About the objectives for Shakespeare:

There are two learning objectives for Shakespeare in the Foundation Stage. They focus on an understanding of the notion of character.

• To understand what is meant by a ‘character’ in a story.
• To identify some of the distinctive features of the characters they encounter.

They support progression by:

• Providing the building blocks of further work on story and character before introducing pupils to them within the context of Shakespeare’s plays.

Links to the Primary Framework:

Strand 7: Understanding and interpreting texts.
Strand 8: Engaging with and responding to texts.

• Show an understanding of the elements of stories, such as main character, sequence of events, and openings, and how information can be found in non-fiction texts to answer questions about where, who, why and how(same objective both strands).

Suggested teaching approaches

To understand what is meant by a ‘character’ in a story

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on storytelling, for example, by:

• Identifying characters in stories, locating them in illustrations and discussing key moments with the pupils.
• Developing wall stories during or after reading and asking questions relating to where and why a character is in a particular setting.
• Providing small world figures, puppets and masks which encourage pupils to retell known stories and adapt or invent their own.
• Encouraging pupils to use the stories that they hear in their own play by resourcing role play areas with a range of stimulating objects and dressing-up clothes.
• Asking ‘who’ questions related to a story, e.g. “Who got married at the end of the story?”

To identify some of the distinctive features of the characters they encounter.

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on artefacts, for example, by:

• Placing objects which relate to a particular character in a story into a ‘character chest’. As each of  the objects is removed, encourage pupils to make predictions about the character’s personality, job, interests etc. During the reading of the story, encourage pupils to match the character to the objects and discuss the accuracy of their predictions.
• Drawing an outline of two characters on a large sheet of paper on the floor. Choose characters that are distinctly different, such as a wicked queen and a good fairy. Select objects relating to the characters and discuss their significance before asking pupils to place each item next to the  character it best represents. If necessary, support the decision and ask pupils to justify their choices with reference to the character’s actions within the story.

About the objectives for Shakespeare:

There is one learning objective for Shakespeare in Year 1. It focuses on an understanding of dramatisation as a way of telling a story.

• To realise that stories can be told in different ways, including dramatisation.

It supports progression by:

• Building on pupils’ familiarity with different types of stories.
• Building on pupils’ understanding of characters in stories.

Links to the Primary Framework:

Strand 4: Drama.

• Explore familiar themes and characters through improvisation and role-play.
• Act out their own and well-known stories, using voices for characters.
• Strand 7: Understanding and interpreting texts
• Recognise the main elements that shape different texts.
• Strand 8: Engaging with and responding to texts.
• Visualise and comment on events, characters and ideas, making imaginative links to their own experiences.

Suggested teaching approaches

To realise that stories can be told in different ways, including dramatisation

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on performance, for example, by:

• Asking pupils to listen to the soundtrack of a short film, without dialogue. In pairs, ask them to discuss what they hear and what might be happening, where it might be set and what feelings the sound evokes. Suggest that they dance or move to selected passages. Begin viewing, pausing at key moments for the pupils to recount what they have seen and make predictions. After viewing, select a sound sequence to support pupils’ re-enactment.
• Selecting a wordless picture book, or one with a simple text, of a traditional tale or story well known to the pupils. Ask them to decide on essential items from the prop box and to perform selected scenes. Photograph freeze frames, (with a digital camera linked to the whiteboard, if possible) and ask pupils to explain how they were able to identify the characters and how the characters might be feeling and thinking. Turn some of the responses into thought bubbles and add to the photographs.
• Taking the class through a significant section of a story. Ask pupils to work in small groups to decide what the characters would wear, how they would move, how they would speak, what gestures and expressions they would use, what sound effects they could add etc. Once pupils have completed their thought processes about the characters, challenge them to stage the scene.

About the objectives for Shakespeare:

There is one learning objective for Shakespeare in Year 2. It focuses on encounters with some of Shakespeare’s stories and characters.

• To be familiar with some of Shakespeare’s stories and characters.

It supports progression by:

• Developing pupils’ understanding of story and character.
• Developing pupils’ growing understanding of dramatisation as a way of telling a story.

Links to the Primary Framework:

Strand 4: Drama.

• Present part of traditional stories, their own stories or work drawn from different parts of the curriculum for members of their own class.

Strand 8: Engaging with and responding to texts.

• Engage with books through exploring and enacting interpretations.

Suggested teaching approaches

To be familiar with some of Shakespeare’s stories and characters

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on pupils’ prior knowledge of other stories, for example, by:

• Introducing the story of King Lear by linking it to pupils’ knowledge of folk tales and fairy stories, for example, those involving a parent (king/queen) with three very different sons or daughters. (There are particularly strong parallels between the plot of King Lear and the story generally known as I  Love You More Than Salt). Ask them to help create a story using prompts from the King Lear plot, filling in the gaps in the narrative by drawing on their experience of other stories. This could be done orally, for example:

Once upon a time, there was a king, and he had three___. The first was very ____ and ____. The second was very ___ and ___. But the third was very ___ and ___. The years went by and the king grew old. He decided to divide his kingdom between his three ___. First, he wanted to know how much they loved him. The first thought___ but said___. The king was ___.The second thought___ but said___. The king was___. The third thought___ and said___. The king was very___.

• Telling, watching, reading or performing the story from a play by Shakespeare but leaving out the ending. Ask for predictions as to how pupils think the play will end. For example, do they think that Prospero will have his enemies killed, will he put a spell on them, or will he forgive them at the end of The Tempest? Which is better – a happy or sad ending? Why? Using talk partners, ask pupils what would be the best ending? Encourage pupils to justify their answers and explain their reasons.

• Presenting the pupils with a list of ‘ingredients’ from a chosen Shakespeare play, such as: fairies, a jealous king, a queen, an enchanted wood, magic etc (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and ask them in pairs or small groups to create a story. Ask the pupils to tell or perform their story to the rest of the class and discuss similarities and differences. Identify other known stories where other similar settings and characters appear.
• Telling, reading, watching or performing a suitable version of the play, stopping for predictions and discussion. Ask pupils to choose 6-10 moments in the story to create a storyboard which could either be drawn or photographed using digital cameras as pupils act out and freeze a series of tableaux.

About the objectives for Shakespeare:

There are two learning objectives for Shakespeare in Year 3. They focus on an understanding that Shakespeare’s plays and characters are brought to life through performance.

• To appreciate how characters are brought to life through performance.
• To understand that the text is a script which is brought to life in performance.

They support progression by:

• Building on pupils’ knowledge of some of Shakespeare’s stories and characters.
• Developing pupils’ understanding of dramatisation as a way of telling stories.

Links to the Primary Framework:

Strand 4: Drama.

• Present events and characters through dialogue to engage the interest of an audience.
• Use some drama strategies to explore stories or issues.
• Identify and discuss qualities of others’ performances, including gesture, action and costume.

Strand 7: Understanding and interpreting texts.

• Infer characters’ feelings in fiction and consequences in logical explanations.

Strand 8: Engaging with and responding to texts

• Empathise with characters and debate moral dilemmas portrayed in texts.

Suggested teaching approaches

To appreciate how characters are brought to life through performance

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on dramatic techniques, for example, by:

• Taking a scene from a play, such as Act 3, Scene 1 in A Midsummer Night’s Dream where Titania wakes and sees Bottom. Invite two Shakespeare for all ages and stages 16 pupils to volunteer to be Titania and Bottom and ask the rest of the class to sculpt them in the positions they would like them to be in at this point in the play. Freeze the scene, while two other pupils read some edited lines from the scene, perhaps projected onto the whiteboard. Ask the rest of the class what they think the characters would say next and invite individual pupils to stand next to the character they would like to speak for. Continue the scene in this way, allowing more pupils to enter the sculpted scene and develop the communal voice.
• Hot-seating a character at a moment of dilemma, for example, Macbeth after the murder of Duncan. The teacher might be hotseated by pupils first in order to model the process before moving on to thought tracking whereby pupils can be taken from ‘public answers’ to more private responses in order to reveal the differences between what a character says and what they might really think.

To understand that the text is a script which is brought to life in performance

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on openings, for example, by:

• Introducing the opening to The Tempest through a soundscape by asking pupils to suggest five or six noises associated with a storm at sea, such as wind howling, waves crashing, seabirds crying etc. Allocate each noise to different groups of pupils. One or two lines from the opening scene, such as, “We split we split” or “Mercy on us!” can also be allocated. Conduct the class, bringing in (or leaving out) one group at a time, then gradually incorporating all of the sounds to depict the storm at sea.

• Giving pupils the opening scene of Macbeth, perhaps on the whiteboard, and practise chanting the lines together with them. Show pupils images or extracts from one or two productions to see how the witches have been portrayed. Ask them how they would portray the witches and ask them to act out the scene in groups of three. Compare the different presentations, and encourage each group to explain why they presented their witches in a particular way.

About the objectives for Shakespeare:

There is one learning objective for Shakespeare in Year 4. It focuses on a knowledge and understanding of Shakespeare the playwright, the times in which he lived and the world of the theatre at the time.

• To be familiar with Shakespeare’s life, times and theatre.

It supports progression by:

• Providing a context for pupils’ previous and future encounters with Shakespeare’s stories and characters.

• Supporting pupils’ understanding of the ways in which Shakespeare’s plays were performed during his lifetime. 

Links to the Primary Framework:

Strand 8: Engaging with and responding to texts.

• Explore why and how writers write, including through face-to-face and online contact with authors. 

It also relates closely to the National Curriculum history programme. Teachers are strongly encouraged to exploit such cross-curricular links in literacy learning and teaching.

Suggested teaching approaches

To be familiar with Shakespeare’s life, times and theatre

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on research through crosscurricular links with history, for example, by:

 

• Focusing on Elizabethan life and theatre. Give the pupils identities as Elizabethan characters e.g. butcher, soldier, nursemaid. They can dress up and act out some everyday scenes in the classroom, perhaps set up as an Elizabethan street. Using pretend Elizabethan money, pupils can pay for entry to a ‘reconstruction’ of a theatre in the playground or the hall (stageblocks with a ‘pit’ area in front surrounded by a circle of chairs). Depending on their chosen status in society, they can stand in the ‘pit’ and behave like an Elizabethan audience, e.g. buying fruit from adults dressed as vendors, or sit in one of the galleries or even on the stage as they watch scenes from the play (performed by teachers or older pupils or by groups of the pupils themselves in rotation using suitably rehearsed scripts).
• Focusing on aspects of Shakespeare’s life. Using the information they discover, ask pupils to identify some of the most significant events in his life, e.g. his childhood at grammar school, member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Players, birth and loss of children, building the Globe, acting before the Queen, etc. Ask pupils to choose one of these events or periods of his life and devise a short drama. Select a narrator to link the events together and present this as a TV style history documentary programme, as an assembly presentation for other classes or possibly recorded for the school website. Alternatively, the scenes could be used to make a living museum in the school hall.

About the objectives for Shakespeare:

There are two learning objectives for Shakespeare in Year 5. They focus on Shakespeare’s language – the way it has changed over time and the way it is used to create dramatic tension in his plays.

• To identify some of the distinctive features of Shakespeare’s language and how language has changed over time.
• To appreciate how characters interact and create dramatic tension through their language and actions.

They support progression by:

• Building on pupils’ understanding of the plays as performance which can be interpreted in different ways.
• Developing their understanding of Shakespeare’s characters.
• Preparing pupils for a more explicit exploration of Shakespeare’s language.

Links to the Primary Framework:

Strand 4: Drama.

• Reflect on how working in role helps to explore complex issues.
• Perform a scripted scene making use of dramatic conventions.
• Use and recognise the impact of theatrical effects in drama.

Strand 7: Understanding and interpreting texts.

• Explore how writers use language for comic and dramatic effects.

Suggested teaching approaches

To identify some of the distinctive features of Shakespeare’s language and how language has changed over time

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on ways of experimenting and interacting with Shakespeare’s language, for example, by:

• Giving pupils a line from a play (ensuring a range across the class). Ask them to greet each other with it in different ways, e.g. sadly, critically, threateningly, affectionately, questioningly, jokingly etc.
• Playing a ‘word loop’ game, involving matching cards with phrases/sentences/lines of Shakespeare’s original language to contemporary versions or explanations. Then compare the two in order to explore language change over time.
• Trading Shakespearian insults, for example, in Romeo and Juliet. Set the context for the feud between the two families before giving pupils sets of cards, one for the Montagues and one for the Capulets. The cards should contain paired insults and retorts from Act 1, Scene 1. Divide the class into Montagues and Capulets and line them up, facing each other. In turn, pupils shout an insult whilst pupils on the other side of the classroom search to see whether they have the retort, which they then shout back. Alternatively, gather terms of endearment from several plays and invite pupils to whisper them to one other.

To appreciate how characters interact and create dramatic tension through their language and actions

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on rehearsal room techniques, for example, by:

• Providing a short duologue from a play and asking pupils to identify the pronouns. Then ask them, in pairs, to perform the script, pointing at the characters whenever they are referred to by a pronoun. For example, they point to themselves (I/me), to their partner (you) and to a third person (he/she/they/him/ her/them). Discuss the dramatic impact of pointing and not using a character’s name.
• Using some of the approaches and techniques practised in earlier years (e.g. freeze-framing and hot-seating), explore a particularly dramatic interaction between two characters, for example, Prospero and Caliban or Juliet and her father. Then act out the scene in different ways, drawing on the insights gained. Finally, compare this with a short extract from a performance of the original text.

Exploring status. Give each pupil a card from a pack of playing cards and tell them to hold their card onto their forehead without looking at it so that everybody else can see it apart from them. Ask pupils to walk around the room, responding to each other according to the status denoted by the cards displayed on their foreheads (ace is low, ten is high and royal cards are omitted). Then ask them to place themselves in a status line to see how far they were aware of the status accorded to them by the rest of the class. Develop this by exploring the shifting status in an edited piece of text such as the exchange between Prospero and Ariel in Act 1, Scene 2 of The Tempest or between Antonio and Shylock in Act 1, Scene 3 of The Merchant of Venice.

About the objectives for Shakespeare:

There is one learning objective for Shakespeare in Year 6. It focuses on an exploration of some of the great themes in Shakespeare’s plays.

• To explore some of the great themes of Shakespeare’s plays, such as kingship, romance and ambition.

It supports progression by:

• Building on pupils’ understanding of Shakespeare’s characters, plots and language.
• Developing an understanding of the themes and ideas in some of Shakespeare’s plays and making links between them.

Links to the Primary Framework:

Strand 4: Drama

• Improvise using a range of drama strategies and conventions to explore themes such as hopes, fears and desires.
• Consider the overall impact of a live or recorded performance, identifying dramatic ways of conveying characters’ ideas and building tension.
• Devise a performance considering how to adapt the performance for a specific audience.

Strand 7: Understanding and interpreting texts.

• Understand underlying themes, causes and points of view.

Strand 8: Engaging with and responding to texts.

• Sustain engagement with longer texts, using different techniques to make the text come alive.
• Compare how writers from different times and places present experiences and use language.

Suggested teaching approaches

To explore some of the great themes of Shakespeare’s plays, such as kingship, romance and ambition

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on role play and discussion, for example, by:

Taking a play with a strong theme, e.g. ambition in Macbeth and helping pupils to explore it through a familiar scenario, e.g. “Have you ever been temped to do something that you knew was wrong because you wanted something very badly?” Ask pupils to explore this through discussion or role play before exploring it in the context of the play.

• Asking pupils, in groups of three, to sculpt or freeze frame a theme from a chosen play. Give each group a card with a single theme (ambition, greed, betrayal, romance, kingship) written on it and ask them to devise a tableau, using only themselves, which exemplifies their word. Then provide the rest of the class with some short extracts from the play which exemplify those themes and invite pupils to place the appropriate extract in front of each tableau.

• Using a props box as a means of introducing pupils to the major themes of a play. Prepare a box containing items relevant to the chosen play (Romeo and Juliet might include: a heart, a rose, a (fake) sword, a small bottle of liquid, a wedding ring etc). Ask pupils, in groups, to choose a prop and speculate about its significance to the play, ensuring that all props are chosen. Then ask the class to consider the significance of all the props to the play as a whole. Alternatively, use a props box after the play has been explored, by asking pupils, in groups, to choose six items which they think should be included in the props box to represent the main themes of a play.

About the objectives for Shakespeare:

There are two learning objectives for Shakespeare in Year 7. They focus on interpretive choices and the relevance of the plays’ themes to a modern audience.

• To appreciate that Shakespeare’s plays can be performed and interpreted in different ways.
• To engage with some of the issues, themes and ideas in Shakespeare’s plays and to appreciate the way they remain relevant in the 21st century.

They support progression by:

• Building on pupils’ understanding that a drama text is brought to life through performance and that different choices and interpretations are both possible and desirable.
• Developing the exploration of some of Shakespeare’s key themes and extending this to an appreciation of their continuing relevance in today’s society.

Links to the Secondary Framework:

Strand 4.1: Using different dramatic approaches to explore ideas, texts and issues.

• Explore ideas, texts and issues through a variety of dramatic approaches and conventions.

Strand 4.2: Developing, adapting and responding to dramatic techniques, conventions and styles.

• Work on their own and with others to develop dramatic processes, narratives, performances or roles.
• Comment on the effectiveness of the different dramatic conventions and techniques used.

Strand 5.2: Understanding and responding to ideas, viewpoints, themes and purposes in texts.

• Identify and understand the main ideas, viewpoints, themes and purposes in a text.
• Make a personal response to a text and provide some textual reference in support.

Strand 6.1: Relating texts to the social, historical and cultural contexts in which they were written.

• Understand the different ways in which texts can reflect the social, cultural and historical contexts in which they were written.

Strand 6.2: Analysing how writers’ use of linguistic and literary features shapes and influences meaning.

• Identify and describe the effect of writers’ use of specific literary, rhetorical and grammatical features.

Strand 7.2: Using and adapting the conventions and forms of text on paper and on screen.

• Draw on the conventions of written forms to plan writing and develop ideas to fit a specific task.

Strand 10.2: Commenting on language use.

Understand and make use of the most common terms used to describe language when referring to their own or others’ language use.

Suggested teaching approaches

To appreciate that Shakespeare’s plays can be performed and interpreted in different ways

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on key scenes, speeches or soliloquies, for example, by:

• Taking a significant scene from a play and exploring its various interpretations in two or three different film versions. Possible film 27 Shakespeare for all ages and stages versions include Macbeth (Polanski’s 1971 version and the RSC’s 1979 version starring Ian McKellen and Judi Dench), Romeo and Juliet (Luhrmann’s 1995 version and Zeffirelli’s 1968 version), Much Ado about Nothing (Branagh’s 1993 version and the BBC’s Shakespeare ReTold 2005 version) or Hamlet (Branagh’s 1996 version and Zeffirelli’s 1990 version starring Mel Gibson). Explore the effect and impact on the viewer created by each interpretation by considering the decisions made by the director with regard to setting, costumes and how actors play their parts.
• Asking pupils to perform a soliloquy with a partner in a range of different ways, such as reading alternate lines, whispering the words, or interrupting each other three words in to a line and then discussing the effect, e.g. what impact would it have on the audience if Hamlet whispered “To be or not to be” or if he shouted it?

To engage with some of the issues, themes and ideas in Shakespeare’s plays and to appreciate the way they remain relevant in the 21st century

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on modern parallels to some of Shakespeare’s key themes, for example, by:

• Providing pupils with a series of dilemmas, written as questions, for example:

1. How far would I be prepared to go to get something I really want? (Macbeth)
2. Should my parents have any say in the person I want to marry? (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
   
3. Is it ever justifiable to overthrow the leader of a country by force? (Julius Caesar)

Ask pupils to link the dilemmas to examples from film, television, the news and current events. Display these as cards with questions and responses around the room, and encourage pupils to add to them over time. This will gradually build into a haphazard but lively display of ways in which Shakespeare’s themes are relevant to contemporary life and media.

• Investigating recent political speeches where leaders have justified going to war. Use Henry V’s speech before Harfleur in Act 3 Sc1 to show how he motivates his soldiers. Make a collage around the speech of the images which Shakespeare uses – these can be drawn or taken from printed sources.

{/slideShakespeare in Year 8}

About the objectives for Shakespeare:

There are two learning objectives for Shakespeare in Year 8.

They focus on social, historical and cultural aspects of Shakespeare’s plays and on Shakespeare’s place in our literary heritage.

• To understand how characters’ actions reflect the social, historical and cultural contexts of Shakespeare’s time.
• To understand the cultural significance of Shakespeare and his place in our literary heritage.

They support progression by:

• Building on pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Shakespeare’s life and times.
• Developing pupils’ appreciation of Shakespeare’s characters as dramatic constructs which can be interpreted in different ways according to different social, historical and cultural contexts.

Links to the Secondary Framework:

Strand 4.1: Using different dramatic approaches to explore ideas, texts and issues.

• Use specific dramatic approaches and conventions in structured ways for effective exploration of ideas, texts, issues and themes.

Strand 5.2: Understanding and responding to ideas, viewpoints, themes and purposes in texts.

• Trace the development of a writer’s ideas, viewpoints and themes.
• Respond to a text by making precise points and providing relevant evidence in support of those points.

Strand 6.1: Relating texts to the social, historical and cultural contexts in which they were written.

• Explore the concept of literary heritage, why certain texts are important within it and how some texts have influenced culture and thinking.

Strand 6.2: Analysing how writers’ use of linguistic and literary features shapes and influences meaning.

• Explore the range, variety and overall effect of trades of literary, rhetorical and grammatical features used by writers of literary and nonliterary texts.

Strand 7.2: Using and adapting the conventions and forms of text on paper and on screen.

• Plan writing and develop ideas to suit a specific audience, purpose and task by adapting familiar forms and conventions.

Strand 10.2: Commenting on language use.

• Explain how linguistic concepts are related, and use the terminology in ways that help them describe and review language use.

Suggested teaching approaches

To understand how characters’ actions reflect the social, historical and cultural contexts of Shakespeare’s time

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on short extracts from plays which present views found in Elizabethan or Jacobean society, for example, by:

• Exploring the very real belief in witches and their malign influence as portrayed in Macbeth (James 1 had taken part in the interrogation of witches and believed that they had attempted to drown him on a sea voyage). Ask pupils to contrast the reactions of Macbeth and Banquo to the witches in Act 1 Scene 3 or explore Lady Macbeth’s reaction to her husband’s letter in Act 1, Scene 5. 29 Shakespeare for all ages and stages

• Exploring the anti-Semitic treatment of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. Make a list of the insulting language used by the Christians against Shylock before closely exploring Shylock’s famous speech about revenge in Act 3, Scene 1. Antonio’s behaviour would have been considered acceptable in Shakespeare’s day and Shylock would have been regarded as a minor comic figure. A modern audience is likely to regard Shylock as a more interesting character than the merchant who gives his name to the play.

To understand the cultural significance of Shakespeare and his place in our literary heritage

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on the ways in which we still encounter Shakespeare’s plots and language today, for example, by:

• Using a suitable selection of the many words and phrases in everyday use that owe their origin or longevity to their existence in Shakespeare’s plays, for example, ‘in a pickle’, ‘green-eyed monster’, ‘the game is up’, ‘make your hair stand on end’. (A useful source is: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/phrasessayings- shakespeare.html.) If internet access is available, ask pupils to research the site to find other phrases. Working in pairs, pupils can be asked to highlight phrases, in different colours, that they actually use and those they have heard others use. Draw out how many everyday expressions in English still owe something to their use by Shakespeare.

• Combining the study of a play with sections of a contemporary film, e.g. Ten Things I Hate About You (The Taming of the Shrew), or a novel e.g. Noughts & Crosses (Romeo and Juliet), to uncover how the plots of Shakespeare’s plays continue to reverberate in modern culture, and significantly influence modern writers and directors.

About the objectives for Shakespeare:

There are two learning objectives for Shakespeare in Year 9. They focus on engagement with a complete play and an appreciation and understanding of the way its constituent parts contribute to the whole.

• To understand how characters are developed during the course of a play.
• To appreciate the dramatic conventions and linguistic qualities of scenes and understand their significance to the play as a whole.

They support progression by:

• Building on pupils’ understanding of Shakespeare’s characterisation.
• Developing their appreciation of the language and dramatic conventions of Shakespeare’s plays.

Links to the Secondary Framework:

Strand 4.1: Using different dramatic approaches to explore ideas, texts and issues.

• Use a wide variety of dramatic approaches and conventions to analyse complex and challenging ideas, issues, themes and texts.

Strand 4.2: Developing, adapting and responding to dramatic techniques, conventions and styles.

• Analyse and explain, in and out of role, the use, impact and effect of different dramatic conventions and techniques.

Strand 5.2: Understanding and responding to ideas, viewpoints, themes and purposes in texts.

Develop interpretations of texts, supporting points with detailed textual evidence.
Strand 6.1: Relating texts to the social, historical and cultural contexts in which they were written.

• Develop an informed understanding of how ideas, experiences and values are portrayed in texts from different cultures and traditions.

Strand 6.2: Analysing how writers’ use of linguistic and literary features shapes and influences meaning.

• Analyse in depth and detail writers’ use of literary, rhetorical and grammatical features and their effects on different readers.

Strand 7.2: Using and adapting the conventions and forms of text on paper and on screen.

• Plan different types of writing and develop ideas by drawing on the ways in which forms and conventions can contribute to the overall impact and effectiveness of texts.

Strand 10.2: Commenting on language use.

• Analyse a range of texts or language uses, drawing on terminology related to literary, linguistic and grammatical features.

Suggested teaching approaches

To understand how characters are developed during the course of a play

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on a character’s journey in a play, for example, by:

• Placing the name of a key character on the wall or screen and annotating it with quotations which focus on his or her feelings and state of mind at key points in the play. This activity is best applied to a character who undergoes change or development from the beginning to the end of the play: Prospero from The Tempest is a good example as are Macbeth and King Lear. 31 Shakespeare for all ages and stages
• Asking pupils to sculpt one or more of the play’s protagonists at key moments in the play. Other characters are placed and sculpted around them to represent relationships at these moments e.g. Richard III as the play begins, then as the new king, then on the night before Bosworth. Pupils are supported and guided to find textual evidence to verify the entire sculpture, focusing on the nature of the central character and his or her relationship with others at each key moment. The sculpture can be adapted if textual evidence suggests sharper detail is necessary.
• Positioning characters such as Lord and Lady Capulet and Lord and Lady Montague on ‘stage’ at the beginning of the play in Act 1 Scene 1 and again at the end in Act 5 Scene 3. This can be done by positioning the pupils themselves in a sculpted scene or by using cut-out figures on a mocked up stage. Ask pupils to justify their decisions using textual evidence.

To appreciate the dramatic conventions and linguistic qualities of scenes and understand their significance to the play as a whole

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on soliloquies, for example, by:

• Exploring iambic pentameter. Ask pupils to chart the rhythm of a speech in iambic pentameter on a cardiogram – a piece of paper split into three horizontal lines on which each line of text in a speech is recorded. The central line is for recording lines of ten beats (regular), the lower line is for lines of fewer than 10 beats and the upper line is for lines of more than 10 beats. Each line is marked in order of speech and is joined up to give an indication of the rhythm of the character’s heartbeat and feelings. This can be repeated at various points in the play to show changing moods and emotions.
• Identifying key words to provide an understanding of the essence of a speech. Pupils work with a line each and are asked to pick one key word or ‘silver bullet’ from their line. The delivery or response to this word can then be extended into a whole group exploration or performance and developed further as pupils trace recurring themes or images throughout the play.

About the objectives for Shakespeare:

There are two learning objectives for Shakespeare in Year 10. They focus on the use of close textual reference in responding to a play and making connections with other plays studied.

• To make a confident, critical and personal response to a whole play, using close textual reference.
• To understand the complexity of Shakespeare’s characters and to make connections with other plays by Shakespeare.

They support progression by:

• Developing pupils’ awareness of the ways in which characters are constructed and developed.

• Helping pupils to apply their critical skills to their growing repertoire of Shakespeare’s plays.

Links to the Secondary Framework:

Strand 4.1: Using different dramatic approaches to explore ideas, texts and issues.

• Compare, question and analyse complex and challenging ideas, texts, issues and themes by using a wide variety of dramatic approaches and conventions.

Strand 4.2: Developing, adapting and responding to dramatic techniques, conventions and styles.

• Analyse, compare, evaluate and exemplify, in and out of role, the different uses, intentions and impacts of particular dramatic conventions and techniques in a wide range of drama processes, texts or performances.

Strand 5.2: Understanding and responding to ideas, viewpoints, themes and purposes in texts.

• Analyse, compare and contrast ideas, viewpoints, purposes and themes, both within a text and between texts.

• Build an interpretation of a whole text, recognising links between ideas, themes or characters and supporting points with precise analysis, evidence and explanation.

Strand 6.1: Relating texts to the social, historical and cultural contexts in which they were written.

• Make informed connections and comparisons between texts and writers that are different in time, culture and literary tradition, exploring their influence on each other and on culture as appropriate.

Strand 6.2: Analysing how writers’ use of linguistic and literary features shapes and influences meaning.

• Compare and contrast how writers use specific literary, rhetorical and grammatical features to shape meaning, how techniques differ between different texts and writers, and the potential impact on different readers.

Strand 7.2: Using and adapting the conventions and forms of text on paper and on screen.

• Plan and write effectively, making well judged choices and adaptations to suit particular tasks, purposes and audiences through their knowledge of a range of conventions and forms.

Strand 10.2: Commenting on language use.

• Draw on a wide repertoire of language terms, as appropriate, when analysing, comparing and contrasting texts, including their own.
  

Suggested teaching approaches

To make a confident, critical and personal response to a whole play, using close textual reference

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on directorial choices, for example, by:

• Developing a specification for a new version of the play for the BBC Shakespeare ReTold series. Insist that pupils provide a very specific brief which should include reference to particular scenes, lines and words and the type of interpretation looked for. This might be presented as a written piece or as an improvised meeting between the producers and the commissioning team.

• Reviewing a version of the current play seen either on film or in the theatre. This might take the form of a letter to the director or an actor, commenting on or questioning particular interpretive choices made.

To understand the complexity of Shakespeare’s characters and to make connections with other plays by Shakespeare

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on archetypes, for example, by:

• Exploring some of Shakespeare’s villains, such as Iago, Macbeth, Richard III, Don Pedro, Claudius, etc. As a starting point, take a character from the current play who might be considered a villain and place him or her on a continuum with other Shakespearian villains, from those whose evil seems inexplicable to those who are more complex, flawed characters to those who are likeable rogues. Tease out the nature of the villainy in the character in the core play. Notions of leadership, heroines, outsiders etc could be similarly explored.
• Putting a character on trial, involving every member of the class in various ways, e.g. as a character witness, as an expert witness, as a victim of the defendant, etc. Invite pupils to make creative links with other plays, e.g. by transposing the doctor in Macbeth to stand as an expert witness for Othello or Hamlet. This might form part of a piece of speaking and listening coursework as well as a response to Shakespeare.

About the objectives for Shakespeare:

There are two learning objectives for Shakespeare in Year 11. They focus on an understanding of the contextual significance of Shakespeare’s plays, based on encounters with a range of plays.

• To understand the significance of the social, historical and cultural contexts of a Shakespeare play.
• To appreciate the moral and philosophical significance of Shakespeare’s plays and their relevance for a contemporary audience.

They support progression by:

• Building on and developing pupils’ awareness of the cultural, historical and social contexts of Shakespeare’s plays.

• Consolidating an awareness of the deeper significances of Shakespeare’s plays for an audience today.

Links to the Secondary Framework:

Strand 4.1: Using different dramatic approaches to explore ideas, texts and issues.

• Draw on a repertoire of dramatic approaches and conventions to pursue original and inventive lines of thought when exploring ideas, texts and issues and transfer them to other ideas and texts.

Strand 5.1: Developing and adapting effective reading skills and strategies.

• Analyse, compare and contrast texts and sources with insight into their context as well as their content, evaluating their validity and relevance for a range of tasks or purposes.

Strand 5.2: Understanding and responding to ideas, viewpoints, themes and purposes in texts.

• Evaluate the ways in which ideas, viewpoints and themes in texts may be interpreted differently according to the perspective of the reader.

• Develop and sustain independent interpretations of texts, making concise evaluative comments and supporting points with detailed textual reference and analysis.

Strand 6.1: Relating texts to the social, historical and cultural contexts in which they were written.

• Analyse the values and assumptions of writers by drawing out connections and comparisons between texts and their relationship to social, historical and cultural contexts.

Strand 6.2: Analysing how writers’ use of linguistic and literary features shapes and influences meaning.

• Analyse how specific literary, rhetorical and grammatical features shape meaning in implicit and explicit ways to create impact, how techniques differ across a wide range of texts and writers, and evaluate the potential impact of these choices on different readers.

Strand 7.2: Using and adapting the conventions and forms of text on paper and on screen.

• Select from a wide range of conventions and forms, adapting or synthesising their distinctive features as appropriate to achieve particular effects and impact in their writing.

Strand 10.2: Commenting on language use.

• Select carefully from the full repertoire terminology to make precise analysis, communicate ideas effectively and enhance critical exploration of a wide range of texts.
  

Suggested teaching approaches

To understand the significance of the social, historical and cultural contexts of a Shakespeare play

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on the way Shakespeare’s plays are set within a political landscape, for example, by:

• Investigating Shakespeare’s treatment of his source material and the way he adapted it for dramatic and artistic reasons, e.g. Richard III was a successful soldier and popular leader, a patron of the Arts; Macbeth was actually a good king who reigned in Scotland for many years. Pupils might write in role as Richard’s or Macbeth’s lawyers, demanding a retraction of the damaging portrayal of their clients.

• Exploring the positive representation of leadership in plays such as Henry V and Richard II in the wider historical and political context of the latter years of Elizabeth’s reign in order to idealise the Queen and set the standard for kingship.

To appreciate the moral and philosophical significance of Shakespeare’s plays and their relevance for a contemporary audience

One way to approach this learning objective would be to focus on group talk, for example, by:

• Giving pupils a series of statements, for example:

1. The play shows us that humans are basically good.
2. The play shows the importance of religion.
   
3. The play shows that prejudice is always wrong.
4. The play shows us that revenge is sometimes justifiable.
5. The play shows us that the end justifies the means.

Give them 30 seconds, with a partner, to apply the statement to the play they have studied and to decide on their response. Then share the following statement: ‘Shakespeare’s plays still have relevance today. They hold up a mirror to society, showing us our strengths and weaknesses’. In pairs or small groups, ask pupils to make a two-column list for ideas that support the statement and those that do not support it.

• Using whole class and group discussions and strategies such as ‘conscience corridor’, ‘walk of fame’ and ‘walk of shame’, encourage pupils to explore the moral issues that underpin the play they are studying. Build up a working wall display on these issues and allow pupils to annotate the display with quotations or their thoughts on characters’ actions that exemplify these themes. Encourage them to make connections with films, novels, and popular TV series, e.g. the parallels with the downfall of Macbeth and Darth Vader in their pursuit of power. Pupils could write the obituary for their chosen character using evidence from the play to demonstrate how their actions, their attitudes and what other characters have said and feel about them, reveal their moral position and how it is contrary to the good of society.
• Asking pupils to identify the characters that represent moral or philosophical perspectives or could be seen as a moral touchstone for the themes of the play, e.g. Banquo and Macduff in Macbeth, Polonius in Hamlet or Cordelia in King Lear. Pupils might plan and present a 15-minute version of This is your Life using other pupils as characters who talk about the star of the show and their exemplary life.

As each key stage builds on the last and prepares for the next, so post-16 study builds on students’ prior knowledge of Shakespeare at GCSE. Likewise, students’ engagement with Shakespeare during the years of compulsory education prepares them for post-16 study, if that is their chosen route.

Students following GCE English Literature courses will study at least one play by Shakespeare as a compulsory element either at AS or A2 and some Drama and Theatre Studies specifications also offer an optional Shakespeare play for study. Students can continue to use a range of active and interactive approaches to explore his plays, whether they are studying Shakespeare in English Literature or in Drama and Theatre Studies.

Depending on the chosen GCE specification, students may be required to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding in a range of ways, for example:

• Through an extended, comparative study, making comparisons and links between a chosen Shakespeare play and other, thematically linked texts.
• Through a study of genre, drawing connections between Shakespeare’s plays and other plays from the same historical period or from related dramatic genres.
• Through a critical analysis of others’ interpretations of a play, perhaps showing an appreciation of the way different literary critical theorists and theatre practitioners have reinterpreted Shakespeare over time and across cultures.
• Through a ‘re-creative’ response, such as a character’s monologue in the style of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads. Students might explore how and why Shakespeare’s plays have been reinterpreted and transposed into different media over time, for example, in Margaret Atwood’s Gertrude Talks Back in Good Bones and Simple Murders.

Significant experiences in Key Stage 5 might include:

• Encountering a wider range of Shakespeare’s plays, e.g. histories, comedies, tragedies etc.
• Encountering a range of different views and theories about Shakespeare, including those from other cultures.
• Drawing on a wide range of dramatic approaches to engage with texts and to test out critical views of plays.

For those who continue to study Shakespeare into Higher Education, students undertake a range of different approaches, such as a close study of Shakespeare texts as poetry, through historical and dramatic interpretations, to fullscale dramatic productions of his work. They will be presented with option choices such as, ‘Shakespeare on Film’, ‘Shakespeare in the Jacobean and Restoration periods’, ‘Shakespeare’s Theatre’ and ‘Shakespeare as cultural icon’. Students studying Shakespeare within Drama and Performance Departments may be asked to consider how the theatrical conditions of his time affected the meaning of his work, or how staging conventions, set design or actor training have produced and reproduced Shakespeare from his own time to the present day. Ultimately, those who enter professions such as teaching and the Arts continue this cycle for future generations, providing positive experiences of Shakespeare and helping to create a new generation of informed young adults who understand why Shakespeare’s plays continue to be widely watched, read, studied, performed and reinterpreted; are able to make connections with their literary and cultural heritage and with the language, themes and ideas of Shakespeare’s plays; and who benefit, as a result, from a lifelong pleasure in his work.