Shakespeare

TASK ON SHAKESPEARE

Scroll below to find each of the following plays

A) Hamlet

B) Othello

C) Romeo & Juliet

D) Macbeth

E) Julius Caesar

F) The Taming of the Shrew

G) A Midsummer Night’s Dream

on its own page. Write your contribution based on these questions, working in groups of four:

1. Something about the plot? What happens? Where? By whom?

2. What are the central themes?

3. Reasons behind the popularity of the play? Critical opinions and your own insight!

4. Why would(should) you go and see it? Give your reasons!

BONUS TASK (for one group):

1) Choose one famous line from each of these three plays: A, C and D.

2) Write the lines again in modern English

3) Practice reciting the original lines and your modern versions

4) Film the lines (with the teacher’s or your own tablet)

 

A ) H A M L E T

1. Something about the plot?

- Hamlet is a story of a prince of Denmark named Hamlet, whose father gets murdered. Murderer is Hamlet`s uncle Claudius who gets married with Hamlet`s mother queen Gertrud. Hamlet`s murdered father comes back as a ghost and tells that he has been murdered by Claudius. Ghost wants Hamlet to revenge his death and kill evil Claudius. Hamlet decides to revenge and makes an evil plan against king Claudius.

2. What are the central themes?

- Hamlet is a about violence and revenge, for example Hamlet goes to kill his uncle because his uncle killed Hamlet’s dad.

- Hamlet pretends to be crazy and at the end it is no more pretending. Hamlet goes mad, and his revenge gets too far and almost everyone dies. So, Hamlet is mad.

3. Reasons behind the popularity of the play?

- Hamlet is so varied that people can still make new versions of it
- Hamlet is mysterious, and it’s themes are not depended to one particular place, so making new versions of Hamlet is easy. For example, there are three well-known versions of Hamlet.

4. Why would(should) you go and see it?

- The play is very popular and historical and it describes politic situation in 16th century Europe. Hamlet has become one of the most popular play during the years and it is the most famous play from William Shakespeare. Everyone should see this play because it is part of the European culture.

B) O T H E L L O

1. Something about the plot?

The milieu of story is Cyprus. Army forces of Venice went there to protect the island from attack of Ottomans. Othello is general of Venice. His wife is Desmona, Rodrigo is fond of  Desmona and says to Othello that his wife is faithless and Othello kills her. After that Othello hears that it was a lie and he commits suicide.

2. What are the central themes?

Central themes are humans weakness caused by jealousy. And it follows themes of tragedy in Western literature, in which a person of superior intelligence and character, a leader of community, is overcome by circumstances which he strives to master.

3. Reasons behind the popularity of the play?

Because Othello deal with two basic humane vice, jealousy and envy. Also it have very much drama, which interest many people.

4. Why would(should) you go and see it?

It’s very famous and old play, which is written by one of the most famous writer of all times. It could open a new view for us to an old world which seems to be so different a compared to book. And of course it’s culture so it has to be civilizing somehow. And after seeing it you can act like a sophisticated person with quoting parts of it.

C) ROMEO & JULIET ♥

1. Something about the plot?

Two young people from families, which are not getting along with each other, falling in love. Romeo and Juliet get married after one day of their meeting. After couplen secretly getting married met them Juliets cousin who wants to fight with Romeo. Romeo refuses fight but one thing leads to an other and after all Romeo kills the cousin. Romeo is expeled from Verona. Juliet is sad of Romeos leaving and Juliets family wants to cheer her up with new man to get married with. Juliet don't want to get married with new guy and makes up her own dead by poison which she gets from Brother Lorenzo. When Romeo hear of Juliets death he runs to sepulchre and kills himself.  Juliet wakes up from her own death notices she that Romea has killed himself kills Julia herself too, Families have always been feuding.

2. What are the central themes?

Love ( it was so strong and they falling love at first glance, forbidden) family relationships (theys families was different class and romeos and juliettes dads hate each others.) and sex.

3. Reasons behind the popularity of the play?

Story is timelessness because themes are everybodies life and people can find themselves at story even in nowadays. Story also includes love, drama, low comedy and tragic ending.

4. Why would(should) you go and see it?

It is common knowledge. Everyone should see it because It is so famous and well  known.

Romeo + juliet 1996 movie, Baz Luhrmann

Roméo et Juliette 1900 movie, Clément Maurice

West side story 1957, musical, Leonard Bernstein and Arthur Laurents

Romeo and Julia 2013, movie

Romeo and Juliet, 1968, show, Franco Zeffirelli

Roméo et Juliette, 2001, musical, Gérard Presgurvicin

Sinfoni, 1839, Hector Berlioz

Opera, 1867, Charles Gounod

Sinfoni poem, 1870, Pjotr Tsaikovski

Ballet, 1936, Sergei Prokofjev

D ) M A C B E T H

1. Something about the plot?
In the 11th century Macbeth was a warlord of Scotland’s kingdom army. He heard from witches that he would be the father of the next generation of future king. He will plan, with his wife, how to become a next king and the plan will be very crooked. They killed the former king.
Because of Macbeth’s ambition he will have problems to notice who is his enemy and who he can believe in. While his reign he is going to do cruel things and these things will turn against his destiny. His wife and himself will be murdered and it’s fault of cruelty.

2. What are the central themes?

Ambition was part of Macbeth’s quality
Masculinity, his wife questions his masculinity because she wanted to be as worth as his husband was.
Greediness, without this Macbeth wouldn’t try to plan to become a new king.

Quilt and its consequences position of the human psyche, Macbeth lose his mental health after killing the king.

The goodness and the evilness inside of human: At the beginning the play Macbeth is a decent man who has clear conscience  but during the play his personality changes from good to evil.

3. Reasons behind the popularity of the play?

It is loyal for Shakespeare’s manners, and Shakespeare is really famous writer.

It deals with ambition and people’s goodness and evilness, so it touches everyone and it is easy to identify to it

4. Why would(should) you go  and see it?
- Interesting to know about Scotland’s history even the plot is not same as it happened.

- Shakespeare is so famous writer that knowing his plays belongs to a common knowledge.

- The plot sounds pretty interesting and it would be different than films/plays in nowadays

E ) J U L I U S  C A E S A R

1. Something about the pilot?

.

2. What are the centralpark themes?

3. Reasons behind the popularity of the play?

4. Why would(should) you go and see it?

F ) THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

1. Something about the plot?

2. What are the central themes?

3. Reasons behind the popularity of the play?

4. Why would(should) you go and see it?

G) A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM  

1. Something about the plot?

King Theseus and amazon Hippolytes are getting married. 2 youngsters, Lysander and Demetrius are both in love with Hermia. Hermia loves Lysander, but her friend Helena loves Demetrius. Hermia’s father thinks that demetrius is better and tells not marry Lysander. King Theseus confirms that Hermia have to do what her father wants. Lysander and Hermia escape to the forest around town.

At the same time Oberon, king of the fairies, and his wife Titania arrive same forest to join Theseus’s wedding. Titania and Oberon have quarrel after Titania said no to give her beautiful Indian boy to Oberon, who wants revenge.

World is not real. It’s from imagination. There are lots of fairies and Greek mythology.

2. What are the central themes?

There is the love triangle between Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia and Helen. There’s lots of misfortune, escapes and different worlds between the parents and children.

This play is not the tragedy so the love triangle isn’t showed so seriously and there’s not so much drama than other Shakespeare's works. It doesn’t make us laugh but doesn’t make us cry either. It teaches us the ways of life very honestly and beautifully.

Love of mother is also the central theme.Titania is example of mother who doesn’t want to give her dear son to other people. It’s hard to Oberon who really wants this Indian boy to himself.

3. Reasons behind the popularity of the play?

The story is a basic love story and that attracts people. The story gives you an opportunity to use your own imagination. The main reason is still that it´s done by Shakespeare and people have a certain attitude about it.

4. Why would(should) you go and see it?

The story seems kind of interesting and even though it´s done by Shakespeare it´s not so famous. Usually Shakespeare´s works are tragedies but Midsummer night´s dream is lighter and little funnier then others of his work.