As you might have learned, I love English language arts (ELA)! I have been a ELA teacher for the past 5 years (as you’ve read from the about page or “my journey” post). While I love ELA, Shakespeare has always been a challenging topic to teach. By making his works relevant, interactive, and fun, you can help students develop a lifelong appreciation for the Bard.
1. Provide Context and Relevance
Before diving into the text, give students a rich context about Shakespeare’s world and why his works remain significant today. Use multimedia tools like short videos, podcasts, or interactive timelines to explore Elizabethan England. Highlight how many of Shakespeare’s themes—love, power, betrayal—are still relevant in modern storytelling.
Tips:
- Show clips from modern adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays (e.g., 10 Things I Hate About You for The Taming of the Shrew).
- Discuss phrases we owe to Shakespeare, like “break the ice” or “wild-goose chase,” to connect his language to everyday life.
It is a good idea to set a good foundation for Shakespeare, so you should teach students about the Shakespearean Sonnet and some of Shakespeare’s background (and legacy) to help students gain a basic understanding. If you don’t want to plan all of this on your own, check out this Shakespearean Introduction Bundle on Teachers Pay Teachers.
2. Make Shakespeare Interactive
Shakespeare was meant to be performed, not just read. By incorporating performance-based activities, students can experience the plays as living works of art.
Having students perform the scenes could be a double-edged sword, so I suggest this with caution. It is important that you know your students. If this is something that is not for them, then you could go another way to make the story interactive. You could have students use technology to create animated videos or comic strips, the sky’s the limits!
Activity Ideas:
- Act It Out: Assign roles and have students perform iconic scenes like the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet or the witches’ chant from Macbeth.
- Over-the-Top Acting: Encourage students to read lines dramatically or humorously to explore tone and emotion.
- 60-Second Trailers: Have students create modern-day trailers for Shakespearean plays using cameras or smartphones.
3. Scaffold the Language
Shakespeare’s language can be intimidating, and it is probably the biggest challenge that students face when it comes to his works. Break it down into manageable chunks and provide tools for understanding.
If you want to cut out the time in planning a lesson for understanding Shakespeare’s language, you can check out my resource on Shakespeare Language through Faithful Teachers or Teachers Pay Teachers.
Strategies:
- Start with a narrative version of the play before introducing the original text.
- Use side-by-side translations that pair Shakespeare’s text with modern English.
- Focus on key passages like soliloquies or sonnets and have students paraphrase them in their own words.
Pro Tip: Introduce iambic pentameter through relatable examples, such as rap lyrics or spoken word poetry.
4. Gamify Shakespeare
Turn studying Shakespeare into a game to make learning fun and competitive.
Ideas:
- Shakespearean Insults Battle: Teach vocabulary by having students craft creative insults using his language.
- Trivia Challenges: Create quizzes about characters, themes, or famous quotes.
- Escape Room Activities: Design puzzles based on plot points or character motivations from a play.
Gamification not only reinforces comprehension but also sparks creativity and engagement.
5. Incorporate Technology
Modern technology offers countless ways to make Shakespeare accessible and engaging.
Tech-Based Activities:
- Social Media Profiles: Have students create Instagram or Twitter profiles for characters like Juliet or Hamlet.
- Blogging Projects: Ask students to write blog posts analyzing scenes or reflecting on themes.
- Digital Storytelling: Use tools like Canva or Google Slides to create visual summaries of scenes.
ProTip: Apps like Kahoot can also be used for interactive quizzes and scavenger hunts based on Shakespearean texts.
6. Encourage Creative Interpretation
Shakespeare’s works are open to interpretation, which allows students to connect with them on a personal level. But, be sure to provide sufficient scaffolding to help students that particular Shakespeare text.
Whatever age you find yourself teaching Shakespeare to, the text can still be challenging. So, providing opportunities for error and support can help students build confidence when tackling Shakespeare.
Activities:
- Sonnet Showdown: Divide students into teams to analyze and perform sonnets. For an extension, have them write their own sonnets using Shakespearean language.
- Modern Adaptations: Challenge students to rewrite a scene in a contemporary setting (e.g., Macbeth in a corporate boardroom).
- Debate Themes: Use thematic statements like “Ambition leads to downfall” for class debates or four-corner discussions.
7. Build a Collaborative Classroom
Collaboration fosters deeper understanding and engagement. Group activities encourage students to share ideas and learn from each other. Not to mention, this is a play! So, it will take collaboration to read. This could be a great opportunity to assign students character roles to have them read (or analyze). Even if you are not performing it, you could have students read for that character.
Examples:
- Assign character roles to students to have them read the story aloud.
- Set up stations where groups rotate through activities like analyzing key scenes, creating visual timelines, or crafting character maps.
- Host a “Shakespearean Café” where students present monologues over tea and snacks in costume.
- Use WebQuests for research projects on Shakespeare’s life, times, and works.
8. Address Diverse Learners
Today’s classrooms are diverse, so it’s essential to adapt your teaching methods for all learners.
Tips:
- For multilingual learners or struggling readers, use translated versions alongside the original text.
- Offer audio recordings of plays for auditory learners.
- Allow introverted students to participate through low-stakes activities like journaling or digital projects.
9. Connect Themes to Modern Issues
There is a reason why Shakespeare is still well-known even after centuries since his plays have been originally performed: his themes are universal. Meaning they can stand the test of time. Thus, it is a great idea to allow students to connect the themes seen in Shakespeare to ones they see in their lives today.
Shakespeare’s plays explore universal themes that resonate across time. Relating these themes to current events can make his works more meaningful.
Discussion Ideas:
- Compare Romeo and Juliet’s family feud to modern political divisions.
- Explore gender roles in Macbeth through the lens of contemporary feminism.
- Discuss power dynamics in Julius Caesar alongside real-world leadership struggles.
10. Celebrate Successes
End your unit with a celebration that showcases student work. Host a mini-Shakespeare festival where students perform scenes, present projects, or compete in trivia games. This not only reinforces learning but also builds confidence and pride in their accomplishments.
Final Thoughts
By implementing these strategies, you can help your students not just tolerate Shakespeare but genuinely enjoy exploring his works. Remember, the goal is to inspire a lifelong appreciation for literature and the arts. With creativity and engagement, your students will find that Shakespeare’s plays are not just relics of the past but vibrant reflections of human experience that continue to captivate audiences today.
