The Way Is Bard kids and teens
Using the age-old process of eenie meenie minie mo, I select the
particular masterpiece with which I shall enthrall my students. And I
don't mean that ironically. I genuinely believe that undertaking the
study of Shakespeare is still tremendously valuable for our teens.
Not everyone shares my enthusiasm. I am always prepared for the raised eyebrows and the skeptical 'Oh reallys' issuing from my colleagues whenever the subject is discussed. Not to mention the pale, slightly green complexions of my students when I mention the bard's name. The fear is innate, and difficult to ameliorate. Maybe the reason for students' trepidation surrounding Shakespeare lies in how he has been previously handled.
There are plenty of horror stories detailing the treatment of Shakespeare in classrooms past. My own experience calls forth memories of stuttered lines recited from a battered copy of Macbeth, which only few of us had a vague hope of understanding. These stories are passed on and, unfortunately, taint future opinions of the man and his plays.
Given all this apprehension, wouldn't high school English classrooms do without the formidable shadow of Shakespeare looming at the window? Why should teachers continue to drag unwilling students through the torments of Othello? Or to garner sympathy with the tempestuous infatuations of Romeo and Juliet? Or to grasp the protracted political machinations of Richard III? Isn't it easier, if we must study drama, to pick something a little less taxing? I understand the temptation. But these 400-year-old plays still have something to offer the students of the 21st century.
Shakespeare's drama invites us to examine the endeavours and follies of his characters, to judge their actions and scrutinize their motivations. Amongst kings, soldiers, maidens, wives and beggars we find kindred souls. People, who hurt like we hurt, laugh like we laugh and love like we love.
Anyone who has ever loved the wrong person will empathize with Romeo Montague. For those who have ever been so consumed by jealousy they confuse friend with foe will sympathize with the rage of Othello. And those who consider themselves 'outsiders' may smile wryly at the wickedness of King Dickie.
We must remember that teenagers experience adult emotion and Shakespeare's plays run the full gamut. It is important that they understand that jealousy and envy existed way before Facebook. Blind ambition came before X Factor. Competition in love came before The Bachelor.
The complex emotions experienced by characters such as Othello, Macbeth and Romeo Montague are not confined to the time in which the play was written. They are the eternal symptoms of the human condition. For our students, knowing they are not the first to experience pain or joy, may jostle their feelings into some kind of perspective.
As the audience, we can understand the motivations behind the actions of characters, and see alternative courses of action that they could have taken. Romeo and Juliet could have waited instead of rushing into marriage. Othello could have questioned Desdemona calmly instead of strangling her. Using Shakespeare's characters as a guide, our teens can add layers of complexity to their developing moral compasses.
Shakespeare knew people. He understood their fears, desires and motivations. And with this understanding he created characters who are vain, foolish, passionate, fickle and vulnerable. The spectrum of emotion with which Shakespeare infused his drama is vast, but then, so is the real world. And it has never been any different, even after 400 years.
Not everyone shares my enthusiasm. I am always prepared for the raised eyebrows and the skeptical 'Oh reallys' issuing from my colleagues whenever the subject is discussed. Not to mention the pale, slightly green complexions of my students when I mention the bard's name. The fear is innate, and difficult to ameliorate. Maybe the reason for students' trepidation surrounding Shakespeare lies in how he has been previously handled.
There are plenty of horror stories detailing the treatment of Shakespeare in classrooms past. My own experience calls forth memories of stuttered lines recited from a battered copy of Macbeth, which only few of us had a vague hope of understanding. These stories are passed on and, unfortunately, taint future opinions of the man and his plays.
Given all this apprehension, wouldn't high school English classrooms do without the formidable shadow of Shakespeare looming at the window? Why should teachers continue to drag unwilling students through the torments of Othello? Or to garner sympathy with the tempestuous infatuations of Romeo and Juliet? Or to grasp the protracted political machinations of Richard III? Isn't it easier, if we must study drama, to pick something a little less taxing? I understand the temptation. But these 400-year-old plays still have something to offer the students of the 21st century.
Shakespeare's drama invites us to examine the endeavours and follies of his characters, to judge their actions and scrutinize their motivations. Amongst kings, soldiers, maidens, wives and beggars we find kindred souls. People, who hurt like we hurt, laugh like we laugh and love like we love.
Anyone who has ever loved the wrong person will empathize with Romeo Montague. For those who have ever been so consumed by jealousy they confuse friend with foe will sympathize with the rage of Othello. And those who consider themselves 'outsiders' may smile wryly at the wickedness of King Dickie.
We must remember that teenagers experience adult emotion and Shakespeare's plays run the full gamut. It is important that they understand that jealousy and envy existed way before Facebook. Blind ambition came before X Factor. Competition in love came before The Bachelor.
The complex emotions experienced by characters such as Othello, Macbeth and Romeo Montague are not confined to the time in which the play was written. They are the eternal symptoms of the human condition. For our students, knowing they are not the first to experience pain or joy, may jostle their feelings into some kind of perspective.
As the audience, we can understand the motivations behind the actions of characters, and see alternative courses of action that they could have taken. Romeo and Juliet could have waited instead of rushing into marriage. Othello could have questioned Desdemona calmly instead of strangling her. Using Shakespeare's characters as a guide, our teens can add layers of complexity to their developing moral compasses.
Shakespeare knew people. He understood their fears, desires and motivations. And with this understanding he created characters who are vain, foolish, passionate, fickle and vulnerable. The spectrum of emotion with which Shakespeare infused his drama is vast, but then, so is the real world. And it has never been any different, even after 400 years.
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