William Shakespeare Reintroduction

Unit Accomplishments

Work Time

Here are your Unit Accomplishments.

  • You will read Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing .
  • You will read two Shakespearean sonnets and excerpts from an Elizabethan morality handbook dealing with types of women, and you will respond to them from several different perspectives.
  • For each work of literature, you will do some writing. You will learn to write a sonnet; you will create a Prompt Book; you will complete a Dialectical Journal; you will write an analytical essay about a topic relating to a theme in the play.
  • You will see Shakespeare’s play as it was intended to be seen: in a performance. You will memorize 15 or more lines from the play and perform them for the class. In addition, you will take part in a short scene as either a director or an actor.

Next, consider the Guiding Questions for this unit and discuss them with your class.

  • What are society's expecations with regard to gender roles?
  • Does humor transcend time?
  • Do we share the same sense of humor as our ancestors?
  • How do we judge people?
  • What makes a good leader? A good father? A good friend?
  • How important is reputation?

You'll revisit these questions at the end of the unit.