UNIT 5
SHAKESPEARE
PERFORMING
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For this activity, sit in a circle with your group. Each person should pick a character type from the list in the box below.
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In the theatre, the word corpsing is used to describe when an actor breaks character while in the middle of performing onstage, usually in the form of laughing. The word ‘corpse’ is used because when you break character, your character is essentially dead.
a vain hero
a terrifying villain
a strict teacher
a bold student
a grumpy grandparent
a sad clown
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Now, as a group, choose one of the short Shakespearean phrases from the list in the box below to be passed from person to person around the circle. Is this a dagger which I see before me?
Get thee to a nunnery!
A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!
Off with his head!
A plague o’ both your houses!
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
Now is the winter of our discontent.
I must be cruel, only to be kind.
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To be, or not to be, that is the question.
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Each person should say the phrase as the character that they have chosen, passing the phrase around the circle. The aim of the game is to stay in character and not break character or corpse as the game progresses. When someone corpses they are out. Keep going until only one person is left.
Contractions
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A contraction is when you make a word smaller by taking out a letter and replacing it with an apostrophe (see page 273). Shakespeare often cut out syllables and replaced them with an apostrophe to make the rhythm of a line fit better. O’er
Them
’em
©
Th
e
Ed
Over
Taken
Ta’en
It is
’tis
Never
Ne’er
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