Titus Andronicus

This teaching guide for higher ability students is designed as a self-contained unit which can be used to produce the AQA A GCSE Shakespeare coursework.

• The unit uses one of the lesser-known and less critically-acclaimed Shakespeare plays in order to encourage a high-quality and truly original response.
• The AQA A Shakespeare coursework is what is termed as a ‘cross-over’ piece; therefore, if you are using it for assessment for both English and English Literature GCSEs (the most common approach), you need to be able...

Romeo & Juliet

This teaching guide for high-ability students is designed as a self-contained unit which can be used to produce the AQA A GCSE Shakespeare coursework. The AQA A Shakespeare coursework is what is termed as a ‘cross-over’ piece; therefore, if you are using it for assessment for both English and English Literature GCSEs (the most common approach), you need to be able to address the assessment objectives for both.

Let us remind ourselves of these:

English

Candidates are required to demonstrate their ability to:

(i) read,...

Act 5

Act 5 scene 1

Brutus and Cassius make a military mistake.
Cassius regrets letting Antony live.
Octavius and Antony compete for control.

The final Act concerns the final conflict between the two sides and is compressed into 5 fairly short scenes.  Again Shakespeare compresses time for dramatic purposes.  There were actually 2 battles at Philippi and they were about 3 weeks apart.  Shakespeare merges these into one continuous battle and brings Antony and Octavius face to face with...

Act 4

Act 4 scene 1

Antony and Octavius plan their revenge.

This scene contrasts with the previous one in that the result of Antony’s victory over Brutus at the funeral is shown as political – the deliberate, cold-bloodied drawing up of a list of conspirators who must die.  According to Plutarch the list ran to 300 names. 

Antony’s opening line is flat and unemotional in contrast to the grisly subject.  Octavius and Lepidus then try to bargain for the lives of various...

Act 3

Act 3 scene 1

Caesar reaches the senate but is surrounded by the conspirators.
Caesar is stabbed by all the conspirators, finally by Brutus.
Antony meets the murderers and is given permission to speak at the funeral of Caesar.

This is the pivotal scene of the play.  The scenes in both previous Acts have been building to this moment and it provides the motives for the actions in the rest of the play.

Caesar is surrounded by the conspirators – Artemidorus and the soothsayer...

Act 2

Act 2 scene 1

Brutus considers the murder of Caesar.
Brutus reads one of the false letters and is visited by Cassius.
The decision is taken not to harm Antony or any of Caesar’s other followers.

The storm from the previous scene is continuing and Brutus refers to the darkness in the opening speech.  Darkness is symbolic in this scene – it represents the darkness and confusion in Brutus’ mind.  The conspirators arrive in darkness later in the scene which adds to the feeling...

This guide has been written to help teachers in their reading, preparation and teaching of the play. Julius Caesar can be taught as a part of several exam board English Literature units:

• AQA GCSE English Literature 4710 | Unit 4: Approaching Shakespeare & the English Literary Heritage
• AQA GCSE English 4700 | Unit 3 Understanding and producing creative texts
• OCR GCSE English Literature | 2.1 Unit A661: Literary Heritage Linked Texts
• OCR GCSE English | Unit A641 Reading literary texts
• Edexcel GCSE English Literature | Unit 3: Shakespeare and...

The Duke, who left Vienna in secret and who has always shied away from the limelight, returns very much in public and in the open to bring judgement and justice – hence the trumpets, symbolic perhaps of the Last Judgement? This act is one very long scene and must obviously be studied in some depth by A level students. In contrast to the revelation of the Duke’s fallibility in Act 4, here he does take on something of the role of divine ruler.

He appears at first to disbelieve totally Isabella’s charge against Angelo, sharing with...

In a Shakespearian comedy, the audience would probably now expect the rest of the play to be the outworkings of the Duke’s plan followed by a happy ending usually involving at least one wedding (AO4). The events of Act 4 show this is not going to be the case in Measure for Measure.

The first part of the Duke’s idea goes to plan. Mariana agrees to co-operate and Isabella successfully pretends to Angelo that she will meet him (and sleep with him). However, time is running out for Claudio who is supposed to be executed by eight the...

A problematic section of the play in some ways where the themes are much closer to tragedy than comedy.

Scene 1

Contrast between Isabella’s expectations about her brother’s attitudes and the reality of prison and the fear of death!

Duke as Friar presents Claudio with the traditional Christian ‘consolation’ about death (a literature genre of the Renaissance AO4) which Claudio initially accepts with fortitude. However, Isabella’s hint that there could be a way of escape prompts Claudio’s vivid and emotional expression of his...

Scene 1

Escalus’ view – he appeals to Angelo to consider the possibility of his own weaknesses, a possibility Angelo will not recognise, lines 29-31

‘When I that censure him do so offend
Let mine own judgement pattern out my death
And nothing come in partial. Sir, he must die.’

In the following section, Escalus encounters Elbow, Froth and Pompey in his role as magistrate. Note how the two parts of scene 2 are parallel; Angelo’s attitude to Claudio in his judgement and condemnation of him and Escalus’ treatment of and...

Why teach ‘Measure for Measure’?

Measure for Measure is certainly not the easiest of Shakespeare’s dramas nor is it probably one of the most popular choices when teachers are thinking about AS and A2 level specifications; however, the degree of challenge involved in teaching it is easily matched by the degree of satisfaction in teaching it when you have got to grips with this intriguing play. Students really do enjoy reading this play!

Currently, the play is a choice for teaching on several AS specifications and as a choice for...

Hamlet: tragic hero?

Hamlet is usually regarded as the finest of Shakespeare’s tragedies, and one of the greatest tragedies ever written; however, it is frequently defined as ‘tragedy’ with little or no reference to tragic tropes, either Greek, Renaissance or later theories of tragedy, or with insufficient consideration of other useful theoretical approaches.

The aim of this teaching guide is to trace Shakespeare’s development of his eponymous hero through the play looking at aspects of language, form and structure as well as genre,...

Hamlet: tragic hero?

Hamlet is usually regarded as the finest of Shakespeare’s tragedies, and one of the greatest tragedies ever written; however, it is frequently defined as ‘tragedy’ with little or no reference to tragic tropes, either Greek, Renaissance or later theories of tragedy, or with insufficient consideration of other useful theoretical approaches.

The aim of this teaching guide is to trace Shakespeare’s development of his eponymous hero through the play looking at aspects of language, form and structure as well as genre,...

Hamlet: tragic hero?

Hamlet is usually regarded as the finest of Shakespeare’s tragedies, and one of the greatest tragedies ever written; however, it is frequently defined as ‘tragedy’ with little or no reference to tragic tropes, either Greek, Renaissance or later theories of tragedy, or with insufficient consideration of other useful theoretical approaches.

The aim of this teaching guide is to trace Shakespeare’s development of his eponymous hero through the play looking at aspects of language, form and structure as well as genre,...

Hamlet: tragic hero?

Hamlet is usually regarded as the finest of Shakespeare’s tragedies, and one of the greatest tragedies ever written; however, it is frequently defined as ‘tragedy’ with little or no reference to tragic tropes, either Greek, Renaissance or later theories of tragedy, or with insufficient consideration of other useful theoretical approaches.

The aim of this teaching guide is to trace Shakespeare’s development of his eponymous hero through the play looking at aspects of language, form and structure as well as genre,...

Hamlet: tragic hero?

Hamlet is usually regarded as the finest of Shakespeare’s tragedies, and one of the greatest tragedies ever written; however, it is frequently defined as ‘tragedy’ with little or no reference to tragic tropes, either Greek, Renaissance or later theories of tragedy, or with insufficient consideration of other useful theoretical approaches.

The aim of this teaching guide is to trace Shakespeare’s development of his eponymous hero through the play looking at aspects of language, form and structure as well as genre,...

Associated Resources

• A Student’s Guide to ’Much Ado About Nothing’ by Mandy Lloyd
• Much Ado Guide.doc

‘Much Ado about Nothing’ in context: ‘Comedy’ vs. ‘Tragedy’

Much Ado About Nothing is technically considered to be a Shakespearean ‘comedy’ of the classical kind; indeed, it’s even frequently taught at KS3 owing to its frequent comic tone. The witty and entertaining exchanges between the main protagonists Beatrice and Benedick have been the subject of much literary criticism and are often considered to be the most...

Click on the link below to download the resource.

Hamlet Scheme of Work LITB2.doc

Associated Resources

• A Guide to Much Ado About Nothing by Steph Jackson
• Much Ado About Nothing - Student’s Guide.doc

This brief study guide focuses on the themes, language and issues of the play relevant to the current A-Level Literature specification AO2 requirement of form, structure and language: ‘demonstrate detailed critical understanding in analysing the ways in which structure, form and language shape meanings in literary texts’.

The guide also explores some areas of the historical context of the play which will assist you with...

Associated Resources

A Guide to Teaching Othello

Click on the link below to download this resource.

Othello Guide Part 2 EnglishEdu.doc

Othello Guide Part 2 EnglishEdu.docx

Associated Resources

How to improve grades when writing for Othello

This EnglishEdu guide on Shakespeare’s popular A Level play, Othello, aims to supplement rather than replace other readily available Internet and printed material for the teaching of the play.

The guide explores the issues, themes and characters in the play that are particularly relevant to the current (2010) A Level Literature specifications. To add to the usefulness, and with an eye to the central AO requirement of close textual analysis of form, structure and...

Teacher’s Note

This first part of this EnglishEdu guide is aimed at students who are studying any Shakespeare play – but they can easily and profitably be adapted to suit any play.

The second part of the guide is an analysis and commentary of Act 3 Sc. 1 of Shakespeare’s play, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, with accompanying notes that are based upon ideas discussed in the guide’s first section.

• The notes accompanying Act 3 Scene 1 of the play are designed to work towards helping students who are planning their Controlled Assessment essay,...

Click on the links below to access a series of excellent podcasts entitled ‘What is Tragedy?’ by Oliver Taplin (Emeritus Professor) and Joshua Billings, (a graduate student in the Oxford Classics Faculty).

Source: http://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/

‘Tragedy has been around for over 2500 years, from its earliest manifestations in the huge open-air gathering-places of Athens and other Greek city-states, to the theatres of Renaissance England, Spain and France, right through to the twentieth century with its cinematic tragedies, and the disturbing works...

Click on the links below to access a series of excellent podcasts entitled ‘Approaching Shakespeare’ by Emma Smith (Lecturer in English at Oxford University).

Source: http://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/

‘Each lecture in this series focuses on a single play by Shakespeare, and employs a range of different approaches to try to understand a central critical question about it.

Rather than providing overarching readings or interpretations, the series aims to show the variety of different ways we might understand Shakespeare, the kinds of evidence that...

This is an interactive assignment on Shakespeare and you have been asked by a production company to help them complete a short film on the famous playwright.

Watch the video.

Discuss it with your classmates.

• What messages are coming across in this short film?
• What does the title suggest “The Bard and The Barred”? Who is The Bard and who might be The Barred?
• What do you think about the comments of the girls?
• How do you respond to the man’s comment at the end?
• The film was shot in two locations. Where are they? Why are they important...

Comparative Analysis

Complete the following grid in as much detail as possible. Try to include different interpretations. If you’re not sure have a guess – but make sure you can back up your ideas from the text. Make sure that as well as finding the techniques, you comment on their effects/significance.

Download

Anne Hathaway Sonnet 130 Comparison Grid.doc

a and any are as be belied black breasts breath but by cheeks compare coral damasked delight dun eyes false far from go goddess grant ground grow hairs hath have head hear heaven her i if in is know like lips love mistress more music my never no nothing on perfumes pleasing rare red reeks roses saw see seen she snow some sound speak such sun than that the then there think to treads walks well when white why wires with yet

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Sonnet 130 Collapsed.doc

Poetic Techniques used in Anne Hathaway and Sonnet 130

Write examples of the poetic technique on the left from the two poems.

There may be just one example or several. Include as many as you can.

Leave the space blank if there are no examples of the technique in the poem.

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Poetic Techniques Anne Hathaway and Sonnet 130

Compare how attitudes to loved ones are presented in one poem from the Pre-1914 Poetry Bank and one poem by Carol Ann Duffy.

Chosen poems

‘Anne Hathaway’ (AH) – Duffy
‘Sonnet 130’ (Sonnet) – Pre-1914

Your sample introductions are a big improvement on the introductions you were writing earlier in the term, so well done.

However, you now need to consider how to improve them further. These are the things to avoid:

• Don’t tell me what you’re going to do – just do it
• Don’t spend ages building up to a point – just make...

Sonnet 130
William Shakespeare

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; 1
Coral is far more red than her lips’ red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white, 5
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound; 10
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress when she walks...

Macbeth

This teaching guide is designed as a self-contained unit for students of medium to high ability. It can be used to produce the AQA A GCSE Shakespeare coursework and has been designed for assessment via the EN2/Lit Oral Response Option (although it could easily also be adapted to provide a written response).

The AQA A Shakespeare coursework is what is termed as a ‘cross-over’ piece; therefore, if you are using it for assessment for both English and English Literature GCSEs (the most common approach), the student will need to be...

• Judgment against murderers on earth – the punishment.
• Image of the poisoned chalice being brought back to the lips of the perpetrator.
• Macbeth being a loyal subject of the king.
• Macbeth being the host who should protect the king.
• Duncan being a good and honourable king.
• The horror and pity caused by his death.
• Macbeth’s image of the horse as his ‘vaulting ambition’.

Macbeth Table.doc

Macbeth Soliloquy Act 1 Scene 7 Card Sort.doc

Macbeth Plot Cards.doc

Shakespeare Coursework Group Presentations on ‘Macbeth’

Question:

In your scene, how does Shakespeare present Lady Macbeth’s character in order to show the changing relationship between her and Macbeth?

Make sure you:

• Discuss your analysis of the kind of language Lady Macbeth is given to use by Shakespeare.
• Discuss the effects this is likely to have on both Shakespeare’s and a modern audience.
• Link your chosen scene to other scenes and explain how Lady M’s character and her relationship with her husband changes
• Discuss how...

Macbeth Coursework Assessment.ppt

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s Relationship in Act 1 Scene 7

• In your script, you have four extracts from Act 1 Scene 7 of Macbeth. You will be acting these out in class in order to show your understanding of how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship develops and changes from Act 1 Scene 5.

Remember, in Act 1 Scene 5, Lady Macbeth has received a letter from Macbeth telling of the predictions of the Three Witches, and we see her reaction to the good news. She greets Macbeth with excitement, and tells him how he should progress with the...

Macbeth.ppt

Shakespeare Research

When you carry out your ‘Speaking and Listening’ assessment on Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, you will need to relate the key scenes to the social and cultural context at the time the play was first performed. This means you need to discuss what is in the play and how it reflects what was happening at the time of Shakespeare as well as people’s attitudes to different topics.

• Find out about Shakespeare’s life, dates, family, what he did.
• Find out about how women were treated at the time. (Lady M)
• Find out about...

Question to be answered in your presentation:

Explore how and why the character of Titus changes between Act 1 scene 1 and Act 5 scene 3 of Titus Andronicus. Consider:

• The language Shakespeare gives to certain characters in these scenes, the techniques he uses and the effects they have on the audience
• The structure of these scenes
• How Shakespeare’s writing may have been influenced by his social, cultural and historical context

How to prepare your paired presentation

1. Re-read your two sets of typed notes on Titus’s character in Act 1...

Titus’s Character

• One theory is that Titus’s character changes from Act 1 scene 1 as Titus’s power may have gone to his head – he has an aggressive entry as opposed to the previous scene. Compare the way Titus uses questions and violent language – why is this?
• Repetition of imperative (order) ‘Witness’ – he describes the physical scars then progresses to emotional. Why is this?
• On page 2 of 7, he asks constant questions (what does this suggest?) and uses the simile ‘black as jet’ (why? What’s the effect?)
• He calls...

Read the following extract from the review of the film ‘Titus’ from the Independent newspaper (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/dont-put-your-slaughter-on-the-stage-697339.html).

Consider the views expressed here and makes notes on the critical opinions explored, in preparation for a class discussion on whether the aspects mentioned make Titus Andronicus worthy of academic study. In addition, having read this review, try to develop your own viewpoint on the play and be prepared to defend it.

In 1995, Antony...

Titus’s Character

• This is sometimes seen as a revenge tragedy – why do you think this would be important, given what was going on in society at the time? Why might Elizabethans want to see violence at the theatre?
• Research the myth of Procne and Philomela on which parts of this play are based
• ‘Hail’ – think of the formality and power this implies (general)
• Focuses on deaths of sons – self-centred at times, personally affected by war
• Talks about himself in 3rd person – ‘Titus’, ‘Andronicus’, ‘defender’ – as if to...

In your group of 4 or 5, you will be performing and improvised scene based on Titus Andronicus. Imagine you are a modern version of one of the characters from the play. Choose from the following two groups:

1. Titus Andronicus
Lavinia (before she has her tongue cut out!)
Marcus Andronicus (Titus’s brother)
Lucius (Titus’s son)
Young Lucius (Lucius’s son)

2. Tamora
Chiron
Demetrius
Aaron
Saturninus

If you choose Group 1, improvise a scene lasting 3-4 minutes where you discuss the problems caused by the election of the new emperor and...

Download

Romeo and Juliet Characters.doc

Call_My_Bluff.doc

Overview

A 4 week (12 lessons) scheme based on Romeo & Juliet for GCSE English and English Literature Pre-1914 Drama Coursework.

This unit covers the following topics:

1. Sequence the prologue in the correct order using rhymes and the order of the events to help you – Copy Out In The Right Order
2. Underneath your sequenced prologue, write a modern day translation for each of the 14 lines.
3. The prologue is written in the form of a sonnet. Write a) why you think it has been written in this form b) how many lines there are c) what the rhyme pattern is (use letters A, B, C etc.)
4. Produce a storyboard, doing one picture for each pair of lines ( = 7 pictures in total). Use a quotation for each caption.

The Elizabethan stage

Elizabethan attitudes to fate

Elizabethan attitudes to violence

Elizabethan attitudes to love (including courtly love)

Elizabethan attitudes to women

The Elizabethan family

Elizabethan attitudes to loyalty

Elizabethan Religion