Shakespeare Retold for Young People: Read and Discuss

Each Week of this ongoing class, students will work through one story from the book Tales From Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb. These stories are shortened forms of many of the original Shakespeare plays that have been retold with children in mind. While much of the Shakespearean language has been retained, some adult themes have been edited out so that each story is suited to a younger audience. Students will listen to the audio version of each story while following along in there books. The teacher will stop frequently for discussion, asking students questions about the text, allowing them to pose questions of their own, and generally checking for understanding. A few minutes at the end of every class will be reserved for going over the story as a whole:  discussing character development, plot twists, similarities to other stories, etc. Where appropriate, the historical context of the story will also be explained. 

Each student will need a copy of the book Tales From Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb to use during class. As it is in the public domain, an ebook version can be freely found online. Print copies can also be purchased if the student would prefer. This book is a great introduction to Shakespeare in a format that is more readable and appealing to children. While still challenging, the text is written in a much more accessible way. Hopefully, studying these stories will give students a good introduction to Shakespeare's work, a foundation for future study, and a desire to, one day, read the full-length plays. 

Class schedule:
Week of January 13: The Tempest
Week of January 20: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Week of January 27: The Winter's Tale
Week of February 3: Much Ado About Nothing
Week of February 10: As You Like It
Week of February 17: The Two Gentlemen of Verona 
Week of February 24: The Merchant of Venice
Week of March 3: Cymbeline