Shakespeare's plays are timeless. This is because of the themes within each play are so relatable.
Both NCEA English and NCEA Drama involve the analysis of Shakespeare, which I find valuable due to the abundance of life lessons present in his plays. This is crucial for NCEA students as they navigate their own experiences.
This post is the second entry in a series of three, where I will share my top 3 Shakespearean plays and provide a brief overview of why I appreciate them.
It requires sophisticated delivery to gain a natural roar of laughter.
NCEA students develop many skills and boost their confidence when they explore Shakespeare.
NCEA students enjoy A Midsummer Night's Dream as it is a hilarious take on love triangles, or rather, love quadrangles.
#1 A Midsummer Night's Dream
Synopsis / Storyline:
If you like a good relationship pickle, you'll love A Midsummer Night's Drema. A Midsummer Night's Dream is fantasy about love, deception, illusion verses reality, magic and transformation. The play's height, in my opinion, occurs within a forest, where we should find Lysander and Hermia eloping, however, thanks to Puck (a woodland fairy), we find Lysander and another character who was meant to marry Hermia, Demetrius, (hence the elopement) under an enchantment fighting over Hermia's best friend, Helena.
Favourite Scene to teach NCEA students:
There is a well-known scene (Act 3 Scene 2) in A Midsummer Night's Dream that I enjoy teaching. I think it is a great scene to teach as it is a very comedic driven scene where NCEA students can play with a classic battle between best friends, as well as the complexities of a quadrangle fight for love.
How NCEA Drama students benefit from performing this scene:
NCEA students must select deliberate NCEA Drama techniques and stage directions that are driven by two levels of emotions (angry and hurt, as well as, under a spell vs convinced the emotions are real).
NCEA students must select deliberate NCEA Drama techniques and perform stage directions that showcase higher and lower status based on societal norms (e.g. Demetrius has more stature and decorum than Lysander, love vs money).
As a Shakespearean comedy has high expectations of over exaggerated drama techniques, NCEA students have to apply a lot of energy to fully peak the betrayal Hermia and Helena both feel for one another.
As a Shakespearean comedy has high expectations of audience interaction, NCEA students have to develop courage and confidence in their own delivery of their roles, so that they are able to break the fourth wall are interact with the audience, making them feel like they are a part of the experience, marvelling in Demetrius and Lysander's pursuits for Helena's love and Hermia's confusion and heartache at the apparent betrayal from Lysander and Helena. This can be done by running through the audience or projecting dialogue or stage directions toward specific people in the audience.
NCEA students understand how powerful language is when they discover (after deciphering the Shakespearean language) how specific and detailed each description truly is. In particular, how he describes the love and trust Helena and Hermia have to begin with, being friends since they were young e.g. two cherries seemingly parted.
NCEA students learn to relax and enjoy comedy for what it is, and realise, as fun as comedy can be, it requires sophisticated delivery to gain a natural roar of laughter.
This is a wonderful play that will take your heart and mind on a whirlwind through the forest and back again. It is a great play NCEA students will enjoy analysing and performing.
All the best,
Tovah
Tovah's Tutoring Company Ltd ®
NCEA tutorials are currently available
Phone
0274530411
Comments