Shakespeare Retold for Young People (Multi-Day)

during each live meeting of this multi-day course, we will read, in class, one retelling of a Shakespeare play. The stories are designed to give learners and introduction to Shakespeare that will familiarize them with his work, prepare them for further study, and hopefully spark an interest in reading the full length plays. Students will have the opportunity to discuss each story as it is read and will learn to understand some of the Shakespearean language and grammar frequently found within the plays. They will learn to spot common themes throughout Shakespeare's body of work and will discuss the use of different plot devices and character types found repeatedly in this collection of stories. They will also learn a bit about the history of the time in which Shakespeare lived and will discover the fundamental differences between comedies, tragedies, and works which are harder to define.

This class will utilize the book "Tales from Shakespeare" by Charles and Mary Lamb. It is in the public domain and can be found freely online, or if your learner prefers it can also be purchased in print form. Each learner will need a copy to follow along in class. The author's have tried to preserve much of the original wording of the plays while changing the format to a prose style that is easier for young people to read and understand. They have eliminated themes which they felt too mature for there audience, but have worked hard to keep the main plots in tact. What results is a great introduction to these classic works that children will be able to enjoy and that will serve them well as a precursor to reading The plays themselves.

In order to accommodate students of all reading abilities, students will not be asked to read out loud during this course. Instead, the class will listen to an audio version while following along in their books. The teacher will pause frequently to check for understanding and to discuss key plot points. Students will often be asked to make inferences as to the coming action or to analyze a character's motives. Participation in discussion will be encouraged for all students. 

Class schedule:
Week 1: "The Tempest" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
Week 2: "The Winter's tale" and "Much Ado About Nothing"
Week 3: "As You Like It" and "The Two Gentlemen of Verona"
Week 4: "The Merchant of Venice" and "Cymbeline"
Week 5: "King Lear" and "Macbeth"
Week 6: "All's Well That Ends Well" and "The Taming of the Shrew"
Week 7: "The Comedy of Errors" and "Measure for Measure"
Week 8: "Twelfth Night" and "Timon of Athens"
Week 9: "Romeo and Juliet" and "Hamlet"
Week 10: "Othello" and "Pericles"