Shakespeare Modernized

This article will examine a fresh way of reading and understanding Shakespeare through, what is called, "parallel scenes."

Sometimes it's not enough for students to perform the scenes. What happens, you wonder, when students only skim the lines and read them monotonously? Isn't there a better way to have learners play the scenes?

The short answer is yes! But how do we accomplish this?

In his article, "Teaching Shakespeare through Parallel Scenes," Michael Flachmann explores the practice of "parallel scenes" and describes them as "one of the easiest and most effective devices for involving students in the action of a Shakespearean play."

Wow, where do we sign up?

There are myriad ways to practice parallel scenes. First of all, decide upon a scene within the play you are reading. As an example, we'll look at The Tempest, Act 1, Scene 2 in which Prospero is describing his history to his daughter Miranda, who falls asleep listening to his stories.

Flachmann says that first he asks his students to read the scene while deciding on a more contemporary setting. Prospero and Miranda are in a cave on an isolated island. Perhaps your learners could substitute that scene for a typical child's bedroom in a modern home. Assemble contemporary props for the scene and ask your students to "play" the scene without looking at the actual text. Allow your students to make up their own dialogue while sticking to the overall plot of the scene.

For example, "Prospero" could say to Miranda: "Your uncle is a terrible person! I was studying at night school, working on my Ph.D., and so I let your uncle run the family business for a while. You remember, I was at my desk typing out papers late in the night, highlighting books and articles and essays, and running off nothing but coffee. Are you even listening?"

To which "Miranda" could pretend she's falling asleep from boredom: "Yeah, I know, Dad."

"Prospero": "I know I started neglecting the store and my family, but it was for a good reason! I was only trying to be better educated, so I could get an even better job and take care of you. I thought your uncle knew that, so I trusted him. But all that time, he was plotting to take over the store, and he did! Are you listening?"

"Miranda": "Yeah, yeah. The neighbors can probably hear you."

"Prospero": "I got all wrapped up in my school work. It felt great to be a student again! And your uncle, never owning a thing in his life, started thinking that he could run the store. He updated the computer system and claims that 'I don't know what I'm doing anymore,' but he shut me out!"

"Miranda": "He shouldn't have done that!"

Notice that I do not sound a bit like Shakespeare, but rather I created a contemporary parallel to that scene. Doing so, Flachmann says, "helps students identify closely with the characters," as they become contemporaries of Shakespeare. Creating these contemporary parallel scenes allows learners to play with Shakespeare, to interpret the scenes first and the language second.

Ordinarily, lessons rely on left-brain approaches--reading, writing, logic, etc., but parallel scene creations "encourages right-brain conceptual involvement." These types of interpretations also work for those students who get tripped up on Shakespeare's language. It provides students with the free reign to creatively interpret a scene and make it their own.

The next time your family gets stuck on a scene, try creating contemporary parallel scenes!

Flachmann, Michael. "Teaching Shakespeare Through Parallel Scenes." Shakespeare Quarterly. 35: 5. Special Issue: Teaching Shakespeare. (1984). 644-646. JSTOR. Web.

Applying Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences to Shakespeare

This article will focus on applying Gardner’s theory of
multiple intelligences to the teaching of Shakespeare in a homeschool
environment.

Those responsible for the teaching of Shakespeare often tremble with fear when deciding exactly how to teach his work to young students. Homeschool parents are usually a creative bunch, focusing on their children’s individual learning styles instead of a standardized format. The teaching of Shakespeare resists standardization. This freedom in teaching Shakespeare is both exciting and terrifying. The varied possibilities of teaching the Bard’s work can leave one with scrambled brains, yet we know the possibilities are endless.

As we do for most subjects we must teach, we look to our children’s learning styles to dictate the teaching methods. As homeschooling parents, this is the optimal approach that public school teachers cannot often afford with limited time and space. If you do not know your child’s/children’s learning style, you can visit http://www.mypersonality.info/multiple-intelligences/ for a painless assessment. Understanding their individual learning style can lead you to creating a personalized approach to teaching Shakespeare!

In her article, “Is Style Everything? Teaching That Achieves Its Objectives,” Diane Carson, professor emeritus at St. Louis Community College and avid proponent of Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, says that we, as teachers, understandably focus so much on the content of our curricula that how we teach becomes a secondary concern. Gardner outlined at least seven types of intelligences including:

1)linguistic
2)logical-mathematical
3)visual-spatial
4)bodily-kinesthetic
5)musical
6)interpersonal
7)intrapersonal

And possibly…
8)naturalist

For more detailed information on these different types of intelligences, refer to above website link, which is full of descriptions and examples for each learning style. Understanding these learning styles, says Carson, “leads to the awareness that preferred learning styles directly and
dramatically impact all our educational choices.” Specifically, learning your children’s learning styles can provide the direction for the type of instruction you use to teach Shakespeare. The upside is that you have the time and space to experiment and figure out what works best. Below you will find specific ideas for applying Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences to the
teaching of Shakespeare.

Gota a linguistic learner who loves words, language, and writing?
-Have your child transform a scene in a play into a short story in which they can use any setting.
-Ask you child to journal their thoughts about the readings.
-Do some written brainstorms as you read.
-Make a Shakespeare crossword puzzle with written clues like “This character is in love with Cleopatra,” for example.

Got a logical-mathematical learner who loves patterns, catergories, and numbers?
-Have your child categorize different characters in the play. Who are the “good guys,” the “bad guys,” the “strong” or “weak” characters?
-Have your child compare certain characters to real-life people, family members, celebrities, public people, etc. Who does Hamlet remind you of? Do you know any Ophelias?
-Allow these learners to create a computer program based on their Shakespeare studies. Maybe a jeopardy game on jeopardylab.com!

Got a visual-spatial learner who loves visualzing, day-dreaming, and working with colors and pictures?
-Have your learner draw a scene from their mind’s eye.
- Have your child create a story map of a play or brainstorm
ideas about the play.
-Allow your learner to create art projects based on the plays while allowing them the freedom to interpret and create whatever they like. (Make fairy costumes for Midsummer,
make finger puppets, make a clay model of the Globe Theatre, etc.)

Got a bodily-kinesthetic learner who loves using their whole body or parts of the body to solve problems?
-Act out scenes as you read them
-Plan out a performance to record
-Incorporate and encourage rhythmic movements to your readings
-Read in suitable environment. (Midsummer on a forest trail or in a state park, Hamlet in a castle constructed by your visual-spatial learner, etc.)

Got a musical learner who, obviously, loves music, beats, and rhythms?
-Watch musical adaptations of the plays (they exist!)
-Create your own musicals based on the plays
-Read while listening to themed music
-Ask your learner to create soundtracks for the plays

Got an interpersonal learner who understands others' emotions and feelings?
-Read plays with peer groups. Invite their friends over for a co-op Shakespeare reading.
-Have this learner lead the group discussions
-Ask your child to identify the characters’ feelings and motivations based on their lines

Got an intrapersonal learner who understands their own feelings and attitudes?
-Start an interactive journal about the plays with your child, otherwise called a dialogue journal, in which your child can express their feelings/questions regarding the play
-Guide your learner in writing goals for learning the plays and help child meet those goals.

Got a naturalist learner who loves being in the environment and working outside?
-Read plays outside
-Take your learner to a Shakespeare Garden to see, touch, and smell all the “Shakespearean” flowers.

Most people have strengths in multiple intelligences, so the combination of activities and tasks can vary, especially if you have more than one learner. In such cases, you can guide your children to work together on a project, for instance:

Making Costumes for Midsummer
Night’s Dream

-Your logical learner can research the time period of the first play and restrict the others to certain fabrics and colors that were used during that time period.
-Your visual-spatial learners can pick out fabrics and assemble them
-Your naturalist learner can collect props from the environment (twigs, pine cones, leaves, flowers for headbands, etc.)
-Your linguistic and interpersonal learners can write about
the family’s experience in a journal and/or create a scrapbook.

These are only some activities you can do with your children to enhance their individual
understanding of Shakespeare. Relying on these learning styles, curricula seems to sprout from your children’s needs rather than attempting to fit a standardized reading of Shakespeare to all students and potentially losing some, boring others, and engaging a few. As with most subjects, it is valuable to identify and gear lessons to different learning styles to keep the learning
environment fresh, engaging, and stimulating.

Diane Carson. "Is Style Everything?: Teaching That Achieves Its Objectives." Cinema Journal 48.3 (2009): 95-101. Project MUSE. Web. 22 Jan. 2011.

Picture from http://web.mac.com/rchromey/Creative_Bible_Teaching/CBT.Session_Five.Learning_Styles.html