Interview with Will

This year it’s been four hundred years since the death of William Shakespeare. He is known all over the world for the plays and plays and sonnets he wrote. In the video, the famous playwright finally gets a chance to speak for himself.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• autograph - the signature of a famous person
• gloves - a covering for your hands that has separate parts for each finger
• eventually - at some later time; in the end
• come up with something - think of something; invent something
• retell - tell again, often in a different way

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. Shakespeare says: “One thing we always had growing up were gloves.”
   Why was this so?


2. Which Shakespearean play is The Lion King based on?


3. When Shakespeare moved to London, what job did he do?


4. How many plays did Shakespeare write?


5. Name the three main categories of Shakespeare’s plays.
   Give a short definition for each category.

Extra words assignment

Shakespeare says that he came up with seventeen hundred new words.

1. Explain what the following words and expressions he mentions mean.
   You may use a dictionary.
   
   - countless
   - laughable
   - buzz
   - puking
   - assassin
   - moonbeam
   - eyesore
   - wild goose chase
   - break the ice
   

The Bard

23 April 1616 William Shakespeare died. In the four centuries since his death, his works have been adapted to pretty much every media you can imagine. Watch the video for yet another exciting adaptation.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• exaggerated - larger or greater than normal
• declamatory - expressing feelings or opinions in a loud and forceful way
• orator - a person who makes speeches and is very good at making them
• oratorical methods - methods like those of an orator
• irresistible - impossible to resist, especially when something or someone is very attractive
• purist - a person who has very strong ideas about what is correct or acceptable

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. What is Play the Knave?


2. The game is played with exaggerated gestures.
   Regarding this, Professor Bloom says: “So I think it's really interesting that ........”
   Complete her sentence.


3. Name the three things you choose before you can start playing the game.


4. Which question does the game raise?


5. Which Shakespeare quote can you hear at the end (~ 2:45)?


6. Are you interested in playing this game?

Watch Play the Knave in action here.

Extra reading assignment
The game’s name Play the Knave comes from one of Shakespeare’s plays.
1. Find out which play.
2. Find out what "play the knave" means.

As Dead as a Doornail

William Shakespeare died 400 years ago this year, but the great writer’s words are very much alive. Did you know that he created many English phrases and expressions that are still very popular in today’s English?

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• whilst - while; during the time that
• mend - to repair, to make something broken or damaged usable again
• nail - long, thin piece of metal that is sharp at one end and flat at the other end, used to attach things to wood
• rebel - a person who opposes or fights against a king, any ruler, a government
• rebel leader - the head of a group of rebels
• on the run - running away from someone in order to avoid being captured
• enemy - someone who attacks or tries to harm another
• threaten - to say that you will harm someone or do something unpleasant or unwanted
• in common use - shared or done by many people
• electrical gadget - electrical small, usefull device, such as a mobile phone, tablet, etc.

First write down or talk about what you think “as dead as a doornail” means.
Now read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. What play is William Shakespeare writing?


2. What does William Shakespeare’s friend, Thomas Swann, do for a living?


3. Why is Jack Cade, the rebel leader, feeling weak?


4. How many enemies find the weak Jack Cade?


5. How did Shakespeare use the phrase “as dead as a doornail”?


6. How is the phrase “as dead as a doornail” used today?


7. Where are William and Thomas going at the end of this video?


8. How would you say “as dead as a doornail” in Dutch?

Click here to watch more videos with Shakespeare phrases.

Shakespeare Solo

To mark the 400th anniversary of the Shakespeare’s death, The Guardian has asked leading actors to perform some of Shakespeare's greatest speeches.
This one features a scene from Twelfth Night. Joanna Lumley speaks Viola’s soliloquy from act II, scene 2. In it, Viola, disguised as a page boy, wonders why the countess Olivia has sent her a ring.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• soliloquy - a long, usually serious speech that a character in a play makes to an audience and that reveals the character's thoughts
• methought - I thought
• cunning - cleverness or skill, especially at tricking people in order to get something
• churlish - not polite, rude
• disguise - clothes or other things that you wear so that people will not recognize you
• frailty - weakness
• fond- feeling love or friendship
• untangle - to separate things that are twisted together

1. Watch the video.



2. Watch the video once more and read the text at the same time:

 1 I left no ring with her: what means this lady?
 2 Fortune forbid my outside have not charm'd her!
 3 She made good view of me; indeed, so much,
 4 That sure methought her eyes had lost her tongue,
 5 For she did speak in starts distractedly.
 6 She loves me, sure; the cunning of her passion
 7 Invites me in this churlish messenger.
 8 None of my lord's ring! why, he sent her none.
 9 I am the man: if it be so, as 'tis,
10 Poor lady, she were better love a dream.
11 Disguise, I see, thou art a wickedness,
12 Wherein the pregnant enemy does much.
13 How easy is it for the proper-false
14 In women's waxen hearts to set their forms!
15 Alas, our frailty is the cause, not we!
16 For such as we are made of, such we be.
17 How will this fadge? my master loves her dearly;
18 And I, poor monster, fond as much on him;
19 And she, mistaken, seems to dote on me.
20 What will become of this? As I am man,
21 My state is desperate for my master's love;
22 As I am woman,—now alas the day!—
23 What thriftless sighs shall poor Olivia breathe!
24 O time! thou must untangle this, not I;
25 It is too hard a knot for me to untie!

On SparkNotes’ website you can read Shakespeare’s texts in a modern English translation. It’s still Shakespeare, but now in the kind of English people actually speak today. Below are some parts from Viola’s monologue in modern English.

3. Match the translated lines to the correct ones in the original. 

a  I didn’t give her any ring.
b  I hope she doesn’t have a crush on me!
c  I’m the man she wants. If that’s true, which it is,
    she might as well be in love with a dream, the poor lady.
d  It’s not our fault—we women are weak.
e  Ah, how will this all turn out?
f  What can possibly fix this situation? I’m pretending to be a man,
    so my love for the Duke is hopeless.
g  I can’t figure it out by myself!

Extra reading assignment
Here you can read the complete soliloquy side by side in Shakespeare’s original and the modern English version.

Shakespeare's New Place

New Place was William Shakespeare's final place of residence in Stratford-upon-Avon. He died there in 1616. The house where he lived no longer exists, but the land is now owned by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
To mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, New Place has been undergoing some big changes.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• isle - island
• prime - the period in life when a person is best in health, strength, etc. : the most active or successful time of a person's life
• legacy - anything (a body of work, a special way of thinking, a tradition, etc.) that is handed down from the past and continues to exist for future generations
• Britain and beyond - Britain and further, across the British boundaries
• breathe new life - to bring new energy into something
• soar - to reach or rise to great heights

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. The video starts with a quote from Shakespeare’s play The Tempest:
   "Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises, sounds and sweet airs ... "
   What do these noises, sounds and sweet airs do?


2. How long did Shakespeare live in New Place?


3. Which occupations did Shakespeare have while living in New Place?

Extra reading assignment
Find out more about the opening quote:
- Which character speaks these lines?
- What is the story of The Tempest?

Shakespeare400

2016 commemorates 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare. You will find Shakespeare-related material here soon.

For now, you can dive into the archives of this blog and click here to enjoy the Richard III song or here to find out more about the link between Shakespeare and the Warden pear.

Richard III

Tweeënhalf jaar geleden werden botten opgegraven die onder een parkeerplaats in Leicester lagen. Met behulp van dna-onderzoek kon worden vastgesteld dat het ging om de botten van de Engelse koning Richard III. Afgelopen week hebben deskundigen aan de hand van de dna-informatie een gezichtsreconstructie van Richard III gemaakt en aan de wereld getoond.

Richard III was meer dan 500 jaar geleden koning van Engeland. Over hem doen veel verhalen de ronde. Er is ook veel over hem geschreven, Shakespeare heeft zelfs een compleet toneelstuk aan hem gewijd. Richard komt er over het geheel nogal bekaaid vanaf.

In het filmpje heeft Richard daar zelf wel wat aan toe te voegen.

Lees eerst de opdrachten. Bekijk dan het filmpje.


Horrible Histories - Richard III Song

1. Waarom was Richard er aanvankelijk van overtuigd dat hij geliefd was?


2. Richard spreekt een groot aantal geruchten over hemzelf tegen. Noteer er ten minste drie.


3. 'So... I took the throne,’ zingt Richard.
   Welke reden geeft hij ervoor dat hij de troon betrad?


4. Thomas More wrote a history ...
   Wat heeft Thomas More over Richard geschreven?


5. But I say those two
   Are historical vandals!
   They've ruined my image!
   Over welke twee personen heeft Richard het?


6. Aan het eind van het lied zingt Richard een beroemd citaat van Shakespeare:
   ‘My horse. My .................... .................... .................... ....................
   Hoe luidt het complete citaat? En wat betekent het?

Extra woordjesopdracht
Leg uit wat de volgende zinnen uit het lied betekenen. Maak vervolgens nieuwe zinnen met het onderstreepte woord of de onderstreepte uitdrukking.

1. There's a lot of people spreading nasty rumours about me
   
2. Never bumped off those harmless young heirs
   
3. Now I'm painted as a baddy
   

Perennieuws

In Bedfordshire is er een speciaal preservation team voor het perenras The Warden Pear. Wat daarachter zit, zie je in het filmpje.

Lees eerst de opdrachten. Bekijk dan het filmpje.

1. Wat hebben de perenbomen met Shakespeare te maken?


2. Wat wordt er verteld over de geschiedenis van deze peren? (Let op zaken als: wanneer en door wie werden ze voor het eerst geteeld, wat gebeurde er met het verstrijken der jaren, enzovoorts.)


3. Waarom is er een preservation team voor dit perenras?


4. Hoe gaat het preservation team te werk? Noteer zoveel mogelijk details.


5. Wat zegt de verslaggeefster over de mogelijke rol van deze peren in de toekomst?

 Extra luisteropdracht
Luister nog eens goed naar het Shakespeare-citaat (vanaf 0:15).
1. Uit welk stuk komt dit citaat?
2. Wat zegt de acteur precies? Schrijf zijn woorden op of bespreek het met je klasgenoten.