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Year 8 English Project Shakespeare’s World

About this booklet This booklet contains a number of different tasks to help you to explore the amazing world that Shakespeare created. You will learn about Shakespeare’s hilarious sense of humour and the darker side of his tragedies, including what his everyday life was like.

If possible, you should aim to complete at least 3 hours of English a week. You may not complete all of the tasks in this booklet on the day specified, but don’t worry- the timings are a guide only and we all work at our own pace. In addition, don’t worry if this booklet takes you longer than 3 weeks as there are plenty of tasks to keep you occupied!

All of the answers are in the back of the booklet, so you can check your work. There are also bonus exercises at the end for you to work on if you finish all of the other activities.

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Week 1 Day 1: Who is Shakespeare?

Shakespeare is one of England’s most famous writers. His plays are performed globally and have even been adapted into films. It’s important that we learn about him as he has shaped so much of the world that we live in, but who is he? Very little is known about William Shakespeare's childhood. He was born in the English city of Stratford-upon-Avon about 100 miles northwest of London in 1564. William's father was a successful leather merchant who once held the public position of alderman. He was the third of six children including two older sisters and three younger brothers. Growing up in Stratford-upon-Avon, William lived in a house with his big family on Henley Street. He went to the local grammar school where he learned about poetry, history, Greek, and Latin. When William turned eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway. Anne was eight years older than William. They soon had a family including a daughter named Susanna and twins named Hamnet and Judith. After William and Anne had the twins, there are no records of the next several years of his life. Historians often refer to these years as the "lost years." There are lots of theories and stories about what William was doing during this time. In any event, he and his family eventually ended up in London where William was working at the theatre. William was part of an acting company called Lord Chamberlain's Men. An acting company in England at this time worked together to put on plays. There were typically around ten actors in a company including a lead actor, character actors, and some comedians. Young boys typically played women's roles as women were not allowed to act. Shakespeare wrote plays for the Lord Chamberlain's Men. He worked as an actor as well. His plays became very popular in London and soon the Lord Chamberlain's Men were one of the most popular acting companies in the city. Some of Shakespeare's early plays include The Taming of the Shrew, Richard III, Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. These early plays were put on at a theatre called the "Theatre". While Lord Chamberlain's Men owned the Theatre, the land was owned by Giles Allen. In 1597 Allen decided he wanted to tear the Theatre down. He locked it up and refused to let the actors perform. They tried to renegotiate the lease on the land, but Allen again refused. One night, several members of the company dismantled the Theatre and moved the timber across the Thames River to another spot. There they built a new theatre called the Globe Theatre. The Globe Theatre became the place to be in London. It could house up to 3,000 spectators and had a uniquely designed stage with a painted ceiling, columns, and stage wall. They had specially trained musicians who made special effects noises during the plays. They even had a cannon that fired blanks. Shakespeare also became famous for his poetry. His most famous poem of the time was Venus and Adonis. He also wrote poems called sonnets. A book of 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets was published in 1609.

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William retired to his home in Stratford and died on his fifty-second birthday. Shakespeare is considered by many to be the greatest writer of the English language. He is also one of the most influential. Through his works, he is credited with introducing nearly 3,000 words to the English language. In addition, his works are the second most often quoted after the Bible.

Task 1: Answer these questions using the information that you have just read. You can check your answers at the back of the booklet. 1. In which year was Shakespeare born? 2. What did Shakespeare study in school? 3. What was the acting company that Shakespeare joined called? 4. Why did Shakespeare stop performing at the Theatre? 5. Name 3 things about the Globe. 6. How many of Shakespeare’s sonnets were published in 1609? 7. How old was Shakespeare when he died? 8. How many words did Shakespeare introduce into the English language?

Task 2: Shakespeare added so many new words to the English language, many of which you use regularly without even realising! These are all words which Shakespeare created. Match the word to the definition. Check your answers at the back of the booklet. Challenge: Write each of these words into a sentence. Super Challenge: Using the internet, find some more words which Shakespeare created.

1 Invitation A A small beetle with spots

2 Worn out B Makes success more likely

3 Auspicious C An upper floor of a building

4 Gallantry D Asking someone to go somewhere or do something

5 Ladybird E Courageous behaviour, especially in battle

6 Circumstantial F Extremely tired or damaged

7 Upstairs G A description with full details

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Task 3: There are a lot of interesting facts about Shakespeare. Which of these are true and which are false? Check your answers in the back of the booklet. Challenge: Use the internet to find out why the false statements are wrong.

1. He was born and died on his birthday.

2. He left school at 12 or 13 because his father lost all his money.

3. The rest of his family, including his children, were illiterate.

4. He couldn’t spell – including his own name.

5. He had ‘little Latin and less Greek’.

6. Other than 6 signatures, there is no other example of his handwriting.

7. He had 2 sisters and a daughter named Judith

8. He went to London in 1592.

9. He hardly ever went back to Stratford till he retired.

10.He never bought a house in London.

11.All his plays were performed at The Globe.

12.He was only a member of The Lords Chamberlain’s/The King’s Men.

13.He was the only member of his family to visit or work in London.

14.There is almost no documentary evidence about him – he’s an enigma

15. There are no direct descendants of the Shakespeare family alive today.

16. He made a great deal of money illegally.

17. And his father was a money lender.

18. The people who stood in The Yard were called groundlings.

19. He wrote all his plays by himself.

20. He ‘stole’ the plots for all his plays from other writers.

21. He had a brother who became an actor and who is buried in the nave at Southwark

Cathedral.

22. All the plays have 5 acts.

23. And there are 37 of them.

24. His first ever known poem is a sonnet written for his wife.

25. He changed his will just before he died to disinherit his daughter, Judith.

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Day 2: What was England like when Shakespeare was alive?

Task 1: Fill in the blanks. Check your answers in the back of the booklet.

When Shakespeare first arrived in London,___________________

was on the throne. Shakespeare found a great centre for

entertainment. As well as theatre for all classes, there was sports

such as bull and bear-baiting, gambling, _______________ and

fairs. The city culture would have been alive with painters, actors

and writers. The theatre was becoming an institution popular with

all social classes.

Playgoing was part of the city's daily life and all levels of society shared the experiences of

the theatre. Aristocrats were familiar with the dramas of the day from acting parts at

school, seeing plays at Court and, later, becoming patrons of the stage. ______________

and merchants also enjoyed the theatre and often took an afternoon off work to go and

see a play.

In Shakespeare’s time, the poor had little hope of escaping hunger, cold, damp, disease,

and exposure. _____________ flooded the streets. Some were veterans – often maimed

or disfigured – of the ongoing, undeclared war between Spain and England. Others were

freemen who had been expelled from guilds. Still others had come up from the country

perhaps hoping to find work, or trying to avoid family entanglements, or running from the

law.

By 1601, _____________ was so widespread that Elizabeth handed down ‘An Act for the

Relief of the Poor’, which mandated local, community responses to indigent populations.

The government wished to provide for the poor not necessarily out of any sense of charity

or human kindness, but rather because of the ____________. After the period of the Black

Death, the great pandemic of the 14th century, the bubonic plague continued to wax and

wane in Europe. London, with its rapidly ballooning population and constant flow of new

arrivals, was especially vulnerable. Despite the best attempts of the government, the

plague remained a part of daily life in London. The theatres, considered to be hotbeds for

contagion, were repeatedly closed throughout Shakespeare’s career.

dancing plague poverty Queen Elizabeth I

apprentices beggars

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In 1603, England underwent an enormous change. Queen Elizabeth I died. The Elizabethan era ended, and the country watched as King James I was crowned. He was very different from his predecessor, not just because he was a King rather than a Queen.

Task 2: Which of these facts are about Queen Elizabeth I and which are about King James I? Check your answers in the back of the booklet. Challenge: Write a paragraph comparing Queen Elizabeth I and King James !. a. Their mother was executed for treason by the Queen who ruled before them and

their father was assassinated.

b. Their reign was called the Jacobean era even though they were a Stuart king.

c. They believed that they could only be judged by God and didn’t ask for advice

from the government.

d. They executed their cousin.

e. They had their army destroy half of the Spanish Armada (naval fleet).

f. They helped to create England’s “Golden Age”, where artists, playwrights and

composers had more freedom.

g. They never married, defying the English Parliament.

h. They were born in Edinburgh Castle in Scotland.

i. They were nearly executed by their half-sister.

j. They were nearly killed during the Gunpowder Plot in 1605.

k. They were Protestant and helped to establish the Church of England.

l. They were the last Tudor monarch.

m. They wrote a book all about witches and believed in the supernatural.

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When Shakespeare’s plays were performed in London in 1595, his company was The Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Queen Elizabeth I loved the theatre, but not as much as the new King James I. Shakespeare’s company changed its name to The King’s Men and stayed in the court for a while, performing to the King himself. Shakespeare’s plays changed when this shift was made because he had a different audience. If he didn’t please the King, he could lose his job, and if he insulted the King, it could be even worse!

Task 3: Imagine that you are a playwright for these different people. Read what their interests are and write down ideas for what your play might include. What should you absolutely avoid? Help: If you get stuck, look in the back of the booklet for some play ideas. Which would be best for each person? Challenge: Choose one of your plays. Draw the first few scenes, including speech bubbles with what the characters would say.

King John

Likes: Romance, apple pie,

stories about normal people

Dislikes: Penguins, people

who lie

Queen Fiona

Likes: Action, dramatic

fights, France

Dislikes: Witches,

gardening

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Day 3: What were Shakespeare’s plays about?

Task 1: Shakespeare wrote three types of plays. These were tragedies, comedies and histories. Today you will focus on tragedies and comedies. Write down anything which you associate with the words “tragedy” and “comedy”. Aim for 10 things for each word. E.g. Comedy- funny. Tragedy- sad.

Task 2: Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies differ in many ways. Look at the list of features. Which are features of a comedy and which are features of a tragedy? Check your answers in the back of the booklet. Challenge: You have studied The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet. Which of these is a comedy and which is a tragedy? Explain your answers. a. They are about love and marriage.

b. They have an unhappy ending, especially one concerning the downfall of the main

character.

c. The plays usually have a Mediterranean setting.

d. They end with marriage between the main characters- a happy ever after ending.

e. Disguise is a strong theme.

f. The main characters are usually rich and important members of society.

g. The love between the main characters goes wrong and cannot be resolved

happily.

h. Although the plays include funny characters or situations, they also have a serious

message.

i. There are lots of mistakes and problems during the play, but these all get sorted

out in the end.

j. The central character has a problem known as a fatal flaw, e.g. indecision, greed,

ambition

k. The plot is partly based on the ridiculous behaviour of lower class characters or

servants.

l. Revenge is a common theme.

m. Music and dance are important to the play.

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Task 3: Read through the plot of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. You can also watch this very catchy music video all about the story: https://youtu.be/Inu2A5iHROI Answer the questions at the end of the task and check your answers in the back of the booklet.

1. Who does Hermia’s father want her to marry? 2. What does Puck need to find to make the magic potion? 3. Who does Puck use the potion on? 4. What is the name of the man who ends up with a donkey’s head? 5. What do the guests watch at the wedding? 6. Which parts of the play make this a comedy?

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Task 4: Write a paragraph answering the question below. Use your responses to task 2 and 3 to help you with this. You should talk about the plot of the play.

Why is A Midsummer Night’s Dream a comedy? Help: Look at the back of the booklet for a model paragraph with sentence starters.

Challenge: Think back to earlier this year when you were studying Romeo and Juliet. Why is this a tragedy? Write a paragraph explaining this including examples.

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Week 2 Day 1: What was an argument like in Shakespeare’s plays?

Last week, you began looking at A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and today we will be continuing with this. As with most stories, there is some conflict, so we will be looking at an argument between two of the main characters, Hermia and Helena. Hermia has just found out that the man she loves, Lysander, actually loves Helena. Hermia confronts Helena about this in a heated argument.

In Shakespeare’s day, there were no soap operas or dramatic films, so these arguments had to engage the audience.

Task 1: Shakespeare’s plays often included heated arguments and confrontations. These contained a number of different language features. Match the language feature to the definition. Check your answers in the back of the booklet. Challenge: Write an example for each of these features.

1 Imagery A A sudden cry or remark expressing surprise, strong emotion, or pain.

2 Inflammatory insult

B A statement that relays some information.

3 Declaratives C A question which requires no answer.

4 Exclamation D An insult meant to arouse angry or violent feelings.

5 Rhetorical Questions

E Language which is descriptive.

E

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Task 2: Read through Hermia and Helena’s argument aloud. Using 5 different colours, highlight where you can find each of these language features:

Imagery Inflammatory insult Declaratives Exclamation Rhetorical question

Help: Look in the back of the booklet for a few of the answers. Challenge: Rewrite this argument into modern day English.

HERMIA O me! you juggler! you canker-blossom! You thief of love! what, have you come by night And stolen my love's heart from him?

HELENA Fine, i'faith!

Have you no modesty, no maiden shame, No touch of bashfulness? What, will you tear Impatient answers from my gentle tongue? Fie, fie! you counterfeit, you puppet, you!

HERMIA Puppet? why so? ay, that way goes the game.

Now I perceive that she hath made compare Between our statures; she hath urged her height; And with her personage, her tall personage, Her height, forsooth, she hath prevail'd with him. And are you grown so high in his esteem; Because I am so dwarfish and so low? How low am I, thou painted maypole? speak; How low am I? I am not yet so low But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes.

HELENA I pray you, though you mock me, gentlemen,

Let her not hurt me: I was never curst; I have no gift at all in shrewishness; I am a right maid for my cowardice: Let her not strike me. You perhaps may think, Because she is something lower than myself, That I can match her.

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Task 3: Shakespeare had to come up with creative insults, but they’re still amazing today! Watch the below video by poet, Michael Rosen, talking about his favourite Shakespearean insults, then have a go at writing your own insults using the table below, e.g. Thou reeky, elf-skinned lout! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDI_gFMCsq0

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Task 4: Write your own argument between Hermia and Helena using the insults which you have created. You should include: ➢ Imagery ➢ Inflammatory insult ➢ Declaratives ➢ Exclamation ➢ Rhetorical question

Challenge: Highlight where you have used each of the language techniques above.

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Day 2: Who is Bottom?

Task 1: Read through part of the story of A Midsummer Night’s Dream below and answer the questions at the end. Check your answers in the back of the booklet.

Oberon, the king of the fairies, was upset that he and Queen Titania were arguing. He decided to use Puck’s magic potion on Titania. The potion would make Titania fall in love with the first person who she saw.

Now, it happened that when Titania woke the first thing she saw was a stupid clown, one of a party of players who had come out into the wood to rehearse their play. This clown was Bottom, and he had met with Puck, who had clapped an ass's head on his shoulders so that it looked as if it grew there. Titania woke, saw this dreadful monster, and said, “What angel is this? Are you as wise as you are beautiful?”

“If I am wise enough to find my way out of this wood, that's enough for me,” said the foolish clown.

“Do not desire to go out of the wood,” said Titania. The spell of the love-juice was on her, and to her the clown seemed the most beautiful and delightful creature on all the earth. “I love you,” she went on. “Come with me, and I will give you fairies to attend on you.”

So she called four fairies, whose names were Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed.

“You must attend this gentleman,” said the Queen. “Feed him with apricots and dewberries, purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries. Steal honey-bags for him from the bumble-bees, and with the wings of painted butterflies fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes.”

“I will,” said one of the fairies, and all the others said, “I will.”

“Now, sit down with me,” said the Queen to the clown, “and let me stroke your dear cheeks, and stick musk-roses in your smooth, sleek head, and kiss your fair large ears, my gentle joy.”

“Where's Peaseblossom?” asked the clown with the ass's head. He did not care much about the Queen's affection, but he was very proud of having fairies to wait on him.

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“Ready,” said Peaseblossom.

“Scratch my head, Peaseblossom,” said the clown. “Where's Cobweb?”

“Ready,” said Cobweb.

“Kill me,” said the clown, “the red bumble-bee on the top of the thistle yonder, and bring me the honey-bag. Where's Mustardseed?”

“Ready,” said Mustardseed.

“Oh, I want nothing,” said the clown. “Only just help Cobweb to scratch. I must go to the barber's, for methinks I am marvellously hairy about the face.”

“Would you like anything to eat?” said the fairy Queen.

“I should like some good dry oats,” said the clown--for his donkey's head made him desire donkey's food--“and some hay to follow.”

“Shall some of my fairies fetch you new nuts from the squirrel's house?” asked the Queen.

“I'd rather have a handful or two of good dried peas,” said the clown. “But please don't let any of your people disturb me; I am going to sleep.”

Then said the Queen, “And I will wind thee in my arms.”

And so when Oberon came along he found his beautiful Queen lavishing kisses and endearments on a clown with a donkey's head.

Task 1: Answer these questions in full sentences. You can check your answers in the back of the booklet. Challenge: Highlight where you have found the answers in the text.

1. Who was the king of the fairies? 2. What did Titania call Bottom when she woke up? 3. What were the four fairies called? 4. What did Titania want the fairies to steal for Bottom? 5. What did Bottom ask Peaseblossom to do? 6. Where did Bottom say that he needed to go? 7. What did Bottom’s new head make him want?

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In another part of __________, far from Theseus’s palace, a group of common

laborers meets at the house of Peter __________ to rehearse a play that the

men hope to perform for the grand celebration preceding the __________ of

Theseus and Hippolyta. Quince, a carpenter, tries to conduct the meeting, but

the talkative weaver Nick __________ continually interrupts him with advice

and direction. Quince tells the group what play they are to perform: The Most

Lamentable Comedy and Most Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisbe, which tells

the story of two __________, separated by their parents’ feud, who speak to

each other at night through a hole in a wall. In the play, a lion surprises Thisbe

one night and tatters her mantle before she escapes. When Pyramus finds the

shredded garment, he assumes that the lion has killed Thisbe; stricken with

grief, he commits suicide. When Thisbe finds Pyramus’s bloody __________,

she too commits suicide. Quince assigns their parts: Bottom is to play Pyramus;

Francis Flute, Thisbe; Robin Starveling, Thisbe’s mother; Tom Snout, Pyramus’s

father; Quince himself, Thisbe’s father; and Snug, the lion.

Task 2: Bottom can be described in many ways. Write down 3 adjectives to describe what Bottom is like in this part of the story. Which parts of the story make you think that he is like this? Challenge: Find more than one piece of evidence for each of your adjectives. Super challenge: Why has Shakespeare included Bottom as a character? Suggest 3 reasons.

Task 3: Watch the video where we meet Bottom for the first time, then fill in the gaps below. Check your answers in the back of the booklet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIWBr72splQ

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As Quince doles out the parts, Bottom often interrupts, announcing that he

should be the one to play the assigned part. He says that his ability to speak in a

woman’s __________ would make him a wonderful Thisbe and that his ability to

__________ would make him a wonderful lion. Quince eventually convinces him

that Pyramus is the part for him, by virtue of the fact that Pyramus is supposed

to be very handsome. Snug worries that he will be unable to learn the lion’s part,

but Quince reassures him that it will be very easy to learn, since the lion speaks

no words and only growls and roars. This worries the __________, who reason

that if the lion frightens any of the noble ladies in the audience, they will all be

__________; since they are only common laborers, they do not want to risk

upsetting powerful people. Bottom says that he could roar as sweetly as a

nightingale so as not to frighten anyone, but Quince again convinces him that he

can only play Pyramus. The group disperses, agreeing to meet in the

__________ the following night to rehearse their play.

woods

wedding voice roar

Quince lovers

lion executed

craftsmen corpse Bottom Athens

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Day 3: Why is there so much magic in Shakespeare’s plays?

Task 1: Let’s recap your work from yesterday. Match up the character from A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the description of them. Check your answers in the back of the booklet.

1 Bottom A The queen of the fairies, she falls in love with Bottom when the potion is used on her. She is in charge of all of the fairies.

2 Hermia B He is a small fairy who creates a potion which causes people to fall in love with the first person that they see. He uses it on a lot of people!

3 Lysander C She loves Lysander and argues with Helena when she finds out he doesn’t love her.

4 Puck D He is one of the bachelors. Helena and Hermia fight over him, but he eventually marries Hermia.

5 Titania E A comedic character, he volunteers to play every character in the performance. He has a spell cast on him which turns his head into a donkey’s.

Task 2: Shakespeare uses motifs in his work. A motif is a recurring image, idea or symbol which is significant in the story. Look at the motifs below. These are all ideas which Shakespeare has included in his plays. Which of these motifs are in A Midsummer Night’s Dream? Check your answers in the back of the booklet. Challenge: Which of these motifs have you seen in other Shakespeare plays?

Women disguised as men A fool

A play within a play The supernatural

Overhearing conversations Mistaken identity

A storm and a shipwreck

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Task 3: One of the most well-known elements of Shakespeare’s plays is the supernatural. The supernatural is something beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature. This can include magic, and fairies. Using the internet and your own knowledge, make a mindmap of everything you can think of to do with magic and fairies. You could include...

- Different types of magic - Where you can find fairies - When people began believing in these things

Task 4: Using your mindmap, create a leaflet informing people about the supernatural. Use the checklist to make sure that you include everything that you need.

Checklist

o A catchy title. You could use alliteration. o Subheadings which tell the reader what the section is about.

People should be able to find the information that they need quickly.

o Information about magic and fairies. This should be short but useful.

o Pictures which illustrate what you are talking about, for example if you are explaining what fairies look like you may want to include a diagram.

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Week 3 Day 1: What is a witch? Yesterday, you looked at the supernatural and focused on magic and fairies. There is another aspect of the supernatural which Shakespeare uses in his plays: witches.

Task 1: Which of these facts about witches did people believe in during Shakespeare’s life? Check your answers in the back of the booklet. Challenge: Using the internet, find 3 more facts about witches. Super Challenge: Can you suggest a reason for why most people don’t believe in witches anymore? 1. Witches were people who made a pact with the Devil. 2. Witches cursed cows to become ill. 3. Witches had a familiar, which was a pet, toad, or bird, which was a

demon advisor. 4. Witches rode broomsticks. 5. If a person floated in water, they were a witch. 6. If was legal to kill witches because of the Witchcraft Act in 1563. 7. Witches brewed magic potions over cauldrons.

Task 2: Shakespeare wrote Macbeth for King James I and included witches. Why did he do this? Write down your ideas. Hint: Look back at Week 1 Day 2.

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Task 3: Shakespeare’s witches in Macbeth have been portrayed in a number of different ways in different productions. Each of these different portrayals tell us something about the witches as characters. What can you infer about the witches based on these pictures?

Help: If you are struggling with your ideas, look in the back of the booklet for some ideas and match these to the different portrayal.

Challenge: Why do directors not stick with the stereotypical witch?

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First Witch Round about the cauldron go; In the poison'd entrails throw. Toad, that under cold stone Days and nights has thirty-one Swelter'd venom sleeping got, Boil thou first i' the charmed pot.

ALL Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

Second Witch Fillet of a fenny snake,

In the cauldron boil and bake; Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog, Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg and owlet's wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

ALL Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and cauldron bubble. Third Witch Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,

Witches' mummy, maw and gulf Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark, Root of hemlock digg'd i' the dark, Liver of blaspheming Jew, Gall of goat, and slips of yew

Task 4: Read through the scene below out loud. The three witches are around a boiling cauldron. Highlight all of the ingredients that they are including in their potion. Then, write a recipe describing how to make the potion. You can add more ingredients and steps to your recipe. Help: Remember to include key words in your recipe. Have a look below for some ideas:

boil bake slice chop grate add stir combine simmer fry

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Silver'd in the moon's eclipse, Nose of Turk and Tartar's lips, Finger of birth-strangled babe Ditch-deliver'd by a drab, Make the gruel thick and slab: Add thereto a tiger's chaudron, For the ingredients of our cauldron.

ALL Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and cauldron bubble. Second Witch Cool it with a baboon's blood,

Then the charm is firm and good.

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Day 2: Where else does Shakespeare use the supernatural?

MARCELLUS What, has this thing appear'd again to-night?

BERNARDO I have seen nothing.

Task 1: Shakespeare not only included fairies and witches, but ghosts too. What do you know about ghosts? Write down your notes and any key words.

Task 2: In Hamlet, another play by Shakespeare, a ghost appears in the opening scene. The ghost is that of an old king and he appears at the top of the castle to soldiers keeping watch. Imagine that you are directing this play: how would you have a ghost appear on the stage? What might the ghost look like? What might he be wearing? You can write notes or do a quick sketch.

Task 3: It’s important for Shakespeare to grab the attention of the audience from the beginning and to build up tension straight away. Read through the opening scene of Hamlet. Make a list of words that characters use to describe the Ghost. Then, make another list of words describing the reactions of the characters to the ghost. Help: Watch this video of Act 1 Scene 1. How are the actors speaking? What does this tell us about their reactions? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPx3dWsz_xk

Challenge: Why might the ghost have appeared? What might the story be? Super Challenge: Why did Shakespeare include a ghost in the opening? What does he want to do to the audience?

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MARCELLUS Horatio says 'tis but our fantasy,

And will not let belief take hold of him Touching this dreaded sight, twice seen of us: Therefore I have entreated him along With us to watch the minutes of this night; That if again this apparition come, He may approve our eyes and speak to it.

HORATIO Tush, tush, 'twill not appear.

BERNARDO Sit down awhile; And let us once again assail your ears, That are so fortified against our story What we have two nights seen.

HORATIO Well, sit we down,

And let us hear Bernardo speak of this. BERNARDO Last night of all,

When yond same star that's westward from the pole Had made his course to illume that part of heaven Where now it burns, Marcellus and myself, The bell then beating one,--

Enter Ghost

MARCELLUS Peace, break thee off; look, where it comes again!

BERNARDO In the same figure, like the king that's dead. MARCELLUS Thou art a scholar; speak to it, Horatio. BERNARDO Looks it not like the king? mark it, Horatio. HORATIO Most like: it harrows me with fear and wonder. BERNARDO It would be spoke to. MARCELLUS Question it, Horatio.

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HORATIO What art thou that usurp'st this time of night, Together with that fair and warlike form In which the majesty of buried Denmark Did sometimes march? by heaven I charge thee, speak!

MARCELLUS It is offended. BERNARDO See, it stalks away!

HORATIO Stay! speak, speak! I charge thee, speak!

Exit Ghost

Task 4: What did people believe about ghosts in Shakespeare’s time? Using the internet, research what people thought about ghosts in Shakespearean times.

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Day 3:

Task 1: We’ve looked at three different parts of the supernatural: fairies, witches, and ghosts. Write 5 adjectives to describe each of these supernatural creatures. E.g. ghosts- ominous

Task 2: Today, you’re going to have a chance to create your own character and to write a description of them.

Your character must be a fairy, witch, or a ghost. Sketch your character and label them with adjectives and features. Help: Look at the below questions to get you started. - What clothes do they wear? - Where have they come from? - Are they kind or cruel? Why? - What do they want? - What powers do they have?

Task 3: Begin writing your description of your character. Use the checklist below to help you. You could...

➢ Write about your character waking up in their bedroom. What does the bedroom look like? What do they do when they wake up?

➢ Write about your character walking to a place. How do they walk? What do they pass and how do they react?

➢ Write a description of what they look like. What clothes do they wear and where did they get them from? Why do they look like they do?

Checklist

o 1 side of A4 writing o Amazing adjectives o Varying sentence structures o Similes or metaphors o Show not tell sentences

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Extension Work Task 1 Watch these two videos all about Shakespeare. Write 5 facts about William Shakespeare. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv7-nnUN5QI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1rbtHchv1g&t=53s

Task 2 Using the internet, find a picture of the Globe theatre. Recreate this at home. You could...

- Create a drawing of the theatre - Make a model of the theatre using recycled objects

Task 3 Using the internet and your own knowledge, complete the crossword.

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Task 4 The names of 22 of Shakespeare’s most famous plays are hidden in the word square below. Can you find them? The titles run vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.

E T H E W I N T E R S T A L E S T H E L

M E A S U R E F O R M E A S U R E T L S

T I N T L E O R A C O M I C K I L E E R

R L O H H O H O Y M B F I X Y F W B R O

O U T F O R V M A L L N O T I S H C A R

I J T O M J B E C B O V E R D Q O A B R L D I E A E G E S R B Y L N U U T M W E

U N S K L H T N D L C N E E S I H O O F

S A U I E M H N I O A T E N T T G K E O

A O N N T S A T S K A B E L H E I I P Y

N E A G L S L H I H S H O E U N N N E D

D M L L U T O I T E T O T U G D H N R E

C O O T H E L L O A K E N L R K T G I M

R R I A D O L T F A M I E B C S F L C O

E T R J L E I O Z P R A L I Q A L E L C

S E O K W E N I E P R W D U U R E O E E

S L C S I O I S G G J A C H O C W R S H

I M L H M N T R S L B H A R R Y T W I T

D L T I G D U J U L I U S C A E S A R E A R T A P O E L C D N A Y N O T N A N G

The 22 plays: As You Like It Troilus and Cressida The Winter’s Tale The Comedy of Errors Romeo and Juliet The Tempest Love’s Labours Lost Coriolanus Pericles Twelfth Night Othello King John All’s Well That Ends Well Julius Caesar Timon of Athens Measure for Measure Titus Andronicus King Lear

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Answers Week 1 Day 1 Task 1

1. 1564 2. Poetry, history, Greek, Latin 3. Lord Chamberlain’s Men 4. The owner wanted to tear the Theatre down. 5. It could house 3000 spectators. It had a uniquely designed stage. It had a painted

ceiling. It had columns. There were specially trained musicians who made special effect noises during the plays. There was a cannon which fired blanks.

6. 154 7. 52 years old 8. 3,000

Task 2

1. D 2. F 3. B 4. E 5. A 6. G 7. C

Task 3

1. F 2. F 3. F 4. F 5. F 6. F 7. T

8. F 9. F 10. F 11. F 12. F 13. F 14. F

15. F 16. T 17. T 18. F 19. F 20. F 21. T

22. F 23. F 24. T 25. T

Day 2 Task 1 When Shakespeare first arrived in London, Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne. Shakespeare found a great centre for entertainment. As well as theatre for all classes, there was sports such as bull and bear-baiting, gambling, dancing and fairs. The city culture would have been alive with painters, actors and writers. The theatre was becoming an institution popular with all social classes.

Playgoing was part of the city's daily life and all levels of society shared the experiences of

the theatre. Aristocrats were familiar with the dramas of the day from acting parts at

school, seeing plays at Court and, later, becoming patrons of the stage. Apprentices and

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merchants also enjoyed the theatre and often took an afternoon off work to go and see a

play.

In Shakespeare’s time, the poor had little hope of escaping hunger, cold, damp, disease,

and exposure. Beggars flooded the streets. Some were veterans – often maimed or

disfigured – of the ongoing, undeclared war between Spain and England. Others were

freemen who had been expelled from guilds. Still others had come up from the country

perhaps hoping to find work, or trying to avoid family entanglements, or running from the

law.

By 1601, poverty was so widespread that Elizabeth handed down ‘An Act for the Relief of

the Poor’, which mandated local, community responses to indigent populations. The

government wished to provide for the poor not necessarily out of any sense of charity or

human kindness, but rather because of the plague. After the period of the Black Death, the

great pandemic of the 14th century, the bubonic plague continued to wax and wane in

Europe. London, with its rapidly ballooning population and constant flow of new arrivals,

was especially vulnerable. Despite the best attempts of the government, the plague

remained a part of daily life in London. The theatres, considered to be hotbeds for

contagion, were repeatedly closed throughout Shakespeare’s career.

Task 2 Queen Elizabeth: d, e, f, g, I, k l King James: a, b, c, h, j, m Task 3: A few ideas...

o A woman who lives in a small village enters a baking competition where her main rival is a penguin.

o A man is told by witches that he will become king, so he makes a plan to kill the king. o A French man fights witches who try to cast spells on people to make them do the

gardening.

Day 3 Task 2 Tragedy: B, C, F, G, H, J, L Comedy: A, D, E, I, K, M Task 3

1. Demetrius 2. A magic flower 3. Lysander, Demetrius and Titania 4. Bottom 5. Bottom’s play

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6. It is about love and marriage. It ends with marriage between the main characters- a

happy ever after ending. There are lots of mistakes and problems during the play,

but these all get sorted out in the end. The plot is partly based on the ridiculous

behaviour of lower class characters or servants.

Task 4: Example A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s comedies with many features of the

genre. One example of this is that it follows the cliché of including a happy ending. Despite

all of the problems caused by Puck with his magic potion, the three couples all end up

together in the end and get married. Even the play ends happily, with the performance

going well at the wedding and all of the guests enjoying Bottom’s performance.

Week 2 Day 1 Task 1 1-E, 2-D, 3-B, 4-A, 5-C Task 2: Hints Imagery: “have you come by night/ And stolen my love’s heart from him?” Inflammatory insults: “you juggler!” Declaratives: “I was never curst” Exclamations: “you canker-blossom!” Rhetorical questions: “What, will you tear/ Impatient answers from my gentle tongue?” Remember- One line can be multiple things, e.g. “you canker-blossom!” is an exclamation and an insult!

Day 2 Task 1

1. Oberon 2. “angel” 3. Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth and Mustardseed 4. Honey-bags from bumble-bees 5. Scratch his head 6. To the barber’s 7. Donkey food, like dry oats and hay

Task 3

In another part of Athens, far from Theseus’s palace, a group of common laborers meets at

the house of Peter Quince to rehearse a play that the men hope to perform for the grand

celebration preceding the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. Quince, a carpenter, tries to

conduct the meeting, but the talkative weaver Nick Bottom continually interrupts him with

advice and direction. Quince tells the group what play they are to perform: The Most

Lamentable Comedy and Most Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisbe, which tells the story of

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two lovers, separated by their parents’ feud, who speak to each other at night through a

hole in a wall. In the play, a lion surprises Thisbe one night and tatters her mantle before

she escapes. When Pyramus finds the shredded garment, he assumes that the lion has killed

Thisbe; stricken with grief, he commits suicide. When Thisbe finds Pyramus’s bloody corpse,

she too commits suicide. Quince assigns their parts: Bottom is to play Pyramus; Francis

Flute, Thisbe; Robin Starveling, Thisbe’s mother; Tom Snout, Pyramus’s father; Quince

himself, Thisbe’s father; and Snug, the lion.

As Quince doles out the parts, Bottom often interrupts, announcing that he should be the

one to play the assigned part. He says that his ability to speak in a woman’s voice would

make him a wonderful Thisbe and that his ability to roar would make him a wonderful lion.

Quince eventually convinces him that Pyramus is the part for him, by virtue of the fact that

Pyramus is supposed to be very handsome. Snug worries that he will be unable to learn the

lion’s part, but Quince reassures him that it will be very easy to learn, since the lion speaks

no words and only growls and roars. This worries the craftsmen, who reason that if the lion

frightens any of the noble ladies in the audience, they will all be executed; since they are

only common laborers, they do not want to risk upsetting powerful people. Bottom says

that he could roar as sweetly as a nightingale so as not to frighten anyone, but Quince again

convinces him that he can only play Pyramus. The group disperses, agreeing to meet in the

woods the following night to rehearse their play.

Day 3 Task 1 1-E, 2-C, 3-D, 4-B, 5-A Task 2 A Midsummer Night’s Dream has a play within a play and the supernatural. The Tempest has a storm and a shipwreck and the supernatural (Caliban).

Week 3 Day 1 Task 1 All of these are true! Task 3 Brutal Caring Extravagant

Innocent Knowledgeable Manipulative

Small Temptresses