Teaching Literature at Key Stage 3 and 4

Drama

Approaches to Shakespeare
Encouraging 'active' approaches

There is a vast range of activities that can be undertaken with student teachers to illustrate what might be called 'active' approaches to Shakespeare. As a way of helping pupils get to grips with small chunks of language, the Shakespeare insult generator is a fun 'starter' that encourages pupils to work with Shakespeare's words (in this activity – widely available online – pupils pick from a list of adjectives and a list of nouns to create instant Shakespearean insults). Ideally a trip to the Globe or the Royal Shakespeare Theatre can be undertaken, but if this is not possible, many of the 'dramatic' approaches championed by those institutions can be shared with student teachers to emphasise the importance. The 'magic bullet' where a speech is examined and each pupil is given a line and told to choose just one word they feel is most important is a powerful way to explore meaning. To get student teachers and – by implication – pupils on their feet whilst teaching something seemingly challenging like pentameter, something like Richard III's opening soliloquy can be read aloud and one step taken for each foot. What happens, given that the iambic metre is often disrupted, is a disjointed rhythm, almost suggesting Richard's hobbling gait. This can powerfully demonstrate links between form and meaning. 'Conscience corridors' are a powerful tool when exploring moments of crisis for key characters. Other typical drama techniques – freeze framing, thought tracking, forum theatre, hotseating – can and should be used extensively when considering the play as performance.