Shakespeare in American Life
Patriarchy in King Lear and As I Lay Dying
King Lear, “Papa Doc” Duvalier, Colonel Walter E. Kurtz and Anse Bundren? Imagine a unit that examines the tragic hero and patriarchy in King Lear, As I Lay Dying and Apocalypse Now. To liven the brew, learners are asked to include in...
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Examining Redemption in King Lear
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, students investigate the redemption or defeat of King Lear and perform two...
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AND WE ALL SIT DOWN: STATUS IN KING LEAR
Young scholars participate in two simple status games to allow students to explore the relationships between Lear, his three daughters, and his court.
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I Want to Believe: Astrologers and Sceptics in King Lear
Students examine two conflicting writings on solar eclipse that occurred on Black Monday and discuss them in the context of Shakespeare's King Lear. In this Shakespeare instructional activity, students discuss astrology and read the...
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Who's the Fool in King Lear
Students complete close reading and character analysis for Shakespeare's King Lear. In this play analysis lesson, students reenact scene 1, Act 1 and pick only the lines that demonstrate action. Students act out the scene so their body...
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Reader's Theater, King Lear, and the Language of Gesture
Students perform a Reader's Theater of a small section of the play, King Lear. They examine the text, read a handout for Reader's Theater techniques, cut and reorder lines in small groups, and add choreography to perform their scene.
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King Lear- Cut a Scene
Students determine the most critical elements of King Lear, Act I using a Silent Scene Model. In this King Lear lesson, students will create a silent scene based on a scene from Act I of King Lear and act out their scenes for the class.
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Trickery and Foolery in King Lear
Students act out scenarios in which someone is duped or is made a fool of. In this trickery and foolery in King Lear lesson, students plan and act out a brief scenario and discuss the person who is duped and why. Students relate this...
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Fools for Love in King Lear
Learners discuss the expression "fools for love." In this literature analysis lesson, students use King Lear as a basis for examining parent-child relationships. In small groups, they discuss the motives behind various actions in the...
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Great Speeches by William Shakespeare
High schoolers compare and contrast Shakespearian speeches. In this Shakespeare lesson, students read selected speeches from King Lear and complete a handout that requires them to analyze the speeches.
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O, LEAR'S MANY REASONS
Young scholars analyze King Lear's speech and identify his "darker purpose", and let them explore different styles for reading it aloud. They can perform the scene as well.
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I WILL NOT HEAR THAT PLAY: PERFORMING A DUMB SHOW
Students perform a "dumb show" based on a short passage from either A Midsummer Night's Dream or King Lear. This technique allows students to explain the action taking place on stage and the variety of different ways that action can be...
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Festival of Fools
Students act out lines from King Lear to show a character's folly. In this English literature lesson, students identify the 'folly' of a given character by choosing a passage from King Lear to demonstrate a time when the character acts...
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NOTHING TO LEAR BUT LEAR HIMSELF
Students read a scene from King Lear and decide collaboratively how best to present it. In doing so, they examine the scenes and the play from multiple perspectives.
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King Lear
Young scholars examine patterns of imagery in King Lear by using online resources. Students compare the patterns they see to those they've found in other Shakespeare plays. Then young scholars draw conclusions about why Shakespeare might...
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King Lear's Storm
Young scholars read speeches from King Lear. They examine the sppeach for meaning by paraphrasing and defining words. They read aloud with "storm" in their voices. Groups perform their speech and class discusses it in terms of inner vs....
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Blow, Crack, and Rage
Students add punctuation to a passage from King Lear and compare their version to the First Folio version. In this Shakespeare and punctuation lesson, students discuss the difference punctuation can make on a set of words. Students add...
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TO LOVE, HONOR AND OBEY (ONE'S PARENTS!)
Students examine parent-child tensions regarding obedience and communication, in order to explain the conflicts in the opening scene of King Lear. They discuss ways in which expectations for studenT obedience were different in...
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Shakespeare
Young scholars read specific acts of Shakepeare's King Lear. Using the text, they identify the beginning stages of Lear's insanity and the causes of his instability. They examine the relationship between King Lear and Poor Tom and...
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OF PASSIONS SUNDRY AND STRANGE
Students examine on-line primary sources to gain an understanding of Elizabethan attitudes toward different character traits. They use these ideas to help explain Lear, or another strong character, more fully.
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Performances of Lear's Speeches
Students engage in a instructional activity which gives them an introduction to the text, as a way to compare and contrast the instructional activity learned at the end of the play. They utilize worksheets imbedded in this plan to...
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Speak What We Feel, Not What We Ought to Say
Students examine and create their own interpretation of a particular character from the play, King Lear. They read the speeches, write a paragraph about their character, and present a short performance of their scene.
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Comparison of King Lear and King James
Pupils learn of the comparisons between Shakespeare's play, King Lear, and the actual King James. They make historical connections through internet research.
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Performing Modernized Shakespeare
Learners select a piece of text from a play and prepare it for performance to the class based on their modern setting.