How to Introduce Children to Shakespeare's Comedies

Shakespeare's slapstick humor will tickle children and provide a positive first glimpse of the master playwright's work. You'll find introducing children to Shakespeare's comedies easier than introducing them to his tragedies. Shakespeare wrote his plays as popular entertainment for the masses and even nine-year-olds will laugh at the bewilderment of identical twins and their families in Shakespeare's play "A Comedy of Errors." Read on to learn how to introduce children to Shakespeare's comedies.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Ages Nine to 12

1. Introduce the playwright himself by reading Diane Stanley's picture book "The Bard of Avon," which is available at most public libraries. Give the children a chance to ask questions about Shakespeare and what life was like during his lifetime.
2. Read the children's version of the comedy in Charles and Mary Lamb's "Tales from Shakespeare." This version preserves the language and the basic plot. If you can't locate a copy at your public library, Amazon and Barnes and Noble sell the book online.
3. Review and discuss the plot and the mistakes that people made. Ask if the children know any twins and if they've ever gotten people mixed up. Talk about how we identify each other.
4. Attend a live performance of Shakespeare's comedy or act out one to two scenes from the actual play rather than the Lamb's shortened tale. Talk about the difference in the audience's feelings and the feelings of the characters in the play.

Ages 12 to 15

5. View a video of Shakespeare's life. Blockbuster rents the DVD "Famous Authors: William Shakespeare" through their website. Other video biographies of Shakespeare may be available at your public library.
6. Discuss Elizabethan life, especially language, marriage and family, and masters and servants, using the information on the website "Life in Elizabethan England." Although the play takes place in Ephesus and the characters are Greek, the attitudes and language reflect Elizabethan culture.
7. Introduce the characters in the play to distinguish them from each other and briefly define any unfamiliar words. Then read the play aloud. If possible, separate the parts with each child reading an different character.
8. Talk about how we identify each other and how we identify ourselves. Ask the children to think about how we know who we are.
9. Identify the most humorous scenes in the play. Have the children share why we laugh at these situations.
10. Watch the play or perform the children's favorite scenes from the play.
11. Write and submit a question to the website "Talking to William Shakespeare" for an expert answer. Read other questions and answers on the site.