1. JANUARY 9, BELL WORK
On a separate sheet of notebook paper, begin a K-W-L chart with everything you Know about William Shakespeare (things you’ve read, things you’ve been taught, things you’ve heard, etc..)
What you KNOW
What you WANT to Learn
What you LEARNED

2. Re-learning how to read
William Shakespeare
Re-learning how to read

3. Shakespearean Lanaguage
Technically “Modern English”
More accurately “Elizabethan”

4. Language: Unusual Word Arrangement
Did they really talk that way? No. Shakespeare used the word arrangement that he did in order to create drama in his plays and poems, to manipulate the rhythm of a line, to emphasize a certain word, to give extra character or meaning to a certain word or line, etc etc…

5. Language: Unusual Word Arrangement
Example: I ate the sandwich. I the sandwich ate. Ate the sandwich I. Ate I the sandwich. The sandwich I ate. The sandwich ate I.
 These four words can create six unique sentences which carry the same meaning.  When you are reading Shakespeare's plays, look for this type of unusual word arrangement.  Locate the subject, verb, and the object of the sentence.  Notice that the object of the sentence is often placed at the beginning (the sandwich) in front of the verb (ate) and subject (I).  Rearrange the words in the order that makes the most sense to you (I ate the sandwich).  This will be one of your first steps in making sense of Shakespeare's language.

6. Language: Omissions
For the sake of his poetry, Shakespeare often left out letters, syllables, and whole words. These omissions really aren't that much different from the way we speak today. We say: "Been to class yet?" "No. Heard Ulen's givin' a test." "Wha'sup wi'that?"
We leave out words and parts of words to speed up our speech. If we were speaking in complete sentences, we would say: "Have you been to class yet?" "No, I have not been to class. I heard that Mrs. Ulen is giving a test today." "What is up with that?"

7. Language: Omissions
A few examples of Shakespearean omissions/contractions follow:
'tis ~ it is ope ~ open o'er ~ over gi' ~ give ne'er ~ never
i' ~ in e'er ~ ever oft ~ often a' ~ he e'en ~ even

8. Language: Unusual Words
Shakespearean English (Early “Modern English”) includes many words we don’t use any more
“What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds? Turn thee, Benvolio; look upon thy death”(Shakespeare ll ).
Which words do not look familiar? This is where those side-notes that we used for The Odyssey will continue to come in handy…
Thou
Hinds
Thy
more?

9. Language: Unusual Words
Even more confusingly, it includes words we DO still use today, but they have entirely different meanings, which means that all the words make sense, but we can’t figure out what the sentence means as a whole
“Gregory, on my word, we’ll not carry coals”(Shakespeare, ll. 1).
The side note for this line tells us that carry coals, while normal language for us, here means: “put up with insults” (an Elizabethan expression)

10. Language: Unusual Words
Shakespeare's vocabulary included 30,000 words.  Today our vocabularies only run between 6,000 and 15,000 words!  Because Shakespeare loved to play with words, he also created new words that we still use today
Shakespearean Language Glossary
There are websites all over the internet for Shakespearean words

11. Increasing Understanding: Reading Log
Developing a Reading Log (this will be due at the end of the play– think poetry packet)
Step 1 ~ Reading for Understanding
Read each scene at least once.
Record any new words or phrases you looked up during reading. Be sure to include the definitions in your reading log.
Write a summary of the scene in a dark ink/font.
Record any questions you may have about the scene.

12. Increasing Understanding: Reading Log
Step 2 ~ Discussing the Scene/Play
Discuss the scene/play with your classmates. If you are studying the play on your own, visit one of the Shakespeare discussion boards on the web.
Ask the questions you wrote down in your reading log.
Step 3 ~ Adding Answers to Your Reading Log
Use a different colored pen or font.
Write the answers to your reading log questions in the margins.

13. Increasing Understanding: Reading Log
Step 4 ~ Second Reading
Use a different colored pen or font.
Now that you have a basic understanding of the plot and unusual words or phrases, it is time to read the act again.
Record your personal reactions to each scene.
Step 5 ~ Discuss the Play
Your rereading will probably create new questions, so go back to class or the online discussion and continue discussing the play.
Record any new answers or insights you gain in your reading log (be sure to use a different color font or ink).