Shakespear

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turtleglos
Posts: 455
Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2010 12:04 pm

Shakespear

Post by turtleglos »

Ds1 (10) loves poetry and has requested some shakespear to read :shock: Does anyone have any suggestions as to a good "beginner" piece please? I think possibly a comedy but not sure which one. Any help on this would be gratefully received. Thank you
Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will think it is stupid.
tiredmum
Posts: 1161
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:51 am

Re: Shakespear

Post by tiredmum »

well when dd was 10/11 they did macbeth at school and she loved it - wrote about it - we read some of it together and i took her to see the play, aimed at children. I think boys would enjoy it too - its got lots in it for girls and boys :)
doodles
Posts: 8300
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:19 pm

Re: Shakespear

Post by doodles »

Try Midsummer Night's Dream - was my 'O' level text and really enjoyed it and it is a "comedy".
turtleglos
Posts: 455
Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2010 12:04 pm

Re: Shakespear

Post by turtleglos »

Thanks guys,both of those are on my list of possibles, Im leaning more towards a midsummer nights dream as I was thinking its not too heavy,however if it was an olevel text hmmm. That said, he is only going to read and understand it,not debate it so it might be ok. If there are any other suggestions,please do keep them coming.
Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will think it is stupid.
solimum
Posts: 1420
Joined: Wed May 09, 2007 3:09 pm
Location: Solihull, West Midlands

Re: Shakespear

Post by solimum »

At this age (or indeed at most ages!) reading Shakespeare's plays drily on the page will probably not be very inspiring as a starting point - they were written to be performed and watched after all. Did you catch the BBC production of Hamlet last Christmas with David Tennant - it was stunning. If you live close enough for a trip to Stratford-on-Avon, seeing Shakespeare live with brilliant actors & staging really brings the text to life: you don't have to understand every nuance of the language (which to be honest most of us don't) but can be carried along by the action, with the beauty of the language seeping in almost subconsciously. There are some children's books (Horrible Shakespeare? Top Ten Shakespeare or similar) which help to give enough of the essence of the plot to be comprehensible while picking out some of the poetic "highlights" of the text, which could be useful before watching a production. Look out next summer for one of the touring productions which often pop up in local parks/National Trust gardens (weather permitting!) - we saw an excellent Romeo & Juliet locally.

Also many children enjoy the Shakespearean insults, as well as discovering how many well-known phrases are quotations from one or other of his plays. See http://www.rsc.org.uk/education/primary/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for some other possible ideas to explore - and definitely make time for a visit to Stratford!
doodles
Posts: 8300
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:19 pm

Re: Shakespear

Post by doodles »

Don't worry about MSND being an 'o' level text. It is actually quite a simple story and funny too. As with all literature of this type there are many levels on which you can enjoy it.
hilltop
Posts: 57
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 3:34 pm

Re: Shakespear

Post by hilltop »

You could try 'Mr William Shakespeare's plays' by Marcia Williams. It's a cut-down versions of 7 plays in comic strip format. Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, The Winter's Tale and The Tempest.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/William-Shakesp ... 529&sr=1-4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
zvrk
Posts: 107
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 10:02 am

Re: Shakespear

Post by zvrk »

hilltop wrote:You could try 'Mr William Shakespeare's plays' by Marcia Williams. It's a cut-down versions of 7 plays in comic strip format. Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, The Winter's Tale and The Tempest.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/William-Shakesp ... 529&sr=1-4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
My 9 year old loves these .
Minesatea
Posts: 1234
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:08 am

Re: Shakespear

Post by Minesatea »

Has he read "King of shadows " by Susan Cooper? Year 7 DS read this along with midsummer nights dream as an introduction to shakespeare at school last year.
surreymum
Posts: 553
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 10:26 pm

Re: Shakespear

Post by surreymum »

I would really recommend a trip to the Globe to see Shakespeare performed if possible. My son really enjoyed it at 10-first thing he saw was midsummer nights dream. Really brought to life for the audience and very funny. Would recommend hiring a cushion and not going the standing route first time as it is quite tiring.
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