Shakespeare’s work includes some of the most beautiful plays and sonnets ever written in the English language. The challenge is, they were written in the English of the late 1500s and early 1600s. As is the case with all languages, there have been changes over the centuries. These changes leave us with works written in English that barely seem to be works written in English. Reading them takes some effort, but it doesn’t have to be a miserable experience. To be sure that kids discover the magic we’ve found in Shakespeare’s work, we’ve developed this 7-step method.
Storyworld
We start our reading by learning about the storyworld because it’s hard to get into a book or play of any time period when you don’t know anything about the world where this action takes place. An understanding of the storyworld – the way the people dressed; what buildings, towns, and nature looked like; the characters’ day-to-day activities; and what was happening in the larger world – makes it possible for kids to imagine the action as it unfolds.
Plot
We’ve seen for ourselves that knowing nothing about the story when the language is unfamiliar is a recipe for a miserable time. We talk about the plot and plot points before we begin in the same way you might look over the route you’re going to take before you leave for a new destination.
Soliloquies
What better way to appreciate the power of Shakespeare’s writing than through a soliloquy? When Hamlet speaks (To be or not to be?), or Macbeth laments (Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow), or King Lear cries out in the storm (Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks!), the emotions and ideas expressed are ones the students can relate to. So, we tell them what is going on, line-by-line, in their printed materials. Then, we read it aloud.
Film
Knowing what’s being said in a soliloquy or hearing it read aloud by another kid or an adult is a poor substitute for hearing the words spoken aloud by a Shakespearean actor. We share these soliloquies from noted performances so that the students can experience the rhythm and power of the words as they were intended.
Synopses
In the physical Folger editions we use, as well as in the free online versions of the plays available on the Folger site, there is a synopsis for each act and scene. We read these before we read each act and scene so that students know what’s happening even if they don’t understand all of what they’re reading right away.
Group Reading
We start with Act 1, scene 1. We read as a group, pointing out unfamiliar words as we go and making sense of how what we know is being communicated is being expressed. Once we’ve gone through it together, students complete assignments independently, reporting back on things that tripped them up.
Sharing
As students become more comfortable with the reading, they often discover passages or lines of text that make an impression. We save time each time we meet to share what we’ve found.
Bottom Line
Shakespeare’s plays were written with the expectation that they would be performed, and the lines would be spoken aloud. The closer a kid can come to entering that experience, the more likely it is that they will find that reading Shakespeare is well worth the time required.