Shakespeare Gets the Last Word on Bullying
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) created some of the greatest insults we know and use today. People of all ages seem to cry out for abuse and cringe at finding themselves the victim of it. Young children love to tease, but when teasing becomes habitual and students become ostracized is when it turns to bullying. Making students aware of the difference between lighthearted joshing and malicious behavior is what I plan to illustrate in these brief scenes from Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, and The Tempest.
Snippets from Romeo and Juliet
By beginning with Romeo and Juliet I offer my students Act 1.ii.40. This sets the tone of the play by introducing the characters Sampson and Gregory, the two servants of the Capulets. These young men are strolling the town of Verona, armed with swords and shields. It seems they are itching for a fight as they boast about what they will do if they see a Montague-member of the family and its entourage feuding with the Capulets.
Fighting or provoking fights has been forbidden which adds to the daring of their words. It is then that they run into Abraham and Balthasar, the latter a servant to Romeo.
SAMPSON.
Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin.
GREGORY.
I will frown as I go by, and let them take it as they list.
SAMPSON.
Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them, which is disgrace to them if they bear it.
Here the stage is scene it set and the tension is ripe. Even though my students may not know every word I am convinced that they will get the impression that all is not well in the moment. I will ask them, “What do you think just happened? What are they key words in those lines that act as evidence to support your opinion? What do you think will happen next? What is the mood of the scene? Then without analyzing the vocabulary I will present the next lines,
ABRAM.
Do you bite your thumb sir.
SAMPSON.
I do bite my thumb sir.
ABRAM.
Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
SAMPSON.
(Aside to Gregory) Is the law of our side if I say ay?
GREGORY.
(Aside to Sampson) No.
SAMPSON.
No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir; but I bite my thumb sir.
My students will most likely be totally confused at this point, but that’s exactly what I want! I want them to be uncertain of who’s winning and who’s losing. Are there any words they do understand? What does, “the law of our side” mean? The Signet Classic edition of the text gives the definition, “keep ourselves in the right.” What about, “bite my thumb”? Is that like suck my thumb? Signet defines it as, “a gesture of contempt.” My students won’t know what contempt means, but again this is a perfect time to capitalize on their ignorance with some leading examples, such as, “When my mom made me eat that kale salad last night I gave her a look of contempt.” Was I happy about the salad? No, I wasn’t. It is with these contemporary examples that I will bring Shakespeare’s words into the present.
Many incidents of bullying on the yard can be thwarted by simple interventions by either students or teachers. If a group of students is playing and another group approaches them in a menacing way with taunts and insults each group has to make a choice about how to respond. If a teacher observes a group of students in an encounter similar to the scene just described they should stop the interaction and question the students. By intervening the students are being given the message about what behaviors are acceptable in the school climate.
One can look at Act 111.i.1-5. for examples of a character trying to stop bullying and violence from occurring. The setting is again the streets of Verona. Benvolio, a nephew to Montaque and friend to Romeo, is trying to convince the hotheaded Mercutio not to get into a fight with Tybalt, nephew to Lady Capulet.
BENVOLIO
I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire.
The day is hot, the Capels are abroad,
And, if we meet, we shall not ‘scape a brawl,
For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.
Benvolio is begging his friend to calm down. Benvolio is taking an active role and intervening before trouble starts. The students can learn a great deal from this short plea for nonviolence. The word choice, “retire”, “brawl”, and “mad blood stirring” evoke the heat and intensity of the moment both in climate and mood. Shakespeare is the master of the multiple meaning. The idea that blood is “mad and stirring” just like the hot air of the day makes it that much stronger. Unfortunately, Mercutio will not be swayed:
MERCUTIO
Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as any in Italy;
and as soon moved to be moody as moody to be moved.
It is a sad state of affairs that Mercutio cannot be convinced to cool off and walk away. He is in a bad mood. Everyone can relate to being in a bad mood. A short list generated by the students of, “Things that put me in a bad mood,” will make them see the intention of the scene. After reviewing the lists we will reread the dialogue. It is at this point that I will ask students to rewrite the scene using their own words. We can also write it a second time with a modern context. I will allow them to choose an alternate ending for both. We will discuss the possible consequences of both scenarios.
Snippets from The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice may seem like a harsh choice for a second grade classroom. The common perception of Jews during Shakespeare’s times was that of the scapegoat of Christendom: a usurer (money lender), and a pioneer of burgeoning Capitalism. The characterization of Shylock can seem like the epitome of anti-Semitism. Remembering that this play was written for audiences of 1596-1598 is important when presenting it to students. I use these select lines to show examples of hate from both sides. In Act 1.III.37., Bassanio (a Christian) has come to ask Shylock (a Jew) for money,
SHYLOCK
(Aside) How like a fawning publican he looks. I hate him for he is a Christian.
Students see a blatant statement of hate towards someone because of his religion. “Hate” is a strong word children love to bat about. “I hate her, I hate him, and I hate it!” Racial bullying is a very serious concern that occurs in all countries and is usually aimed at minority groups.
For many ethnic and minority children racist intimidation and bullying is the gauntlet that they have to run in the classroom, the playground, and the world at large on a daily basis.8
Racist bullying is where racism and bullying meet. It usually involves name-calling and is used to demean and cause harm. This can cause feelings of isolation and depression for students. Another example is this interchange between Solania, a friend of Antonio’s who the money was borrowed for. Act 111.iii.5:
SHYLOCK
Thou call’dst me dog before thou hadst a cause,
But since I am a dog, beware my fangs.
SOLANIO
It is the most impenetrable cur that ever kept with men.
Shylock is playing the victim and calling himself a “cur”, or dog. Often times victims will begin to put themselves in situations that goad the bully into further bullying behavior. This is name- calling, but is it still a bad thing if the person bullied uses it too? Shylock is also warning Solanio to beware of the monster he has created. Later in Act 1V.i.64. during the trial scene Bassanio asks,
BASSANIO
Do all men kill the things they do not love?
SHYLOCK
Hates any man the thing he would not kill?
BASSANIO
Every offense is not a hate at first.
SHYLOCK
What, wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice?
They are debating at what point retaliation is necessary. This is a wonderful opportunity for classroom discussion. “When do you know you are fed up and can’t take it any more? If I’ve already told you something, how many more times do I have to repeat myself? Are you really asking me to do this?” Children are emotional and have not fully developed their reasoning skills at age seven, or eight. They become easily frustrated when they feel they are not being understood. Learning coping skills about what to do in situations like these are very helpful.
Assertiveness training can be a way to combat bullying and change the climate at your school. Knowing that an assertive response is better than a passive or aggressive one will empower students and increase their self- esteem. However, the burden should not fall on the student alone. Teachers can model assertiveness techniques that will be beneficial to all students. When students learn to communicate affectively they take themselves out of the passive role. “I” statements that are clear and direct; “I would like you to-----------.” “I need you to stop---------------.” Describing how another person’s behavior makes you feel is another component. “When you-----------it makes me feel---------.” Finally, keep at it and repeat yourself if need be.
Snippets from The Tempest
The character of Caliban works perfectly when studying bullying. He is subjected to endless verbal abuse. Words like, “poisonous,” “lying,” “foul bombard,”and, “monster” are used by the other characters to describe him. Caliban is enslaved by Prospero and has to do his bidding. Some theatrical productions portray him as a fish, a lizard, an ape, a frog, or a monster with scales and fins. Rarely is he seen as a man. In looking at the dialogue in ACT 1.ii.44. we see examples of classic name calling at the expense of a weaker, unattractive character:
PROSPERO
Hag-seed, hence!
Fetch us in fuel; and be quick, thou’rt best,
To answer other business. Shrugst thou, malice?
If thou neglectst or dost unwillingly
What I command, I’ll rack thee with old cramps,
Fill all thy bones with aches, make thee roar
That beasts shall tremble at thy din.
How horrible is this? Here is an example of threats built on humiliation and intimidation. Later Trinculo the jester attacks him further Act 11.ii.25.,
TRINCULO
What have we here? A man or a fish? dead or alive? A fish: he smells like a fish; a very ancient and fishlike smell; a kind of, not of the newest, poor John.
A strange fish! Were I in England now, as once I was, and had but this fish painted, not a holiday fool there but would give a piece of silver. There would this monster make a man.
Any strange beast there makes a man.
Caliban is being bullied. Bullying is defined as “when one or more persons with power repeatedly abuse a person with lesser power for the purpose of causing harm, distress, or fear,” consistently over time. The bullies see Caliban as less than themselves, not worthy of their respect, and therefore entitled to their abuse. Students may be able to recall a time when they witnessed the bullying of another student who looked different, or odd in some way. They may have also been party to comments, exclusions, and avoidance of this student because of these differences. They may have ignored the bullying behavior and in doing so acted as bystanders to the bullying. Or, they may have aided either actively, or as henchmen in some way.
As a response to this reading I would look first at the rampant name-calling. He is being criticized for the way he looks. Students can easily relate to this. They are highly aware even at second grade of who’s wearing what, how so-and-so wears her hair, and what kind of backpack she has.
Next we would discuss the labeling of Caliban as a monster. I would ask my students if they thought he really had fins, scales, or smelled like a fish. Or was this just an exaggeration of some malformation that Trinculo seized upon?
Finally we will create masks. We will make a “pretty” mask and an “ugly” mask. After the masks are created students will be paired up to create short dialogues based on bullying situations either in the class or on the playground. They will get to play the “pretty” part and the “ugly” part. They will get to act these scripts out in front of the class and we will discuss how it felt to play both parts. Stepping into someone else’s shoes is usually an eye opening experience and should provide new insight for both the bully and the bullied.
In addition to these discussions I will bring in children’s literature as additional support. Eleanor Estes novel The Hundred Dresses is a chilling portrayal of a Polish girl who emigrates to the United States from Poland. She is bullied mercilessly by a ring -leader Peggy because of her clothing. The other girls go along with Peggy because she is popular and no one wants to challenge her for fear of being ridiculed. I will also take time to look at popular cartoons as examples of bullying and how it takes place in our culture.
By exposing students to the, “pernicious rage,” of Shakespeare’s language and through regular classroom meetings I hope to increase awareness of bullying and its effect on my students and the community at large.
Comments: