Young scholars analyze characters' personalities and relate them to the study of astrology in Shakespeare's time. This activity increases comprehension of early modern beliefs about astrology and, in doing so, give them a greater...

Students complete a unit of lessons to learn about William Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre. In this William Shakespeare lesson, students complete 7 lessons of activities to study William Shakespeare, the Globe Theatre, and the play 'A...

Students explore and analyze how to approach Shakespeare and create more meaning in a variety of contexts. In groups, they imagine three witches on the heath and trying to play it straight. They study various script extracts to evaluate.

In this Romeo and Juliet worksheet, students view three versions of the balcony scene. Students discuss why the director chose the elements for the film versions. Students then complete a prompt-book activity analyze the setting,...

Students discover Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. In this drama lesson plan, students read the first act of the play and then rewrite the original passages in today's English.

Students read and analyze a piece of literature from 1591 to investigate whether Elizabethan fathers were patriarchal dicatators. Students read the passage and answer questions to determine what fathers were like during the late...

Students brainstorm and discuss elements of modern humor. They compare humor in their own lives to the humor that Shakespeare used in "Twelfth Night". They perform portions of "Twelfth Night" focusing on its humor.

Students examine the concept of the tragic hero in Shakespeare's King Lear and explore how it affects the plot of the play. In this theatrical analysis lesson plan, students investigate the redemption or defeat of King Lear and perform...

Students explore the symbolic implications for the concept of the hero with a focus on the Beowulf theme. In this hero concept lesson, students find specific examples of monsters from Beowulf to complete the chart. Students list the...

Students create a graffiti wall using their own name or personal symbol. They examine their own understanding of the film as a source of inspiration and listen to the music from the soundtrack as an effective motivation. They make...

Students analyze passages from The Mysteries of Love and Eloquence, or the Arts of Wooing and Complementing, written in the seventeenth century. Students analyze the images, words and figures of speech the author used and compare the...

In this English language worksheet, students examine a passage written in Old English, Middle English, and Modern English to find changes in the language.  Students are then given a list of words to define and examine in order to...

Students gain an understanding of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. In this drama lesson, students read the second act of the play and then rewrite the original passages in today's English.

Students use Shakespeare's plays to add modern music to match the mood in the play. They assign adjectives to the original songs of the play and find a song with the same mood. They work together to role-play the play with new music.

Spark interest in a historic phenomena that lasted over 1000 years. The topic, witch hunts throughout history! A timeline beginning in 1000 BC follows how various religious groups have persecuted those thought to be witches up through...

Students use online resources in order to examine patterns of imagery in As You Like It. By comparing these patterns to those of other Shakespeare plays, students draw conclusions about the different reasons Shakespeare uses imagery in...

Students activity find the multiplicity of meanings buried within Shakespeare's language. They examine how the meanings of words differ in modern America and in Venice.

In this "The Wooden O" worksheet, students read about the first public theatres in London and answer discussion questions about attending a play during the 1500-1600's. Students then create a poster of the Globe theatre and perform an...

Students examine a scene from "Julius Caesar." After watching commercials and political ads on TV, students explore the intention of the commercial. They compare and contrast the forms of persuasion used. Students share their writings...

Students examine patterns of imagery in Othello by using online resources. Students compare the patterns they see to those they've found in other Shakespeare plays. Then students draw conclusions about why Shakespeare might have used the...

Students discover literature by conducting a free writing experiment. For this sonnet lesson, students read the sonnet "The Parting" and compare it to modern-day songs about breaking up. Students listen to pop music in class and...

Learners examine patterns of imagery in A Midsummer Night's Dream by using online resources. Students compare the patterns they see to those they've found in other Shakespeare plays. Then learners draw conclusions about why Shakespeare...

Students examine patterns of imagery in Macbeth by using online resources. Students compare the patterns they see to those they've found in other Shakespeare plays. Then students draw conclusions about why Shakespeare might have used the...

Young scholars discuss words that represent the "big ideas" in Othello and that recur throughout the play. They will be assigned words to track throughout the text, recording which character says the word and in what context.