January 2010
Mike Levin teaches english at Flagstaff Arts amd Leadership Academy, Flagstaff, AZ
Plays/Scenes Covered
Coriolanus 3.3 120-135
What's On for Today and Why
In this monologue, Coriolanus has just been banished from Rome and rebukes the citizens and politicians of the city. Students will read the monologue, discuss imagery and ideas contained in Coriolanus' speech, and watch an illumination video which interprets the soliloquy through select images. In so doing, students will apply critical thinking skills in interpretation and analysis of Shakespeare's language.
What You Need
Copies of Coriolanus' monologue.
Access to computers
What To Do
1. Have students define "betrayal"
2. Read monologue from Coriolanus 3.3. 120-135.
3. Have students discuss what is happening and the imagery of the speech and what images they would intergrate into a video.
4. Have students watch the Illumination video. and then answer the following questions:
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What is the purpose of the video?
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What line stands out?
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What meanings are still not clear?
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Which images are most striking?
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Which images worked and why?
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What images would you have chosen?
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What are your thoughts about the audio?
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Would you have chosen the same music?
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As the speech progresses and becomes more charged, how does that make you feel about Coriolanus?
How Did It Go?
Was the classroom alive with discussion about imagery? Did the students gain a better understanding of Coriolanus' lines? Did students offer insight into Shakespeare's text through the images they found while listening to and viewing the speech?
If you used this lesson, we would like to hear how it went and about any adaptations you made to suit the needs of YOUR students.
