Ira Cooper
Vancouver Tech Secondary
February 2016
Email: iratheenglishteacher@gmail.com
Measure for Measure
A Grade 12 Unit on Shakespeare
In this unit we will be exploring Shakespeare’s work, Measure for Measure. Written around 1603 or 1604, it is considered one of his comedies, and yet, once we get into the thick of it, you might start to realize that it’s not as lighthearted as many of his other humorous plays. Rather than focusing on the words, a line by line analysis of the meaning of the text, we are going to attempt to bring The Bard’s work to life, discovering how his themes and subjects are still very relevant today. The play will be a jumping off point for discussion and classroom work.
Class Structure
Shakespeare can be a dreadful subject, if it simply looked at as an old piece of literature. It can also be a lovely tool to promote classroom dialogues, which is what I am hoping it will be. This means that participation is important. We are not Shakespearean scholars, we are simply explorers. So let’s explore! Let’s find joy in bringing his words to life. I am not asking you to love Shakespeare, but to be open to the possibility that it isn’t just an old, boring relic that you are being forced to read. We will watch Shakespeare, we will interact with his world through different mediums, and we may even have a guest or two dropping in to aid us in a Shakespearean performance.
Taking Notes
Taking notes about key terms is important for doing well on later assignments, quizzes and participating in class discussions. But it’s not just a pointless high school activity. In your future careers, in filling out future applications, in university or simply making a grocery list, taking notes is crucial. You are out of milk, pickles and dog food, but instead you bought Oreo Cookies, Sour Keys and a DVD of Frozen. Why? Because you didn’t take notes!
Shakespeare on the Internet
http://www.folger.edu/
The Folger Library in Washington, D.C. is the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare materials (they also edit the Folger editions of Shakespeare’s plays that you probably read at school). Their website is as useful and information-packed as the library itself, with resources for both the casual and serious Shakespeare scholar.
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/
Basically, a one-stop shop for Shakespeare knowledge. Lots of discussions on themes, his plays and the man himself.
http://www.shakespeareswords.com/
The best online glossary to all the strange, confusing, and beautiful words that appear in Shakespeare’s works. Based on David and Ben Crystal’s incredible book, also called Shakespeare’s Words, it lets you look up any word instantly. It even features full-text editions of the plays with the definitions linked in!
http://www.gutenberg.org/
Looking for other older works, besides Shakespeare? The Gutenberg Project could be your one stop shop destination for out of print or beyond copyright texts. You don’t even have to shop, because everything on this website is free for download in a series of different formats.