Shakespeare’s five books:Macbeth etc

[SKH]

Macbeth
Romeo And Juliet
Julius Caesar
The Tempest
Hamlet

VIPERS questions to be discussed on Monday

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[SKH]

Summary for lesson 1:
TBD

Home work after lesson 1:
Choose any character from the play: write a diary entry recounting the events in the story so
far from their perspective.
OR
Summarise the first half of the play in 4 sentences (one short paragraph).

VIPERS questions for lesson 2 to be discussed on Thur:

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[SKH]

Summary for lesson 2:
What did we cover
– Reflected on last lesson
– Recapped the first half of the play
– Discussed important context (i.e. King James I’s belief in witchcraft, Shakespeare’s
edits to the original story)
– Worked through the questions for the second half of Macbeth
– Debated essay questions (i.e. ‘is Lady Macbeth responsible for the tragic events’)
Class report
It was a real pleasure to teach this group of students again today; the commitment and
thought they have demonstrated across our first two lessons has been wonderful, and I am
incredibly excited to continue our progress together as we work through Shakespeare’s texts.
We began our lesson by having a student recap the story so far, then we spent some time
discussing how the play would have been received differently by Shakespeare’s audience
(particularly in relation to the far more widespread belief in the supernatural). The knowledge
that many of the students had of the play, Shakespeare, and 1600’s England was hugely
impressive; many of them made very thoughtful comments, and it was a wonderful start to our
lesson.
As we worked through the VIPERS questions, we stopped to dive deeper into some of the
more complex questions (notably those which touched on the notion of responsibility). I was
very impressed by how well the students could ‘think-on-the-spot’ and produce some very
insightful answers.
We finished the lesson by debating as a group some essay-style questions. Again, it was
fantastic to see how enthusiastic the students were when it came to offering up their thoughts;
the variety and depth of the students’ ideas made for a hugely rich and intriguing debate, and
it was clear that they were all learning from each other.
Having seen how bright and keen these students are, I am very much looking forward to
starting our next text, Romeo and Juliet, with them next week. I have every confidence that
they are going to continue to grow and develop, and I also believe it will be a hugely enjoyable
and positive experience for all involved.

Home work for lesson 2:
Imagine that Lady Macbeth wrote a letter to Macbeth just before she died. Write the letter:think about what she would want to tell him or ask him to do.
OR
Write a short response to the following question: What part of the story did you find most interesting and why?

VIPERS questions for lesson 3 to be discussed on Thur

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[SKH]

Summary for lesson 3:

What did we cover
– Reflected on last week’s lesson
– Summarised the first half of the play
– Discussed important context (i.e. the belief in Fate, Italy in Shakespeare’s time, the
significance of marriage)
– Worked through the questions for the first half of Romeo and Juliet
– Debated essay questions (i.e. ‘why did Shakespeare add the character of Mercutio to
the play’)

Class report
It was lovely to see the students again today and get started on our second text together,Romeo and Juliet. The excitement that they showed at the prospect of working on this text
was wonderful, and I am very keen to see what wonderful ideas they come up with in the coming lessons.
We began by discussing some key context and finding out how much the students knew about the story already. Many of the pupils had an impressive existing knowledge, and they
all engaged really well in our conversation about key oncepts such as Fate, Love, and Conflict.
This lesson marked a step up from the last, as we discussed material beyond the VIPERS questions in far greater detail; the students coped very well with this, and I hope that they
found it even more stimulating and interesting.
We worked through the questions and all the students (even those who are slightly less confident) gave some wonderful answers. Throughout this section, we stopped to dive deeper
into some questions; this gave the students a great opportunity to push themselves, and the
responses they came out with were excellent.
We finished off by debating why Shakespeare added the character of Mercutio; I was very impressed by the level of thought and sophistication that the students demonstrated at this point, and they clearly are growing both as thinkers and analysts.
I would also like to mention how pleased I was with their homeworks from last week; the students produced some stunning pieces of creative writing, and their summaries were both concise and detailed enough to paint a clear, vivid picture.

Home work for lesson 3:

Choose either Romeo OR Juliet: write a love letter to the other person. Think about what they
would say, how they would want to present themselves, whether they would ask for

anything in the letter.
OR

Summarise the first half of the play in 4 sentences (one short paragraph).

VIPERS questions for lesson 3 to be discussed on Thur

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[SKH]

Summary for lesson 4:
What did we cover
– Reflected on last lesson
– Recapped the first half of the play
– Looked into the conventions of Tragedy and debated whether Romeo and Juliet fits
the definition
– Discussed key contextual points (i.e. marriage, Fate, religion)
– Worked through the questions for the second half of Romeo and Juliet
Class report
I was very excited to continue our work on R&J following on from our excellent lesson on
Monday. The students were all very engaged throughout the lesson, and they engaged
wonderfully well in what was quite a challenging session.
We began by having a recap on the first half of the story (given by Ashley) and then moved on
to look at the conventions of Tragedy. It was excellent to see the students so engaged in the
genre, and they all thought really deeply about how R&J does and does not fit certain criteria.
This exercise enabled them to show off just how well they knew and understood the text, and
it was brilliant to see them so interested in the working of Tragedy.
Next, we moved on to discuss some key contextual points; this really helped the students fully
understand the significance of the play (i.e. how important marriage was at the time helped
them realise the extent of Juliet’s betrayal).
We moved on to going through the VIPERS questions. I was delighted to see all of the
students frequently volunteer to offer answers; it was particularly lovely to see some of the
more shy students continue to become more confident.
One of the most lovely aspects of this lesson was just how disappointed the students seemed
to be when it was over! It was clear that they all had so much they wanted to share and
discuss, which is wonderful as it shows just how much they are enjoying and growing
throughout these lessons.
They were set a homework task to complete before next lesson, and we will be beginning our
third Shakespeare text, Julius Caesar, next week.

Home work for lesson 4:

Rewrite the ending of the story to make it a ‘happy ending’.

OR

What part of the story did you find most interesting and why?

VIPERS questions for lesson 5 to be discussed on Monday

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[SKH]

Summary for lesson 5:

What did we cover
– Reflected on last week’s lesson
– Summarised the first half of the play
– Discussed whether Julius Caesar should be considered the tragic hero
– Discussed key contextual points (i.e. Elziabeth’s reign, Fate)
– Worked through the questions for the first half of Julius Caesar

Class report
I was delighted to see the students be so excited to start our third text, Julius Caesar. They engaged so well in our discussions on Tragedy last week, and this lesson that level of interest and enthusiasm continued to show itself.
We began by briefly going over the texts we have looked at so far and what themes/ideas seem to recur in Shakespeare’s tragedies. After hearing a summary of the first half of the text, we moved on to debate whether Julius Caesar should be considered the tragic hero of the text (since he dies half way through). The students had some incredibly interesting and well informed opinions, and it was wonderful to see them be willing to counter points raised by me and other students.
We then moved onto discuss some contextual information (largely the reign of Elizabeth I and how that related to the play and the way it would have been received). We also discussed the changes Shakespeare made to his original source. I have been so pleased to see that, with
every lesson, the students are becoming more and more confident and willing to share their ideas. It is clear that they are engaging well with the material, and that they have a genuine interest.
Next, we went through the questions for the first half of the play. We would frequently linger on some points and have longer debates, all of which were very intriguing. It is fantastic to see the students always wanting to add another point; there is rarely not a hand up!
I would like to end by mentioning how impressed I have been not only by the level the students are performing at, but the friendliness and interest they are showing; they have
started to really listen and respond to each other, and it makes for a very warm and safe space.

Home work for lesson 5:

Imagine you are any one of the main characters. Write a diary entry recounting the events

from their point of view.
OR

Write a short summary of what you expect to happen next and why.

VIPERS questions for lesson 6 to be discussed on Monday

[SKH]

Summary for lesson 6:

What did we cover
– Reflected on last lesson
– Summarised the second half of the play
– Discussed rhetoric and how important it was in Shakespeare’s time
– Analysed the rhetorical techniques used in Antony’s speech
– Worked through the questions for the second half of Julius Caesar
– Debated whether there are heroes/villains in Julius Caesar

Class report
Today we completed our second lesson on Julius Caesar; we began the session by recapping what happened in the story so far, discussing the importance of rhetoric in Shakespeare’s
time, and looking at Antony’s speech (from the play) and analysing the techniques he uses.
I have been very pleased to see the students engage so well in these contextual discussions and debates; it shows that they are able to quickly absorb new material and apply their
knowledge very well. I was particularly impressed by how well they came to understand the differences between logos, ethos, and pathos (as these can be hard concepts to grasp).
After doing some thinking on rhetoric, we discussed whether or not we would be convinced by Brutus’ and Antony’s speeches; it was wonderful to hear everyone’s views, and again in this lesson there were great moments in which students built upon each other’s points or
challenged the argument.
We moved onto looking at the VIPER questions, and sat with some of the bigger issues for a little time as we went through. I really noticed in this session that all the students (including
those who have been quieter in earlier weeks) made a real effort to volunteer answers; this is so encouraging, as it shows that the students are becoming both more comfortable and more confident.
We finished off by thinking about whether any of the characters can be seen as heroes or villains. This was one of the best parts of the lesson, as the students created a really lively debate and gave some excellent explanations to support their answers.
The students seemed very excited to start The Tempest next week; I am very much looking forward to seeing how they work with this slightly different ‘problem’ play, as it marks a move away from the tragic genre.

Home work for lesson 6:

Use Anthony’s speech as inspiration. Imagine you are the ghost of Caesar and write a
persuasive speech which encourages people to start a war against Brutus and Cassius.

OR

Summarise the whole play in 5 sentences.

VIPERS questions for lesson 7 to be discussed on Monday

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[SKH]

Summary for lesson 7:

What did we cover
– Reflected on the lessons so far (discussed our favourite plays)
– Reflected on the genre of Tragedy (discussed the key elements and why people enjoy
watching it)
– Discussed why Shakespeare’s work is still popular today
– Studied the genre of Comedy and Tragi-comedy (Romance)
– Discussed the different staging limitations in Shakespeare’s period/our modern world
and how that would impact the reception of the play
– Studied contextual information related to The Tempest
– Worked through the questions for the first half of The Tempest

Class report
Today’s lesson was slightly longer (80minutes); this allowed the class to engage in some reflection and consolidation exercises and share their thoughts on the lessons so far. It was wonderful to hear how much the students have enjoyed the sessions and to see that they had clearly benefited from the information they receive in the lessons and the debates they engage in. It was evident from the students’ reasoning behind why they selected certain plays
as their favourite that the work we do on context, genre, and wider ‘world’ questions makes their experience of reading and studying these plays far richer and more rewarding.
After this reflection, we debated over some very challenging questions such as ‘why do people enjoy tragedy’, ‘why is Shakespeare still loved today’, and ‘how would plays be
received differently by Shakespeare’s audience compared to a modern audience’. The answers the students gave were wonderfully personal and simultaneously hugely well
informed.
We moved onto discussing The Tempest and the genre of tragi-comedy (romance). The students demonstrated their ability to apply the knowledge they gained over the past few
weeks in a new context, which is an excellent skill for them to continue practicing.
We spent a short amount of time going over the VIPERS questions (as the students enjoy and gain more from the discussions around these questions). They provided the correct answers, and it was wonderful to see how keen and capable they were in elaborating on their responses (i.e. discussing how they know an answer is right and how it links to the play as a whole).
I would like to add how impressed I have been by the progress the students have made over the past 3 weeks. The students’ transformation from lesson 1 to know is remarkable; they are so much more confident and skilful, and I am incredibly excited to see this progress continue
over the coming weeks.

Home work for lesson 7:

Imagine you are Prospero. Write a diary entry .
OR
Summarise the first half in just four sentences.

VIPERS questions for lesson 8 to be discussed on Thur

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[SKH]

Summary for lesson 8:

What did we cover
– Reflected on the lesson
– Discussed the relationship between Prospero and Shakespeare
– Analysed two of Prospero’s speeches from the play
– Debated how the play can be seen as Shakespeare’s ‘farewell’ to the stage
– Worked through the questions for the second half of The Tempest
– Debated whether Prospero was a ‘victim’ or a ‘villain’

Class report
Today we looked at the second half of The Tempest and had some in depth discussions
regarding the significance of this being Shakespeare’s final play.
We began our lesson by discussing how Shakespeare can be regarded as similar to
Prospero; we spoke about the ‘magic’ of theatre and how the fact that Prospero gives up his
magic can be seen as a reflection of Shakespeare giving up his craft. The students had some
excellent views on this issue, and were able to find some great pieces of textual evidence to
back up their arguments.
We also read through and analysed some speeches that Prospero gives in the play. The
students did a wonderful job at unpicking Shakespeare’s language and using these speeches
to further support the claim that there is a link between Prospero and Shakespeare.
We worked through the second half of the VIPERS questions, and I was particularly
impressed by how well the students responded to the ‘bigger’ questions. They were very keen
to share their thoughts and opinions, and the way they used the evidence from the text to help
forward the discussion was wonderful.
To finish off, we debated whether Prospero is a ‘victim’ or a ‘villain’. This was probably one of
the most lively debates we have had so far; the students built upon and countered each
other’s ideas fantastically, and it was excellent to see them be so mature in this debate.
Next week we will be looking at Hamlet; this is one of the biggest and most famous of
Shakespeare’s plays, so I will be very interested to see how they tackle it. I have every
confidence that they will be able to step up to the challenge!

Home work for lesson 8:

Imagine you are Caliban. Write a diary entry.
OR
Is this a tragic play? Write a short paragraph explaining your answer.

VIPERS questions for lesson 9 to be discussed on Monday

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