Watch, Don’t Read!
Is Shakespeare still relevant?
“Yes,” says actor Sir Ian McKellen. “Shakespeare more than any other writer who ever lived understood us. It’s almost as if he invented us, invented our emotions, our relationships, our difficulties we have getting on together…. the trouble with Shakespeare is it is very, very, very difficult to read.”
In the same article from The Independent, Dame Helen Mirren even goes so far as to say that Shakespeare should not be taught in schools, and is adamant that a child’s first encounter should be through live theatre.
Experiencing Shakespeare
Experiencing Shakespeare is an essential component of a good education. His characters, stories and phrases are constantly alluded to by other writers. Yet his use of language, the very thing that sets him apart, can also be the biggest barrier to overcome, especially for children. There is a magical element to a live performance that removes this obstacle and makes the archaic language more accessible. The trick is in not trying to understand every word or even every sentence. Just allow the flow of words to weave their spell and tell their story.
Blog Specifics
For this blog, I will be watching filmed performances, preferably several different productions, of each play. I will be highlighting a specific play with each blog post, in alphabetical order of course! Stay tuned for the first instalment: All’s Well that Ends Well.
Blog writers need to have a specific audience in mind, they tell me, so whilst I hope my posts will be worth a read by anyone, I have decided to write to my former self, the homeschooling Mum/Mom I used to be who wants to expose her children to educational riches but often has too little time to even cover the basics. I will include a story summary and hints and tools that are intended to help my harassed homeschooler.
Homeschool Hints
Introducing Shakespeare to your children by taking them to a live performance, preferably with professional actors, will increase the odds considerably that they will form their own relationship with the Bard. Even a filmed recording is better than trying to read the play, and online access to superb performances is inexpensive and readily available:
Marquee TV/Royal Shakespeare Company
When you want to get into the text and study in more detail there are some strategies you can use to help with the language barrier. Prestwick House, whose mission is to help educators inspire students to learn to love literature, has a free eBook featuring 10 strategies for understanding Shakespeare.
I will leave you with a video from Michael Rosen, succinctly explaining why Shakespeare’s legacy is still so important today.