the Beloved Country, Siddhartha, Lord of the Flies, Oedipus Rex, or The Kite Runner. Whatever students choose, they will be expected to evaluate the work in terms of the understandings of power developed in their selection. Further, if their choice is a work other than one of the Shakespearean plays, the expectation is that the form of analysis taught and used in this unit will be used to help the student think through and form evaluative standards against which to judge the work chosen. I use an exercise called "Evolution of a Term" from Gretchen Bernabei's book, Reviving the Essay,¹² to help students structure a draft of this essay, and to draw on their personal understandings of how the term power has evolved for them through this unit of study.