SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE THEATER Kailey Buttrick 6/27/14 A 10 th grade WebQuest

Standards Content Area: Reading, Writing and Communicating Grade Level Expectations: Tenth Grade Standard: 2. Reading for All Purposes Prepared Graduates: Read a wide range of literature (American and world literature) to understand important universal themes and the human experience Concepts and Skills Students Master: Literary and historical influences determine the meaning of traditional and contemporary literary texts Evidence Outcomes: Relate a literary work to primary source documents of its literary period or historical setting

CLASS! This week we will begin reading our new class novel, and we are moving away from modern texts and into Elizabethan Europe. Here are your clues about our next text… Our next text will be a play It is believed to have been written in 1599 Its set in Rome but was written in England And the title character doesn’t even make it through Act III Any guesses?

If you guessed: William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar You were Right!!

But first lets talk about some Shakespeare stuff In order to better understand Shakespeare’s works we need contextual information that frames the play, this creates a foundation from which to analyze and interpret the text. So before we jump into reading I want us to spend the day getting a little background information. I know most of you already have quite a bit of knowledge about Shakespeare and his life as you are required to study his writings every year*. So instead of a lecture about historical context I want us to spend the day considering the world in which Shakespeare’s plays came to life… * This doesn’t get you completely off the history hook, we will eventually have to talk about ancient Rome, but I promise it will mostly be about torture and murder and war, just the fun stuff.

It is a play after all! Julius Caesar and all of Shakespeare’s other plays are first and for mostly works of dramatic literature and were intended to be watched and not necessarily read. Therefore much of our Julius Caesar unit will focus on the plays dramatic elements and the intentions of Shakespeare as a playwright. Today we will begin by thinking about one of the most fundamental parts of a play: the theater, and more specifically The Globe.

The Globe Theater Today you will be investigating The Globe Theater. The theater is located in London and was where Shakespeare debuted the 20 plays he wrote between the theaters construction in 1599 and his death 17 years later. You will need: The worksheet that I have handed out at the start of class Your Reader’s Journal Something to write with An excitement (or at least complacency) with my theatre nerd enthusiasm.

Welcome to The Globe!

First things first We are going to get some background information on The Globe Theater. You are going to watch these three videos from PBS’s Shakespeare Uncovered series (click this link!) and while you watch fill out the worksheet that is titled “Globe Scavenger Hunt.” Things should be looking for:click this link The way the space is used by both the audience and the actors Scar from The Lion King The actual location of the theater within the city The divides between the different communities within the theater Once your worksheet is filled out you may move on.

Second thing is second Now its time to explore on your own! There are two links on the following slide that will allow you to walk through and look at The Globe however you would like. After you have investigated each link open you Reader’s Journal and respond to these questions: How is this space similar or different from theaters you have experienced before? Do you still think it would be a good performance space today? Why or why not? What alterations would you make to The Globe and why?

Link one: Use these tabs along the right hand side of the image to navigate through the theater: Link two: its fairly self explanatory, you guys will figure it out

Last thing is last* This space had a revolutionary design for its time, and looked very different from more common place proscenium theaters of its time however the design itself was not original. It was modified from a very old form of theatre to fit within the congested London streets. Before you advance to the next slide take a guess as to who might have influenced The Globe’s designers. Jot this down in your Reader’s Journal. *Last before homework that is.

If you guessed: The Greeks! You were correct

Compare the two photos below and in your Reader’s Journal note how they are similar and different. You made use drawings and/or words to convey your thoughts. What are their strengths and weaknesses, do you think they are similar at all? An outdoor Greek amphitheater A cross section of the Globe Theater

FOR HOMEWORK Tonight you will be reading Act I of Julius Caesar for homework. After you finish reading I want everyone to recreate a moment from Act I in some sort of visual format. The easiest way will probably be to draw it, but not everyone is good at that. Other fantastic options are: use comical clip art or Photoshop to recreate it, take a photo of a real life recreation in which you force you family/friends/pets/barbies to pose for you, make a paper clip diorama. The sky is the limit. It doesn’t have to conform to “theatrical standards” it can be set anywhere you like. Similarly it doesn't have to be set in ancient Rome it can take place in any time you want: past, present, future. The only solid rule is make it fun!

For educators: Here are some additional resources that may help adapt this lesson to your classroom or students: If you are teaching younger students or have students in your class who would benefit from a more structured visual tour this version of the visual tour may help students stay engaged longer and stay more focused: A great resource for all things Globe related is the theater’s website which has great videos and resources: Lastly is the PBS series Shakespeare Uncovered which has lesson plans on its site:

Thanks for reading!