December Classes

We only have classes the first two weeks in December. We should be finishing Hamlet this week.

After this week, we will start Shakespeare classes again on Wednesday, January 6. We will start the year with Romeo and Juliet.

No Shakespeare Class Until December

Oct 28 Class

We started reading Hamlet this week. We got into Act 2, Scene 2.

We will pick it up again in December....

Oct 21 Class

We finished watching Mel Gibson's Hamlet today, and then spent the next 30 minutes discussing it.

Who was acting?
Ophelia
King
Polonius
Rosencranz/Guilderstern
Hamlet
Queen
Players
Horatio/Other Guards

Who died? (murdered/suicide)
Ophelia
King
Polonius
Rosencranz/Guilderstern
Hamlet
Queen
Laertes

Who was "mad" (as in crazy)?
Ophelia
King?
Grave Digger?
Hamlet?

What do we know about the Ghost?
Seen by other people, not just Hamlet
Right about murder

Oct 14 Class

With most of the Shakespeare class also involved in Mock Trial, we started Mel Gibson's version of Hamlet today, watching especially for references to Hamlet's madness.

Big question, is Hamlet really mad, or is he pretending to be mad?

"Time is out of joint..." (Hamlet, after talking to the ghost of his father)

"Madness in great ones must not unwatched go." (Hamlet's uncle, after watching Hamlet's show of madness.)

Oct 7 Class

We finished reading As You Like It today. We watched a 30 minute cartoon version of As You Like It. Most thought it wasn't any better than the black and white version we watched at the beginning.

We're going to do Hamlet next. (Romeo and Juliet will have to wait until after Hamlet.) The plan is to start watching the Mel Gibson version on Oct 14, and finish the video and start the reading on Oct 21.

Oct 7 Class?

Yes, we will be doing Shakespeare on October 7, during "Fall Break" (We'll be taking the entire month of November off for Wednesday classes, so I figure we need to get them all in in October!)

30 September Class

We finished Acts 3 & Acts 4. Next week we will probably finish reading As You Like It.

23 September Class

We reviewed what happens in the play, and continued reading, finishing Act 1 and reading all of Act 2.

A few of the interesting lines:
"More free from peril than the envious court." (Old Duke)
"For my part, I had rather bear with you than bear you." (Touchstone)
"A fool, a fool! I met a fool in the forest, A motley fool..." (Jaques)

"And all the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts.." (Jaques)

Sept 16 Class

We discussed what had happened last week during the movie and then finished the movie.

We looked at who has ended up in the Forrest/Woods:
Banished Duke, Rosalind, Celia, Clown, Orlando, Old Man (servant), Shepherd, Girl…

After the movie we started the reading, passing out parts and then getting through the 1st 2 scenes in the 1st act. Everyone did very well with their reading.

November classes

Just a heads up, there will not be any Wednesday classes during the month of November. (We will be holding Mock Trial Scrimmages during the 1st 2 Wednesdays of November instead...More information later on those in case you want to watch those.)

First Fall Class

We started the semester watching most of the black and white version of Lawrence Oliver’s As You Like It. Next week we will finish watching it and start reading it. Be sure to let me know if you have a part preference or a size preference (small, medium, or large).

Shakespeare Quotes for Independence Day

Shakespeare quotes for Independence Day:

"Let's all cry peace, freedom, and liberty!" Julius Caesar

"I am a foe to tyrants, and my country's friend."Julius Caesar

"Who is here so vile that will not love his country?" Julius Caesar

"Having my freedom, boast of nothing else."Richard II

"This liberty is all that I request." The Taming of the Shrew

Quotes Courtesy of American Shakespeare Center http://www.americanshakespearecenter.com/v.php?pg=469

Intro to Shakespeare Classes at CLC

My intent with these blogs is to let parents and students know what is going to happen in my classes, so they know what to expect and what we are doing. My expectation is that families who are taking the class will keep up with the information posted here. You can do that by "following" it, or by checking it regularly, whichever you prefer. I will also post Shakespeare related quotes here, and other Shakespeare information that may be of interest to others in or out of my class.

I have been sharing Shakespeare with highschoolers for over 10 years now. As a general rule, they enjoy it, and I enjoy it!

Classes are on Wednesday afternoons, from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m., starting the Wednesday after Labor Day. For those who are taking it for credit, the class itself is worth 1/2 a credit if taken from September through April. I will be posting information on other things that can be added if you are in need of making it an entire credit.

It is a very low pressure class. There is no homework and no required writing. We watch Shakespeare plays, read them all the way through, and then talk about them (a little). I pass out the parts for reading based on what size parts folks are comfortable reading. I have successfully introduced dozens of kids to Shakespeare this way, so I guess it's working.

I like to read plays in the fall based on what SSE is performing here in February. They are doing Romeo and Juliet and All's Well That Ends Well in 2010. We will start with a classic comedy, and then do those two. I have no clue what plays we'll do after those; it will partially depend on who's in the class and what they've done already.