Introduction
Shakespeare, I hate it! I don’t understand it! Please don’t make me read it! For goodness sakes don’t make me teach it! If this is your reaction to the works of the famous playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616) you are not alone. Regardless of your opinion one can surely say that Shakespeare had a unique way of turning a phrase. As stated in The Tempest,
Even his characters comment, “Look he’s winding up the watch of his wit; by and by it will strike.” Such wonderful phrases as, “quintessence of dust, noble goose, red tailed bumble bee, foolish gnat, valiant flea, thorny hedgehog, toothpicker, and foul blot,” amongst many others offer proof of his unique ability to slay his victims with words in astounding ways. Much like a baseball pitcher winding up to strike out a batter at the plate Shakespeare is able to send us just where he wants us to go. I believe that in using this wit and analyzing it’s target (and aim) in the classroom with my second graders I will be able to teach the beauty and power of Shakespeare’s words and their relevancy today.
Using the lines from Romeo and Juliet, Merchant of Venice, and The Tempest will help me make comparisons between the language and behavior used during his time and the language students use today.
Children are exposed at a very young age to songs and rhymes such as this well-known Mother Goose rhyme, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
The truth is that words do hurt, wound us to the core, and live on in our minds. Such behaviors that used to be thought of as rites of passage like, teasing, or taunting were considered to be acts that built character. These acts and the repetition of such behaviors over time are no longer being tolerated in schools. Many schools are adopting anti-bullying programs as a response to school shootings and cyber bullying, in an attempt to increase the positive school climate. Programs such as the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program are designed to help foster relationships amongst students. They are being structured in a way that strives to make the atmosphere a safer and more positive place for school age children to study and learn in.
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