Working with Shakespeare
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin
Imagine that towards the end of your first decade of schooling, you encounter the works of what they say is the greatest writer of the english language.
And you can't understand a word of it!
No matter how you try - how many videos you watch - you just cannot seem to grasp the sense of what is going on. Of who is who and what they are doing. And what this could possibly have to do with you.
No matter that they say "nobody understands Shakespeare".
No matter that most of your friends agree it is uncool and has nothing to do with today.
Still, that niggling doubt begins. If you can't understand the greatest writer of the english language - maybe you're not that smart after all. Maybe you've been found out. Maybe at this early stage of your life, you need to lower your sights. Maybe even just disengage...
For so many young people in the early journey of their life of learning, this is the real tragedy of Shakespeare.
And yet it doesn't have to be this way.
As any professionally trained theatre actor can testify, there are a multitude of simple techniques and games that can make understanding the words and plays of Shakespeare an act of empowerment and of play.
Techniques and games that can bring Shakespeare's plays alive on our own terms and viewed through our own life experience.
This page adapts those professional theatre techniques for application by young people in the everyday classroom.
And in recognition that deeper level learning is best achieved in a collaborative environment of play, the techniques and structures are adapted for creative application for all different levels of capability.
This page is intended to be an aid to the experts in the room: the teachers.
They are the people with too few resources and too little time to deal effectively with the enormous challenges of guiding young people through their formative years of identity building and productive engagement.
To the teachers, I hope some of the learning resources and exercises on this site prove useful. Apply them, adapt them or discard them in any way that the moment requires.
And most importantly, I hope this page helps you bring a sense of play and joy for learning to your classroom.
I would love to receive your feedback or to hear stories of your classroom innovations.
Please email me at: