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Jan. 1, 2001
William Shakespeare
By Susan Brooks-Young
Have you ever said that you'd been hoodwinked, tongue-tied, or seen better days? If so, you've quoted Shakespeare. More than 1000 words coined by the Bard, including bedroom and gloomy, are in common usage today. The writings of William Shakespeare continue to influence our culture almost 400 years after his death. His plays are regularly produced on stage, in film, and through dance. U.S. English curriculum calls for high school students to read several of his plays.
This web tour includes sites that provide general information about Shakespeare and his times as well as several that focus on specific plays and his poetry. While many of the sites are most appropriate for use with middle and high school students, elementary teachers will also find materials they can use with their students.
William Shakespeare
This is a good site to begin with if you are looking for the text of Shakespeare's writings along with some commentary. In addition to his plays and sonnets, you can access quotes from Barlett's, classic writings about Shakespeare that include essays by T.S. Eliot and Ralph Waldo Emerson, and the Tales from Shakespeare, written by Charles and Mary Lamb. This last piece is interesting because, published in 1878, its purpose was to make Shakespeare more accessible to young readers. The authors have adapted twenty of the plays, including The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Macbeth.
Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet
Providing context for Shakespeare's work helps students better understand his writing. You and your students will find this site very helpful in doing just that. Explore Shakespeare's life and times, learn about Elizabethan theater, read about the sources Shakespeare used as the basis for his plays, and find out what critics have had to say about his work. In addition to all the information students will find, there is also an education section for teachers that includes a number of links to sites that contain teaching guides and lesson plans.
Sites on Shakespeare and the Renaissance
Intended for use by students and teachers, this site hosted by the University of Victoria features links that were designed for quick downloading. There are gateways that provide links to additional information on Shakespeare, as well as pointers to journals and scholarly articles, multimedia files that display costume designs, sets and play production history. The multimedia area is particularly interesting.
Selected Poetry of William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
The collection of poetry found at this site was prepared by members of the Department of English at the University of Toronto from 1912 and published by the University of Toronto Press from 1912 to 1967. This collection actually includes many other poets, but the url given above points to Shakespeare's work. Students may browse through the index or search by first lines. It's important to expose students to Shakespeare's works beyond his plays and this site provides the text for you to do so. Under literary criticism students will also find essays about Shakespeare's work.
The Access Indiana Teaching & Learning Center: William Shakespeare
The Access Indiana Teaching & Learning Center (AITLC) is an excellent resource for teachers. In addition to an abundance of lesson plans at a variety of grade levels elementary through secondary, there are also links to information about various Shakespearean festivals, general resources, and more. Simply clicking on the name of the play you are teaching enables you to access lesson plans and teacher's guides. You will find this site helpful as you plan your unit on Shakespeare and/or his works.
Shakespeare Resource Center
Read about Shakespeare the man, his works, his use of language, the debate about authorship of his works, and more. The site also includes a synopsis of each comedy, tragedy, and history. While these synopses do not preclude reading the plays, they can be helpful to students having difficulty following the plot line. Again, there are many links to other Shakespearean sites and resources.
General Advice on How to Watch a Shakespearean Film
This page offers thirteen tips for how to get the most out of watching a Shakespearean film. By reviewing these recommendations (some or all) your students will view a film with purpose. For example, how is music used by the director, or what script cuts were made and why? What actors have been cast in different roles and why? Where is the play set? In what era? In addition to the tips for viewing, there is also a link to other classroom activities.
Romeo and Juliet
Your students probably know that Romeo and Juliet has been performed on stage and in film, but are they aware that is has also been performed as a ballet? Students can read the notes from David Nixon's production of Romeo and Juliet, performed in 1998 by BalletMet, Columbus. The notes are very thorough. Not only do they give a synopsis of the plot, but also they explain why this particular production was performed, and tell about previous productions of Romeo and Juliet as a ballet. This information will broaden your students' understanding of performance.
Legends: Shakespeare's Stories
The Home page for this site provides links to a number of related Web sites. Its primary focus, however, is on the plays Macbeth and Hamlet and these areas can also be accessed from the Home page. The Macbeth page begins by looking at an event in Scottish history that is the basis for the play. Students can use links to learn more about the historical figures as well as the play itself. The Hamlet page discusses the origin of the story, the development of the revenge play, and points to several additional sites that will be helpful to students and teachers alike.
The English Zone: Resources for Students
Are your students having difficulty reading Hamlet? Would you like them to focus on specific questions about the play without having to recreate the wheel yourself? A visit to this site, sponsored by CDSBEO, a network for English teachers will prove to be beneficial. There are two resources for students who need help managing the text as well as six resources for teachers to use with students when exploring, among other things, Hamlet's character or the meaning of his famous 'To be, or not to beż' soliloquy.
Project on Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
Have you wanted to try an on-line project with your class, but hesitated because you weren't sure how to organize one? The Julius Caesar project is designed to demonstrate how technology can be used in a high school English classroom. The class is divided into four groups each of which researches and reports on one area of the entire project. These areas are historical Caesar; literary concepts; debate; and literary analysis. You may want to use this as a template to develop your own unit of instruction or have your students work through the project as written.
Music in Shakespeare's Plays
At least one song was customarily included in Stuart and Tudor plays. Shakespeare included both instrumental and vocal music in his scripts. This article discusses Shakespeare's use of music throughout his writing career. There is also a link to audio and video clips that students will find very interesting. Encyclopedia Britannica sponsors the site and the text of the article includes hyperlinks that further explain the topic.
Email: Susan Brooks-Young
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