Introduction
Adults often underestimate young people. Whether discussing their work ethic or their attention span, older people commonly dismiss today's students as lacking the interests, values, and stamina of "the old days." So when I have introduced the plays of William Shakespeare to my sixth grade students, parents and even some colleagues have expressed skepticism. Comments range from "The kids will hate it - they'll be bored," to "Hey, they'll get that stuff in high school," to my all-time favorite, "They won't learn anything - kids just don't get Shakespeare!"
Now, I know that's just not so. My class last year wrote poignantly about the likelihood of "love at first sight" after delving into Romeo and Juliet. I also worked with sixth graders comparing the standard Shakespearean Twelfth Night with a Theatre Grottesco version in which point of view was turned on its ear; the students' insights into character, motivation, and staging were gratifyingly impressive. And I have watched a cast of fourth through seventh graders enact Hamlet - quite proficiently and effectively. There was something in each play that spoke to every child, whether the lush costumes, the flashing swordplay, or a famous line that was suddenly put into context. Students in sixth grade certainly won't understand or detect all the nuances and layers of meaning in Shakespeare's plays, and they will struggle with some of the text and concepts. But there is much in Shakespeare that speaks to even young children: cadence and flow of language, exciting and powerful dramatic moments, humor, intriguing social situations, and lots of political intensity and immediacy. It is the last which captivated my interest and convinced me to introduce two Shakespearian plays during my social studies unit in the coming year.
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