Study Guide By Christy Dittrich, Ed.D
Read Aloud to Introduce the Life of William Shakespeare Have you heard the word? Do you know who invented that word, along with and? William Shakespeare, the famous English writer. Almost everyone knows the name William Shakespeare, but surprisingly we don t really know that much about his life. Unlike today, there were very few records kept about people s lives in the 1500 and 1600 s. We don t even know his birthday, but we have a good guess. His baptism in the church was on April 26, 1564, which was usually done three days after birth. So we think he was born on April 23, 1564. Will s father, John Shakespeare, was a glove maker and mayor of their small town, Stratford-upon-Avon. Will had seven brothers and sisters. When he was a boy, he enjoyed watching plays, many with swordfights, battles, and stories of romance. Often they were performed in the streets of his town by locals or traveling troupes. Will started school when he was five, but had to drop out when he was thirteen because his dad lost most of the family s money in bad economic times. Will s parents needed him to work to support the family. College was out of the question. It was just too expensive. When Will was eighteen years old, he married Anne Hathaway. They had a daughter Susanna and then two years later they had twins, a son Hamnet and another daughter Judith. For the next seven years we have no records for where Will was or what he was doing. They are called the lost years. 2 Ann Hathaway s House
In 1592, records show he was living in London, one of the greatest cities in Europe at the time. There were visitors from all over the world there for trading, and he met many interesting people. One of the favorite activities in London was going to the theater. The most expensive seats in the theater cost about six cents. For that price, you were given a cushion and a seat in the balconies. The least expensive place to watch a play was standing on the ground in front of the elevated stage. These people were Curtain Theater, London called. If they didn t like an actor or what he was doing in the play, the groundlings would throw rotten fruit and vegetables at him. The actors sometimes threw things back at the audience too. Will was probably a groundling at many shows in London at the time. He had to make a living while in London, so he worked at theaters doing such jobs as tending to horses as people watched the show and helping the actors learn their lines. He also started acting too, but just small roles. Later, he started rewriting other s plays and then started writing new ones of his own. Many of his plays were based on stories he had read as a boy. Back then, most playwrights borrowed from each other and from history. The first play Shakespeare wrote was. It was not very popular, and he soon learned how to write plays people wanted to watch, like plays about English kings with lots of action and swordfights. He soon became one of London s most popular playwrights, but when the Black Death hit London, the theaters all closed. The Black Death was the, a contagious disease that killed over twenty million people, almost a third of the people in Europe. Everyone was scared to go out so no one wanted to go to the theater for fear they would get sick and die. While the theaters were closed, he wrote many poems and a few plays. He made so much money on his poetry he was able to invest in an acting company when the theaters opened again in 1595. It was called Lord 3
Chamberlain s Men. During this time he wrote some of his most popular plays:,,, and Will s acting company often performed plays for the Queen of England. They were one of her favorites. At this time, his theater company was doing very well and making lots of money. They owned the theater they were performing in, but not the land under it. When the landlord demanded more money to stay on the property, Will and his company figured out a way out of the problem. Over several weeks, they took apart their theater piece by piece, moved it across the river, and rebuilt it nearby. It was called the. About twenty years later during one scene in Henry VIII, a canon ball was fired. It caught the thatch roof on fire and the theater burned to the ground. No one was injured and they rebuilt it within a year. When King James came to power in England, he renamed Will s company the King s Men and they became the most popular acting troupe in London. Life was going well for Will. His daughter was married and his company was playing to packed theaters year-round. He wrote one of his most famous plays,, during this time. A few years later he moved back to Stratford-upon-Avon to live full time with his family again after living in London for over twenty years. He lived exactly 52 years. He died on his birthday in 1616. He left us 38 of the most famous plays in the world which we still enjoy almost 500 years later. 4 Globe Theater, London
There are three major categories that most Shakespeare plays fall into:,, and. Comedies are plays that have happy endings, most conclude with a wedding or two. There are often mistaken identities and misunderstandings that lead to funny situations. Some of his most famous comedies are:,,, and. Tragedies are plays that have sad endings. Many of the main characters die before the play is over. Some of his most famous tragedies are:,,,,, and. Shakespeare s histories are plays based on the lives of English kings. Some of the histories include,,, and. 5
This is a quick introduction to the play, the play discussed in the presentation. When people dream, the story isn t always linear and often includes characters in situations seemingly disjointed. This too is true of Midsummer Night s Dream. This lesson helps students become familiar with the play and it s structure. 1. Ask the students to think about dreams they have had. Did they follow a logical order? Did the characters jump from place to place? Did activities happen that are not realistic? Did more than one story overlap with same people or places? This is how Shakespeare wrote the play Midsummer Night s Dream. 2. Share the graphic The Big Picture. The main story is the marriage of royalty, Hypolita and Theseus. There are three subplots that somewhat overlap. The play jumps from group to group, and sometimes the stories overlap. The play starts and ends with the main couple, Theseus and Hypolita. 3. The first subplot is four young adults who fall in and out of love with each other because the forest fairies keep playing tricks on with love potions. At the end, all four are happily in love with the person they loved in the beginning of the play. 4. The second are the forest fairies that enjoy playing tricks on other characters. They are led by Oberon, king of the Fairies who is arguing with his wife Titania about their son. Oberon plays a trick on his wife and she falls in love with a goat. 5. The last subplot is a group of local craftsmen from the town who are working together to perform a play at the big wedding of Theseus and Hypolita. 6. By the end, all four stories are intertwined and end happily. Even though these groups seem very different, they all intertwine for one dream story. 7. Have students look for all of these characters in the presentation. 6
Forest Fairies casting spells on all the other characters Lysander, Hermia, Helena and Demitrius, young friends Craftsmen in town putting on a play for the royal wedding. The Wedding of Theseus and Hypolita 7
Shakespeare s plays were written in Early Modern English, but with a familiarization of a few key words, it s not hard for adults and students to enjoy the full meaning and beauty of Shakespeare s words. This activity is to be used before the performance for students to explore Shakespearean language. Materials: Projection or handout of materials for students writing 1. Show students Words, words, words attached below. These Early Modern English words were used in everyday speech during the 1500 s and 1600 s. Read over the list together, and have the students create one or two of their own sentences using some of the words. For example, My dog hath eaten a bone, or We should go anon to lunch. 2. For younger students, they can (alone or in pairs) select a word or two and write a sentence using their chosen word or words to share with the class. 3. Older students can be challenged to create a logical sentence using as many words as they can. For example, Alas, I don t know wherefore ye computer was taken thither ere lunch. Or, they can create a dialog between contemporary characters. 4. Have the students listen for these words during the Shakespeare On The Go! performance. After the show, display the words again and see how many they heard during the performance. 8
From Hamlet a word used to express concern, unhappiness, or pity. Right now Are or Does Dost thou not laugh? Before Listen Has Away Here There a violent storm You 9
Yours Why Will You 10
Materials: Projection or handout of writing materials for students 1. In the play the actors shared how Shakespeare wrote his plays, adding his own words when he couldn t find the right one. His plays include about 900,000 words total, 28,000 different words in all. Overall, he made up about 1,700 words, many of which we use everyday, such as,, and. By altering existing words, he invented such words as,,, and. For some words, he created his own compound words, such as,,,, and and. Some he had to create to fit his rhyme scheme or keep with his allotted syllables per line. Some of his words we still use today, while some have been forgotten over time. 2. Show the students the Skimble-skamble handout. This is one of Shakespeare s made up words. Read the following three definitions and have the students vote on which one they think is the correct definition. a. Confused and rambling b. Children s game involving tapered sticks and a leather ball called a boggler c. Run quickly through shallow water The correct definition is:. For example, I was having fun listening to my little brother and his skimble-skamble story. Shakespeare s quote from King Henry IV was A deal of skimble-skamble stuff. 11
3. Below are a few of his other nonsense words. As a class, select one word and brainstorm possible definitions. There is no right answer here, just what the students think it might mean. a. Hurly-burly b. Hodge-podge c. Oppugnancy d. Miching e. Hugger mugger f. Noddles g. Mallecho h. Pignut i. Boggler j. Honorificabilitudinitatibus 4. Next, divide the students into groups. For younger students, give each group a word and have them create a definition. Then have them use it in a sentence and illustrate. For older students, have them write a short dialog using the word. Their dialog should lead the other students to their definition. As they present to the class, have the class guess the definition based on context. The students could also research the actual definition and present a dialog describing that definition as well. The class could then decide which is the real definition. 5. Shakespeare created many of these words to describe things that had never had a word before. Discuss what words we have made up or repurposed to describe new things, such as,,,,, or. 6. As an additional activity, the students could invent their own words and create a sentence and illustration using their new word. 12
a. Confused and rambling b. Children s game involving tapered sticks and a leather ball called a boggler c. Run quickly through shallow water Other nonsense words from Shakespeare a. Hurly-burly b. Hodge-podge c. Oppugnancy d. Miching e. Hugger mugger f. Noddles g. Mallecho h. Pignut i. Honorificabilitudinitatibus Shakespeare s First Folio 13
Materials: Projection or handout of 1. Have a few students say the sentence, You got me a horse for my birthday. Discuss how tone, volume, and body language could alter the feeling of the sentence.. Have students brainstorm all the different ways it could be said. For example, it could be happy, sad, surprised, disappointed, shocked, worried, or confused. Have them say the sentence out loud using some of these feelings. 2. Give each pair of students one of the quotes on the handout. They should study the quote and determine the meaning. Then practice reading the quote with the proper emotion and body motions. They can then translate it to Modern English and read it again with emotion. Older students can add a line before and after to help explain the quote. 3. Discuss how even though you might not know every word of Shakespeare s dialog, much is expressed though action and tone. 14
I count myself in nothing else so happy As in a soul remembering my good friends. O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on; The cannons have their bowels full of wrath, And ready mounted are they to spit forth Their iron indignation 'gainst your walls France, I am burn'd up with inflaming wrath; A rage whose heat hath this condition, That nothing can allay, nothing but blood, The blood, and dearest-valued blood, of France. O, from this time forth, My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth! I will have such revenges on you both, That all the world shall--i will do such things,-- What they are, yet I know not: but they shall be The terrors of the earth. As for the brat of this accursed duke, Whose father slew my father, he shall die. If music be the food of love, play on. 15
Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow. Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once. Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind. How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world. With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come. Alas, I am a woman friendless, hopeless! One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. There's many a man has more hair than wit. O God, O God, how weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world! Lear and Cordelia by Ford Madox Brown 16
Discuss with the students how the Disney story The Lion King is very similar to Shakespeare s Hamlet. Simba (Hamlet) has to revenge the death of his father Mufasa (Old Hamlet) after Mufasa was killed by his uncle Scar (Claudius). Simba s best friends Timon and Pumbaa (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern) help him when he leaves his homeland. Fortunately, the Lion King has a happier ending. Shakespeare borrowed from history and other writings of his time for ideas. It was common in those times. Many modern movies are based on Shakespeare plays or have similar plots. For older students, have them research synopses of Shakespeare s plays and rewrite the plot using updated modern names, locations, activities, props, and trends. Engage in a class discussion. What were their favorite parts of the performance? What did they learn? What do they think of Shakespeare? What did they find the funniest? What else would they like to know about Shakespeare? We would love your feedback from We welcome writings and illustrations about students experiences. Please send all correspondence to the Shakespeare Dallas Offices, or via email to 17
Shakespeare Dallas has invited audiences to enjoy accessible productions in an open-air amphitheater since 1971. Texans enjoy this staple of community life during the months of June, July, September, and October. To book student groups, please contact josborne@shakespearedallas.org By William Shakespeare Directed by Raphael Parry At Samuell Grand Amphitheatre Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from June 14 -July 21, 2017 Based on Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes Adapted by Octavio Solis Directed by Gustavo Tambascio At Samuell Grand Amphitheatre Saturdays, Sundays, and Tuesdays from June 21-July 22, 2017 By William Shakespeare Directed by René Moreno at Samuell Grand Amphitheatre and Addison Circle Park Wednesdays-Sundays, September 20 Oct 15, 2017 18
present their play following the last week of Summer Shakespeare in the Park. The Dallas Shakespeare Club, Hillcrest Foundation, IBM, The Theodore and Beulah Beasley Foundation, City of Dallas, Office of Cultural Affairs Using Shakespeare s works as a cornerstone, Shakespeare Dallas serves the Southwest region with fun and accessible indoor and outdoor theatre, integrated school programs, and cultural enrichment for people of all ages and backgrounds. Shakespeare Dallas aspires to be a nationally-recognized people s theater that creates and develops audiences and artists, provides an essential and beloved experience, and is a company poised for future growth. 19
Shakespeare in the Park, Shakespeare On The Go!, and Shakespeare Unplugged shakespearedallas.org Second grade: 2.6.B, 2.7, 2.9.B, 2.18.A, 2.30 Third Grade: 3.2.B, 3.5.A, 3.7, 3.8, 3.18.B, 3.30, 3.31 Fourth Grade: 4.2.A, 4.2.B, 4.3.A, 4.4, 4.5, 4.27, 4.28, 4.29 Fifth Grade: 5.2.A, 5.2.B, 5.3.A, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6.B, 5.10, 5.27.A, 5.28, 5.29 Sixth Grade: 6.2.B, 6.4, 6.17.B, 6.27, 6.28 20
www.absoluteshakespeare.com www.folger.edu shakespeare.mit.edu www.bardweb.net www.shakespearesglobe.com http://www.abm-enterprises.net/shakespeare.htm http://www.stratford-upon-avon.co.uk http://www.visitlondon.com http://elitedaily.com http://commons.wikimedia.org http://www.haverford.edu 21