Before you listen:
Discuss the following questions:
What do you know about the work of William Shakespeare?
What do you know about the society and time period in which Shakespeare lived?
What do you know about William Shakespeare’s life?
Podcast: William Shakespeare
Discuss:
After having listened to the podcast, discuss the following questions
What are you told about his life? Consider the following:
- his early life
- his career moves
- his professional reputation at the time
What kind of texts did Shakespeare primarily write?
He’s described as a ‘crowd pleaser’ and a ‘movie maker of his time’. What does this mean?
What can you say about the society and the time period in which he lived? Consider the following:
- religious controversies
- new inventions
- new discoveries
What role did Shakespeare play in the linguistic expansion that took place at the time?
What role did women play in the theatrical world at the time?
Quotations from Shakespeare:
William Shakespeare created more than his fair share of famous quotes. Some are known for their beauty, some for their everyday truths, and some for their wisdom.
How many of the quotations do you know?
Create:
Work together in pairs.
Imagine that you are a journalist and a time traveller. You have been given the chance to go back in time to make an interview with ‘the Bard’.
Together, find out more about Shakespeare and his life. You should also do research into the time period and the society of which Shakespeare was a part.
Work together on a list of questions and answers, and carry out the interview. Remember that the conversation should reflect that you are from two different time periods.
You can make an audio recording, a film, or act out the interview in front of the class.