March 2013
Greta June Brasgalla teaches English at Mission Early College High School in El Paso, TX
Plays/Scenes Covered
The Merchant of Venice
This lesson can be adapted to any of Shakespeare's plays.
What's On for Today and Why
Students will:
- Choose a character that has some direct effect on the action
- Write a monologue for an off stage character in the style of Shakespeare
This lesson will take 2 x 40 minute class periods.
What You Need
Folger editions of The Merchant of Venice
Handouts:
Model monologue
Second Person Familiar
Weird Words
Slugs and Clods
Compliments
Rubric
Shakespeare Set Free (A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth edition)
Shakespeare's Book of Lists, Michael LoMonico, Franklin Lakes: New Page Books, 2001, p57-60
Documents:
Model monologue
Second Person Familiar
Weird Words
Slugs and Clods
Compliments
Rubric
What To Do
1. Have students discuss examples of major news stories or films where a minor character affects the action.
e.g Lion King 1 1/2 video (running Time 1:40)
2. Have students choose a scene from The Merchant of Venice and write a monologue for an off stage character
e.g a person who witnessed Jessica eloping
a person who saw Jessica on her honeymoon
a person who related the elopement to Tubal
a person in Portia's household who witnessed the suitors
NOTE-the monolgue must include a line from the play as an "overheard" line and should show how the invented character had an effect on a major plot point. (see Model Monologue handout)
3. Have students write the first 10-12 lines in their own language.
4. Through revisions, have students add in Shakespearean language using SSF tools (see below), metaphors, similes, as well as 2-3 rhetorical devices.
To achieve consistency, the students should use text evidence in their monologues.
SSF (Shakespeare Set Free) tools:
i) Change verb tenses and pronouins (see Shakespeare Set Free, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth edition, p.54(See Second Person Familiar Handout)
ii) Use Compliment/Slugs and Clods handouts to increase and vary vocabulary
(See these Handouts)
iii)Use Shakespeare's Book of Lists to add in "Weird Words". (See thsi Handout)
iv) Include other Shakespeare language from here
How Did It Go?
Evaluate the lesson by creating a rubric that includes the following:
Plot point described
Translation into Shakespearean language
Overheard line
Recitiation/presentation (See Rubric Handout)
TRANSFER/APPLICATION
If you have a class blog, post the monologues and have students read them using http://vocaroo.com or http://voxopop.com
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.
