The World of

William

Unit Objectives

This unit will help you to:• Distinguish facts from opinions and

theories• Interpret illustrations• Imagine what others are experiencing• Become more aware of changes in

language over time• Combine information from a range of

sources

Unit 11: Investigating Shakespeare’s World

Learning Outcome

By the end of the lesson I will be able to:

1. distinguish facts from opinions and theories

2. Improve my note-taking skills

Key words

fact, opinion, theory

born

worked

other

wrote

Famous for

Have read

married

Know him through

Facts about William Shakespeare

Investigating Shakespeare’s World.

Finding the Facts

What is fact? What is an opinion?

Why are fact and opinion different?

Why is it important that we know the difference and use the right one in different situations?

Definitions

FACTS: Can be proven to be true.

OPINION : A point of view.

THEORY : A suggestion using evidence to show their point of view could be correct.

Copy this into your yellow book

What is an abbreviation?

When researching, it would take too much time to write down everything you read. An effective way of just gathering the bits you will need is to use abbreviations.

Turn to Page 115

An abbreviation is a shortened version of a word or phrase, for example, _____________________________.

Distinguishing facts from opinions and theories.

Biographies do more than give facts. They also provide

opinions and theories about the person. This makes the

biography more interesting to read. The writer often helps

the readers to distinguish between the facts and opinions

and theories.

This extract opens with the sentence:

William Shakespeare is probably the most famous of all

writers.

This statement is based on point of view. It cannot be proved. It is

opinion. The word ‘probably’ alerts the reader to this.

In lines 23-31 the writer offers a theory about how Shakespeare might

have been caught stealing deer from Charlecote Park. This is neither

fact nor opinion. It is an attempt to explain why Shakespeare left Stratford

when he did. The words ‘It seems that’ (line 23), ‘it is said that’ (line 26), and

‘may well have’ (line 29) alert the reader to this.

Task:

Complete Activity 2,

Your chart will need to look like this:

Turn to p117

FACT OPINION THEORY

Biographical writingThe main purpose of a biography is to re-tell the events of a persons life. A

biography usually contains:

A lot of factual detailOpinions and stories about the personA theory or two about how / why they did the things they did.

Shakespeare’s Life

Learning Outcome

To create a time line which is set out in chronological order and that shows factual details.

Key words

Time line

Chronological order

Facts

Starter – Your class is going to create a ‘living’ timeline of Shakespeare’s life!

With your partner look at the card that you have been given. Each card shows a different event in Shakespeare’s life.

How could you perform the information on your card?

• Could you make a freeze frame - with no action? • Would you prefer to include movement and

action?• You may decide to include a line or two of

speech.

Position yourselves in date order…1. 1564 – Shakespeare born2. 1582 – Marries Anne Hathaway3. 1583 – Susannah born4. 1585 – Judith & Hamnet born5. 1587 – Begins acting in London6. 1590 – Begins writing his plays7. 1596 – Hamnet dies8. 1599 – The Globe Theatre is built9. 1601 – His father dies10. 1603 – He forms a new company ‘The King’s Men’11. 1607 – Susannah marries12. 1608 – His first grandchild is born13. 1612 – Shakespeare retires to Stratford14. 1615 – Judith marries15. 1616 – Shakespeare dies

Main Activity: Creating your time lineExamples:

• Create a board game:

1. 1564Shakespeare born

2. 3. 4. 1582

Plenary

• Make up a question that you could ask your class mates about Shakespeare. Use information from your time line or from the spider diagram in your exercise books.

Shakespeare in Elizabethan England

Shakespeare lived from 1564 till 1616. For

most of that time Queen Elizabeth was

on the throne (she died in 1603), and so the that time period is known as Elizabethan

England.

8Lc Fri 2/3/078TB Mon 5/3/07lesson 3

After she diedAfter Queen Elizabeth popped her clogs, King James I came to the throne.

King James was also King of Scotland, and one of his interests was language…another interest was…

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Witchcraft and magic

In Elizabethan England EVERYONE believed in witchcraft. That is, everyone believed that witchcraft was real, that witches cast spells to make a cow sick, or to cause a woman to be ugly, or to make a man’s hair fall out. They believed that most witches were women, that they had supernatural powers, and that they could so things like see into the future, predict the weather, or kill without being caught.

8Lc Fri 2/3/078TB Mon 5/3/07lesson 3

Witchcraft for people like you and I

So what did it mean to be accused of being a witch?

Some of you may have heard of the dunking stool…where those accused were sat on the end of a very long stick and dunked in the local river…if they survived then they must have used witchcraft to help them so they were clearly guilty…if they drowned they were cleared of all charges…but of course, they were dead, so did it really matter?

8Lc Fri 2/3/078TB Mon 5/3/07lesson 3

Witchcraft, King James, and a play called ‘The Tempest’.

FACT: King James was on the throne when Shakespeare wrote The Tempest.

OPINION : We know The Tempest is a very good play because people still go and see it be performed 400 years after it was written.

THEORY : Shakespeare included lots of magic and some witchcraft in ‘The Tempest’, because he wanted to please King James and he knew King James would enjoy seeing the magic of Prospero and Ariel, and the witchcraft of Sycorax in the play.

8Lc Fri 2/3/078TB Mon 5/3/07lesson 3

TASK…

Using the worksheet, complete the CLOZE activities in your best handwriting onto lined paper. These tasks will be the beginning of your year 9 Shakespeare SAT’s project so it is very important that your work is presented well.

a) The Life of William Shakespeare, (Page 1)

b) Shakespeare Cultural background, Witchcraft. (Page 2)

You can use a separate piece of lined paper for each CLOZE activity.

Elizabethan Theatres

Learning Outcome

By the end of the lesson I will have interpreted illustrations and be able to say how they help me understand Elizabethan theatre.

Key words

Elizabethan theatres

GETTING INFORMATION FROM PICTURESAlthough not much is known about Shakespeare, a great deal is

known about the times in which he lived and the theatres where his

plays were performed. One picture provides a valuable source of information.

In 1596 a Dutchman, Johannes de Witt made a sketch of the Swan Theatre in

his diary and this was later copied by his friend Arend Van Buchell. It is the only eye-

witness picture of the inside of an Elizabethan theatre.

7

Activity

1. On plain paper draw the picture of the Elizabethan theatre on pg119

2. Complete Activity 3, pg 118 and label your drawing. Use one colour for the Latin labels and a different colour for the English meanings.

3. Write on the back of your drawing the true statements in activity 3.2.

Task: Activity 4

Using the A4 worksheet,

1) label each part of the theatre, neatly. Make sure your writing stays level.

2) On the back of the worksheet, answer part 2 in full sentences.

Turn to p120

Thurs 8/3/07lesson 4

Elizabethan Theatres

Lesson Outcomes

By the end of the lesson I will have an understanding of the Elizabethan theatre experience.

Fri 5/3/07

lesson 5

Starter

1) On lined paper put your name on the left and today’s date on the right.

2) Put the title

William Shakespeare: A biography

3) Put the sub-heading

Shakespeare’s Personal Life

4) Write a paragraph using the research you have gathered for homework.

Thurs 8/3/07Thurs 8/3/07lesson 4

Homework

1) a paragraph about Elizabethan theatre2) a paragraph about one (or more) of Shakespeare’s plays.

The following websites are useful:http://www.bardweb.net/words.htmlhttp://www.pegasus51.org/awtew/language.htm

Also, there is information in the library. Aim to write at least 100 words for each subheading. The following may help you:

Fri 5/3/07

lesson 5

Title of the playCharacters in the play

Themes in the play, for example, love, hate, war, power.Plot

Type of play (comedy, tragedy, history for example)

Remember that you are going to write an Introduction to Shakespeare. You have already written details about various aspects of his life. Your next task is to write:

Stage designtheatre locationtheatre namewhy male actorscost of going to see the playwho went to see the playthe Elizabethan experience of going to the theatre

Cinema or theatre? which would you choose?

Have you been to the theatre or the cinema? Think about the experience. Why is the cinema different to the theatre?

Who hasn’t been to the theatre? Why not? Not cool? No opportunity? Too expensive? Not interested?

Thurs 8/3/07lesson 4

Comparing Shakespeare’s theatres with theatres today

Shakespeare’s theatres had…

Modern theatres have…

1. No roof, so sometimes it rained in the theatre.

2. Daylight was the only lighting.

3. No special lighting effects so the audience had to imagine, E.g. a storm.

4.No stage make-up to help the actors disguise themselves.

5. Individual actors had their own costumes.

6. No scenery; the stage always looked the same.

7. Only a few props that actors could carry on stage

8. No female actresses; men played women’s parts and boys played girls’ parts.

9.Most of audience (the groundlings) stood around the stage, very near to the actors. This was the cheapest way to see a play, costing one penny.

10. Audiences could be noisy if they didn’t like the play, shouting, hissing, booing, and sometimes throwing rotten vegetables,

Thurs 8/3/07lesson 4

11. Some of the audience paid 2 pennies to sit on benches in the galleries. Cushions cost one extra penny.

12. During the intervals, audiences could buy bread, fruit and beer inside the theatre.

13. A flag would be flown from the roof of the theatre to show that a play was due that afternoon.

14. A trumpet would be played to announce the start of the play.

15. Audiences had to listen carefully to know what the play was about and where the scene happened.

Thurs 8/3/07lesson 4

Now match the modern information…

A. Powerful electric lighting to light up the stage.

B. Actors wear stage make-up, sometimes to disguise themselves.

C. The lights dim to show that the play is starting.

D. Plays are advertised on posters and in newspapers.

E. In the intervals, audiences leave the auditorium to buy drinks and ice-cream.

F. Theatres are shut in without any light getting in from the outside.

G. Lighting is used to create special effects on the stage.

H. All the costumes are designed by one artist.

I. Many props are used to make the stage look as real as possible.

J. Scenery is used to create a picture on stage.

K. Men or boys play male parts and women or girls play female parts, except in pantomimes.

L. All the audience sit on comfortable seats in rows facing the stage.

M. Audiences listen quietly and don’t clap much if they don’t like the play.

N. The cheapest seats are high up at the back of the Circle.

O. Audiences usually buy a programme which explains the story and where each scene takes place.

Reading with Empathy

Lesson Outcomes

By the end of the lesson I will have imagined what it feels like to be someone else and to see things from their point of view.

Key words

Empathy

groundling

Describe in detail a visit to the theatreTurn to page

121

You are a groundlingComplete Activity 5 using the information on pages 121-122

http://www.shakespearesglobe.com

/about-us/virtual-tour

what you do

Reasons for being at the theatre

things you like least about it

what you see when you look around you

The different kinds of people around you

things you like most about it

You are a groundling in the World of William Shakespeare

1. What is your name?

2. How do you earn a living?

3. Do you have friends? Family?

Describe in detail a visit to the theatre

1. Write a letter to a friend or relative

Reading with empathy, Activity 6 page 123

Interview with an Actor• Interviewer: What do you enjoy about Shakespeare’s plays?• Actor: Well, I think the characters are interesting to play and…..• Interviewer: What was it like going on stage for the first time?• Actor: Scary. The stage is very large and bare. I noticed that the

audience was….(lines33-39)• Interviewer: How did it effect you having no lighting on the stage?• Actor: Well, it meant that……(lines37-39)• Interviewer: How did the audience behave when you were acting? • Actor: (lines39-44)• Interviewer: How did the rich people behave when they were watching?• Actor: (lines45-47)• Interview with a Groundling• Why do you like going to the theatre?• Where are Shakespeare’s plays set?• What kind of scenery is there?• What kind of people stand and watch the plays?• Do you think it would be better if you could afford to pay more? Why?• How do you and the other groundlings treat the actors?

Lesson 7

Lesson ObjectivesTo examine Elizabethan language.

Lesson OutcomesBy the end of the lesson I will be able to

understand some Elizabethan words, and figure out how to understand any I don’t know.

Fri 16/3/07Lesson 7

The language of Shakespeare

Language changes all the time. Think of all the new words we have that have developed alongside technology…computer, interface, modem…and in our fast paced, throwaway society, cheeseburger, coke, disposable nappies.

In pairs, make a list of 5 words you think Shakespeare would have to ask what they meant, if he suddenly appeared from the past?

Unbelievable facts:Some people spend all their time looking at Shakespeare's texts. From

these scholars we can learn that Shakespeare added at least 3000 words to our language, his vocabulary was HUGE….he knew at least 17,000 words, and over 7,000 of them he used only once!

Page 124

Fri 16/3/07Lesson 7

So let’s try getting our head’s round the language of Shakespeare:

Match these Elizabethan words to their definitions:

iant An ungenteel man, a bookseller

dimense Stale urine used to strengthen beer

zouch Solitary, lonely

unked A space measured out

Fri 16/3/07Lesson 7

Matched them correctly?

iant Stale urine used to strengthen beer

dimense A space measured out

zouch An ungenteel man, a bookseller

unked Solitary, lonely

Fri 16/3/07Lesson 7

TaskHeading: Understanding language from the past:Activity 7Copy these words in a list down your page: (Complete this on lined paper) Destroying A quick mind Deadly Die A form of entertainment Blocked up Worthy structure Abandoned Roof made from straw Burnt Grilled Trousers

Then, when you read the extract from Fire at the Globe p124, write the correct Elizabethan word next to our modern version.

Fri 16/3/07Lesson 7

Homework Due in Tuesday 14th MarchYou are going to write an Introduction to Shakespeare.

Using the information gathered about Shakespeare so far, your homework is to write a 200 word biography on William

Shakespeare. This will be the beginning of your Introduction.

Include information about some of the following information:

Extension Task Underline where you have used FACTS ? OPINIONS and

THEORIES.

Birth Marriage Death Parents

Children Why he went to London

Lived Worked

Famous Names of plays His other job Anything else of interest

Mon 19/3/07Lesson 8