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Teaching Shakespeare Today: Practical Approaches and Productive Strategies DOCUMENT RESUME ED 355 526 CS 213 730 AUTHOR Davis, James E., Ed.; Salomone,Ronald, E., Ed. TITLE Teaching Shakespeare Today: PracticalApproaches and Productive Strategies. INSTITUTION National Council of Teachers of English,Urbana, Ill. REPORT NO ISBN-0-8141-5296-1 PUB DATE 93 NOTE 319p. AVAILABLE FROMNational Council of Teachers of English,1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096 (StockNo. 52961-0015, $14.95 members; $19.95 nonmembers). PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Use - Teaching Guides (For Teacher) (052) -- Collected Works General (020) EDRS PRICE MFO1 /PC13 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Drama; English Instruction; *EnglishLiterature; Figurative Language; Higher Education;High Schools; *Instructional Innovation; LiteratureAppreciation; Mass Media; Renaissance Literature; StudentNeeds; Teaching Guides IDENTIFIERS *Shakespeare (William) ABSTRACT This teaching guide for high schoolcollege instructors begins with an introductionon "Shakespeare and the American Landscape," by Samuel Crowl,and includes the following 32 essays: "Some 'Basics' in Shakespearean Study" (GladysV. Veidemanis); "Teaching Shakespeare'sDramatic Dialogue" (Sharon A. Beehler); "Shakespearean Role Models"(Ruth Ann Gerrard); "The Use of Quotations in Teaching Shakespeare" (LeilaChristenbury); "Getting To Know a Play Five Ways" (Martha Tuck Rozett);"Toward a Teachable Shakespeare Syllabus" (Robert F. Willson, Jr.);"Shakespeare off the Page" (J. L. Styan); "Goals andLimits in Student Performance of Shakespeare" (Charles H. Frey); "UsingImprovisational Exercises to Teach Shakespeare" (Annette Drew-Bear);"Enacting Shakespeare's Language in 'Macbeth' and 'Romeo and Juliet"(Elizabeth Oakes); "Sparking: A Methodology to EncourageStudent Performance" (Joan Ozark Holmer); "Changing the W's inShakespeare's Plays" (Michael Flachmann); "Love, Sighs, andVideotape: An Approach to Teaching Shakespeare's Comedies" (Michael J. Collins);"Shakespearean Festivals: The Popular Roots of Performance"(Demar C. Homan); "Introducing Shakespeare with First FolioAdvertisements" (Daniel J. Pinti); "Versions of 'Henry V':Laurence Olivier vs. Kenneth Branagh" (Harry Brent); "Picturing Shakespeare: Using Film in the Classroomto Turn Text into Theater" (James Hirsh);"Shakespeare Enters the Electronic Age" (Roy Flannagan); "ShakespeareIs Not Just for Eggheads: An Interview with Two SuccessfulTeachers" (Linda Johnson); "Teaching Shakespeare againstthe Grain" (Ronald Strickland); "Shakespeare and the At-Risk Student"(David B. Gleaves and others); "Decentering the Instructor inLarge Classes" (Robert Carl Johnson); "Where There's a There's a Way!" (Mary T. Christeland Ann Legore Christiansen); "Digging into'Julius Caesar through Character Analysis" (Larry R. Johannessen); "AWhole Language Approach to 'Romeo and Juliet'" (John Wilson Swope);"'Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care': Respondingto 'Macbeth' through Metaphorical Character Journals" (Gregory L. Rubanoand Phillip M. Anderson); "Building a_ Bridge to .Shakespeare's'Macbeth' with Cormier's 'The -Ciliiaate-Wai" "(Margo A. Figgins and Alan Smiley);"Three Writing ActiVities to Use with 'Macbeth" (Ken Spurlock);"The Centrality of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream" (Hugh M. Richmond);"If Only One, Then 'Henry IV, Part 1' for the General EducationCourse" (Sherry Bevins Darrell); "Teaching 'The Taming ofthe Shrew': Kate, Closure, and Eighteenth-Century Editions" (Loreen L. Giese); and "'Measurefor Measure': Links to Our Time" (John S. Simmons). (SAM) I C. "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY -1.1101-26k U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)" CENTER (ERIC) 7 /Thisdocument has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it C-1 Minor changes have been made to improve reproducrion quality Points of view or opinions stated in this docu ment do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE Teaching Shakespeare Today Teaching Shakespeare Today Practical Approaches and Productive Strategies Edited by James E. Davis NMI Ohio University Ronald E. Salomone Ohio University-Chillicothe National Council of Teachers of English 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, Illinois 61801-1096 4 We wish to express our gratitude to Hazel and Ann, whose assistance and support made this book possible. And we especially wish to thank our research assistant, Jacquelyn S. Johnson, for her exceptional work through- out the entire project. NCTE Editorial Board: Keith Gilyard, Ronald Jobe, Joyce Kinkead, Louise W. Phelps, Charles Suhor, chair, ex officio, Michael Spooner, ex officio Manuscript Editor: Michael E. Himick Staff Editor: Mario Welshons Cover Design: Barbara Yale-Read Interior Book Design: Doug Burnett NCTE Stock Number 52961-3050 1993 by the National Council of Teachers of English. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. It is the policy of NCTE in its journals and other publications to provide a forum for the open discussion of ideas concerning the content and the teaching of English and the language arts. Publicity accorded to any particular point of view does not imply endorsement by the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, or the membership at large, except in announcements of policy, where such endorsement is clearly specified. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Teaching Shakespeare today : practical approaches and productive strategies / edited by James E. Davis, Ronald E. Salomone. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-8141-5296-1 1. Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616Study and teaching.2. Drama Study and teachingUnited States.3. Drama in education. I. Davis, James E., 1934-.II. Salomone, Ronald E., 1945-. PR2987.T37 1993 92-41813 822.3'3dc20 CIP 5 This book is dedicated to our great teachers: Donald W. Baker, Owen Duston, Merritt E. Lawlis, Donald J. Gray RES John Long, W. P. Covington III, James McConkey, Dwight Burton JED Vii Contents Preface xi Introduction: Where the Wild Things Are: Shakespeare in the American Landscape xiii Samuel Crowl I. Approaches (Critical and Otherwise) to Teaching Shakespeare 1. Some "Basics" in Shakespearean Study 3 Gladys V. Veidemanis 2. Teaching Shakespeare's Dramatic Dialogue 14 Sharon A. Beehler 3. Shakespearean Role Models 24 Ruth Ann Gerrard 4. The Use of Quotations in Teaching Shakespeare 31 Leila Christenbury 5. Getting to Know a Play Five Ways 39 Martha Tuck Rozett 6. Toward a Teachable Shakespeare Syllabus 48 Robert F. Willson, Jr. II. Performance? 7. Shakespeare off the Page 61 J. L. Styan 8. Goals and Limits in Student Performance of Shakespeare 72 Charles H. Frey 9. Using Improvisational Exercises to Teach Shakespeare 79 Annette Drew-Bear 10. Enacting Shakespeare's Language in Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet 85 Elizabeth Oakes V1 I viii Contents 11. Sparking: A Methodology to Encourage Student Performance 90 Joan Ozark Holmer 12. Changing the W's in Shakespeare's Plays 99 Michael Flachmann III. Extratextual Resources 13. Love, Sighs, and Videotape: An Approach to Teaching Shakespeare's Comedies 109 Michael J. Collins 14. Shakespearean Festivals: The Popular Roots of Performance 117 Delmar C. Homan 15. Introducing Shakespeare with First Folio Advertisements 123 Daniel J. Pinti 16. Versions of Henry V: Laurence Olivier versus Kenneth Branagh 130 Harry Brent 17. Picturing Shakespeare: Using Film in the Classroom to Turn Text into Theater 140 James Hirsh 18. Shakespeare Enters the Electronic Age 151 Roy Flannagan IV. Difficult Situations 19. Shakespeare Is Not Just for Eggheads: An Interview with Two Successful Teachers 161 Linda Johnson 20. Teaching Shakespeare against the Grain 168 Ronald Strickland 21. Shakespeare and the At-Risk Student 179 David B. Cleaves, Patricia A. Slagle, and Kay E. Twaryonas 22. Decentering the Instructor in Large Classes 190 Robert Carl Johnson 8 Contents ix 23. Where There's a "Will," There's a Way! 197 Mary T. Christel and Ann Legore Christiansen V. Frequently and Not So Frequently Taught Plays 24. Digging into Julius Caesar through Character Analysis 207 Larry R. Johannessen 25. A Whole Language Approach to Romeo and Juliet 218 John Wilson Swope 26. "Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care": Responding to Macbeth through Metaphorical Character Journals 231 Gregory L. Rubzmo and Philip M. Anderson 27. Building a Bridge to Shakespeare's Macbeth with Cormier's The Chocolate War 241 Margo A. Figgins and Alan Smiley 28. Three Writing Act: vities to Use with Macbeth 250 Ken Spurlock 29. The Centrality of A Midsummer Night's Dream 254 Hugh M. Richmond 30. If Only One, Then Henry Iv, Part 1 for the General Education Course 263 Sherry Bevins Darrell 31. Teaching The Taming of the Shrew: Kate, Closure, and Eighteenth-Century Editions 270 Loreen L. Giese 32. Measure for Measure: Links to Our Time 281 John S. Simmons Editors 289 Contributors 291 xi Preface At many levels in our public schools, the popularity of teaching Shakespeare has increased during the last decade or two. From the tentative and puzzling introduction of a Shakespeare play at the middle school through the challenge of generating a receptive attitude during Shakespeare's slot on the undergraduate English survey syllabus, instructors and students in thousands of classrooms across the country confront the playwright yearly. At the secondary level, school boards, perhaps without even knowing exactly why, encourage a complete unit on Shakespeare at the same time that they
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