ShakesFear and How to Cure It: The Complete Handbook for Teaching Shakespeare

Description

For teachers and lovers of Shakespeare, ShakesFear and How to Cure It provides a comprehensive approach to the challenge and rewards of teaching Shakespeare and gives teachers both an overview of each of Shakespeare's 38 plays and specific classroom tools for teaching it. Written by a celebrated teacher, scholar and director of Shakespeare, it shows teachers how to use the text to make the words and the moments come alive for their students. It refutes the idea that Shakespeare's language is difficult and provides a survey of the plays by someone who has lived intimately with them on the page and on the stage. Cover page Halftitle page Series page Title page Copyright page Dedication CONTENTS PREFACE FOREWORD ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PART I CHAPTER 1 SEVEN DEADLY PRECONCEPTIONS OF TEACHING SHAKESPEARE The first deadly preconception: Shakespeare as poetry The second deadly preconception: Shakespeare as philosophy The third deadly preconception: Shakespeare as storyline The fourth deadly preconception: Shakespeare has definitive interpretations The fifth deadly preconception: Shakespeare as high culture The sixth deadly preconception: Shakespeare as history The seventh deadly preconception: Shakespeare as another language CHAPTER 2 EIGHT DON’TS OF TEACHING SHAKESPEARE The First Don’t: Don’t make them memorize speeches (except sometimes) The Second Don’t: Don’t show them films or videos (except sometimes) The Third Don’t: Don’t take them to stage productions you haven’t seen (except sometimes) The Fourth Don’t: Don’t assign research papers to students new to Shakespeare The Fifth Don’t: Don’t stress the history of Shakespeare’s England (except sometimes) The Sixth Don’t: Don’t strain to cover the ‘whole’ play The Seventh Don’t: Don’t pretend to like something you don’t like The Eighth Don’t: Don’t have anyone in your class (including you) read more than two sentences at a time (except sometimes) CHAPTER 3 NINE DOS OF TEACHING SHAKESPEARE The First Do: Do connect the works to yourself The Second Do: Do stress your own problems with the play The Third Do: Do stress staging The Fourth Do: Do stage scenes with your students The Sixth Do: Do deal with the ‘dirty’ stuff The Seventh Do: Do stress character, but in your students’ terms The Eighth Do: Do confront Shakespeare’s poor speakers The Ninth Do: Do deal with sound (even metre, if you know how) CHAPTER 4 STUDENT COMPLAINT NO. 1: ‘SHAKESPEARE’S TOO HARD’ I. General approaches to Shakespeare’s language II. Strategems against the hard language complaint CHAPTER 5 STUDENT COMPLAINT NO. 2: ‘SHAKESPEARE IS BORING AND/OR IRRELEVANT’ I. Stage it, stage it, stage it II. Show them the material of timeless interest to the young III. Find parallels to Shakespeare in their world IV. Dispense with expectations of plot suspense V. Useful Shakespeare VI. Share Shakespeare’s life with your students PART II INTRODUCTION THE PLAYS ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA AS YOU LIKE IT THE COMEDY OF ERRORS CORIOLANUS CYMBELINE HAMLET KING HENRY IV, PARTS 1 AND 2 KING HENRY V KING HENRY VI, PART 1 KING HENRY VI, PART 2 OR THE FIRST PART OF THE CONTENTION OF THE TWO FAMOUS HOUSES OF YORK AND LANCASTER KING HENRY VI, PART 3 OR THE TRUE TRAGEDY OF RICHARD DUKE OF YORK AND THE GOOD KING HENRY THE SIXTH KING HENRY VIII OR ALL IS TRUE JULIUS CAESAR KING JOHN KING LEAR LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST MACBETH MEASURE FOR MEASURE THE MERCHANT OF VENICE THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING OTHELLO PERICLES KING RICHARD II KING RICHARD III ROMEO AND JULIET THE TAMING OF THE SHREW THE TEMPEST TIMON OF ATHENS TITUS ANDRONICUS TROILUS AND CRESSIDA TWELFTH NIGHT THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN THE WINTER’S TALE APPENDIX: A PERSONAL GUIDE TO SHAKESPEARE ON SCREEN INDEX