Explaining Character in Shakespeare

Suggested Classroom Activities

Tea Party: Anticipatory Set

In order to preview the array of personalities in Julius Caesar, students will begin the unit with the anticipatory activity. This lesson is best taught without preparation or context, before students have too much information about the story. In this activity, students will be given a slip of paper on which a character from the play is named, together with a personality trait and basic biographical facts or else a foreshadowing of future actions or events. There are ten total roles provided (see Appendix C), but it is perfectly admissible for the same character profile to be distributed to more than one student to accommodate larger class sizes. After students have received and reviewed their role, they will stand up and mingle around the room, introducing and acting out the role of the character they are embodying. As students mingle and meet other characters, they will be asked to complete a Cast of Characters chart, also provided in Appendix C. I recommend setting a time limit of twenty minutes for meeting the other nine characters. After characters have met one another, student will return to their desk and share out their findings. Ask students to make predictions about the actions of characters and/or events that may take place in the story. To close the lesson, students will complete an exit ticket on which they draft a five-sentence paragraph predicting the traits and behaviors of a character they met in class.

Textual Evidence Cypher: Post-Reading Group Assessment 

After all five acts have been covered, students will be asked to pick one of the four main characters to craft a text-based argument about. The class will be split into four groups, one for each character, balanced by the teacher as needed. In their group students will create a slam poem or cypher rap to answer one of the central inquiry questions (see Appendix B) about the character they are writing about. The evidence for the responses should be provided in at least 25 lines, ten of which must be taken from the play in reference to or spoken by the character in question. Students will have three days to introduce, plan and execute the tasks. On the fourth day, students will share out their team’s poem/rap. Points for flair, presentation and enthusiasm will be liberally awarded. A final copy of the poem/rap must also be submitted to the teacher for scoring.

Grant Me This Wish: Final Independent Assessment

Present students with the following task:

Scenario: Your school wants to put on a performance of Julius Caesar for the community. Luckily, you have found a wealthy patron who is willing to provide the school with a grant for the entire production. Unluckily, she hates Shakespeare because she found it very boring in school. You must create and compile a proposal, which includes each of the four items listed below:

1. An explanation of why you wish to stage the play: what are the specific qualities that make it worth staging?
2. Two typed-out speeches that you like, accompanied by comments explaining what makes the language passionate and dramatic.
3. Notes on how Brutus will be played in the final scene.
4. An eye-catching poster with an intriguing quotation from the play.

Give students ample time to read over the task and brainstorm ideas, including sharing with a partner and asking the class. This project should take no more than a week, as students should now be well acquainted with the text and characters.