You can likely recall at least one quote from Shakespeare somewhere deep in your memory. Everybody in Britain studies Shakespeare at school. It doesn’t matter if they like him or not. Shakespeare scholars meet to discuss the finer details of Shakespeare’s writings. This is evident as leading experts in Shakespeare scholarship come together to discuss their work. Modern methods of teaching Shakespeare encourage children and adults to use his language and meaning in new ways, while also helping them to learn.
The English curriculum for the future insists that all students must study Shakespeare. This includes at least two Shakespeare plays, between the ages eleven and fourteen. Since public education was established, there have been numerous debates over whether or not Shakespeare Workshops for primary should be taught.
Victorians introduced Shakespearean literature for “improvement” of young minds. This resulted in a desk-based, reductionist approach to examinations that required students analyze each scene individually, sometimes with little to no understanding of the whole play.
Rex Gibson (a Cambridge academic) published Teaching Shakespeare in 1998. It has since been refocused to make the plays more accessible as theatrical performances. Gibson stated that Shakespeare’s plays are scripts to be performed and students will be able to active interpret them.
Students’ creative approaches are made possible by Shakespeare’s complexity. Children are challenged by the complicated language, distant settings and complex plots of Shakespeare’s plays. They need new ways to think. When children perform the plays they have studied, it gives them the freedom to be creative and allows them to feel more in control of the text.
Gibson’s philosophy is still relevant today. He has also created practical exercises and other ideas, such as the use of voice and language by Cicely Berry. This has led to a more integrated approach to Shakespeare teaching for children.
Although different companies, like Shakespeare’s Globe, Shakespeare’s Royal Shakespeare Company, or Shakespeare’s School Festival, have their own approach to teaching Shakespeare’s stories, they all share a commitment toward ensemble and rehearsal-room exercises. The end result is that both children and teachers are being encouraged to play with Shakespeare.
Playing with language
Joe Winston is a drama teacher who studied the playful approach to Shakespeare at the RSC for some of its youngest learners. He has used games, exercises and stories to share the story of The Tempest and its characters with four- and 5-year-olds.
My ongoing research for the Shakespeare Schools’ festival has shown me how teachers are encouraged explore the vocal possibilities and have students enjoy using the weird words. One teacher, when introducing her class to Richard III, advised them to “enjoy the strange word, taste them like candy”. The children take great delight in this and begin to practice the language.
A playful approach to learning Shakespeare’s words is a good way to begin. It also avoids having to explain everything. Linguistic research is being increasingly supported. Guy Cook, a Linguist says young children will learn languages just as quickly by playing with the “form” than with the “content”.
The ensemble is another key component of this approach for teaching Shakespeare. It is a theatrical model of collaboration creativity. The idea behind the ensemble is that it creates a safe space for collaboration, but not one that is too comfortable. This allows for less pressure (there isn’t a right or wrong answer) while also lowering the stakes. All members of the group are accountable to one another and the demands of any text. “Star turns” from one child should be discouraged. Instead of being an unchallengeable authority the teacher can become an informed facilitator.
In practice, this ensemble approach could see parts shared between the whole cast. As an example, picture a Primary School class filling Globe’s Globe stage during The Tempest. Prospero denies Ariel’s request for freedom. In the scene, Prospero stands as a student centrally, while Ariel is portrayed by 25 children who weave around him.
Students can also use freeze frames or modernimprovisations to explore a scene with their classmates during a lesson. Teachers can prompt discussion by asking students to return to their scripts as a reference or inviting them to consider other versions of the play, or making connections with their own interests. Let’s take, for example, a group GCSE pupils who were rehearsing Titus Andronicus. I was enthralled at the play’s dark content and themes like loyalty and betrayal. The scene will be performed by only two actors. However, the whole class played a part in shaping it.
Taking creative risks
This approach is based upon games, experiments, and creative improvisations. But students must also take a risk. This approach requires time, trust and risk.
There are no clear guidelines for predicting artistic or educational outcomes. Shakespeare’s Schools Festival performed a national evaluation. RSC research also showed that students gain confidence and academic engagement when they can play with Shakespeare.
