"To be, or not to be, that is the question"

It’s official Shakespeare Week and did you know that Konflux are proud partners of this annual celebration?

We’re discussing all things Shakespeare with an array of resources and top tips for teaching Shakespeare below…

Did you know?...

Shakespeare week celebrates the life and work of the man we have all come to know as the creator of so many wonderful stories! But did you know that not only did he create some classic storylines, but he also invented a lot of words and phrases which we still use today?

‘Wild goose chase’-Romeo and Juliet

‘All the worlds a stage’- As You Like It

‘Generous’- Julius Creaser

‘Majestic’- Henry VIII

‘Swagger’- A Midsummer Night’s Dream

‘Break the ice’- The Taming of the Shrew

‘In a pickle’-The Tempest

‘Gossip’-The Comedy of Errors

‘Jealously is the green eyed monster’- Othello

Want to learn more? Check out the official website of all things Shakespeare: https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/ to find more words and phrases invented by Shakespeare himself!

  • Get hands on    

Be creative and make things, encourage pupils to design their own money pots or draw quills. If possible let them write with quills to gain an understanding of how much more challenging it was to write. 

  • Cross-Curricular activities

There are lots of elements to teach Shakespeare, the obvious one being English and Drama but let’s not forget about History! The history of Shakespeare is a great way for pupils to gain an understanding of Shakespeare himself and create context for his works.

  • Social history links

Do not be frightened to use original text with Primary school children, mix it in with modern language and explore the original text in detail for them to become more comfortable with saying it. There are some amazing helpful resources online, including this website where you can play clips of actors saying Shakespearean words!

  • Involve the whole school

Shakespeare isn’t just for KS2, use peer-to-peer learning and encourage the whole school to be involved.

  • Make it fun and interactive

Whether you do an English lesson, an assembly, a production or a short play make it fun and interactive.

Also, there are lots of support and ways to embrace Shakespeare Week on the official Shakespeare Week website!