Talking points for Shakespeare plays : discussion activities for Hamlet, a Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet and Richard III / Lyn Dawes.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dawes, Lyn.

Contributor:

Horace Howard Furness Memorial Library (University of Pennsylvania)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616--Study and teaching.

Shakespeare, William.

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.

Discussion--Study and teaching--Activity programs.

Discussion.

Discussion--Study and teaching.

Physical Description:

ix, 150 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Routledge, 2013.

Summary:

What do students think about Shakespeare? Classic, timeless and full of rich ideas; or difficult, impenetrable and completely uninteresting? This book aims to help young people to develop a real interest in Shakespeare, based on their understanding and engagement with the texts. A meaningful classroom discussion that enables every individual to contribute, and covers a range of viewpoints, can help students' understanding of Shakespeare's plays, consolidate their learning, and increase their motivation. This highly practical book enables teachers to organise, stimulate and support group discussions that will help students to relate to the characters, and develop their own ideas about the language and meaning. Drawing on four of the most commonly taught Shakespeare plays, the book provides a broad range of exciting tried and tested resources, taking the reader through key parts of the text, along with suggestions for further activities involving writing, drama and electronic media. Features include: Scene by scene Talking Points for each play, Thinking Together extension activities for group work, Guidance on developing your own Talking Points, Talking Points focusing on Shakespeare's language use. Offering an accessible, thought-provoking and above all enjoyable way for students to engage with Shakespeare's plays, this book will be highly beneficial reading for English teachers and trainees. Book jacket.

Contents:

Talking Points: Hamlet 13

Hamlet Talking Points scene by scene 14

More Thinking Together for Hamlet 36

1 Talking Points: Thoughts about Hamlet 36

2 Death 36

3 Cowardice 37

4 Thoughts about Ophelia 37

5 Talking Points: Hamlet's relationship with Ophelia 39

6 Talking Points: Four Hamlet soliloquies 40

7 Talking Points: About Hamlet's soliloquies 43

8 Thinking Together: How Hamlet feels 43

9 Talking Points: Misogyny 45

10 Create your own Hamlet Talking Points to share with others 46

11 Talking Points: Hamlet - language use during Act 1 Scene 1, 21-7 47

12 Vygotsky's essay on Hamlet 49

13 Thinking about reviews of actors playing Hamlet 50

Talking Points: A Midsummer Night's Dream 53

A Midsummer Night's Dream Talking Points scene by scene 54

More Thinking Together for A Midsummer Night's Dream 62

1 Thinking about Theseus 62

2 Thinking about Titania and Oberon 63

3 Talking Points: The science of midsummer 64

Talking Points: Romeo and Juliet 67

Romeo and Juliet Talking Points scene by scene 68

More Thinking Together for Romeo and Juliet 81

1 Romeo: Thinking Together 81

2 Juliet: Thinking Together 83

3 Thinking Together: Time-line for Romeo and Juliet 86

4 Thinking Together: Group research into key themes 88

5 Thinking Together: Mercutio, Romeo's cousin 89

6 Thinking Together: Tybalt, Juliet's cousin 90

7 Talking Points: Light in Act 1 91

8 Talking Points: Word use in Romeo and Juliet 92

9 Talking Points: Contrasts in Romeo and Juliet 93

Talking Points: Richard III 95

Introduction to Richard III 96

Richard III Talking Points scene by scene 99

More Talking Points and Thinking Together for Richard III 125

1 Richard III: Reasoning 125

2 Richard III: Thinking Together 128

3 Thinking Together time-line 129

4 Acting Richard III 129

5 Clarence's Dream: Act 1 Scene 4 130

6 Richard's ghosts and dreams: Act 5 Scene 3 131

7 Thinking Together Richard III: A bad king or a good king? 132

Thinking Together: Language use in Shakespeare's plays 133

Thinking Together: Language use 133

1 Shared thoughts about words 134

2 Shared thoughts about a section of the play 134

3 Verse 135

4 Prose 136

5 Lists 136

6 Word frequency counts 137

7 Quotations from the plays as Talking Points 138

8 Everyday-uses of Shakespeare's words 144.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and webology.

ISBN:

9780415525428

041552542X

9780415525435

0415525438

9780203119839

0203119835

OCLC:

759915405