Mrs.

Mann

Shakespeare Webercise

Begin by reviewing some background information on William Shakespeare’s life. Explore this interactive
timeline https://www.bbc.com/timelines/z8k2p39 and answer the following questions:

What political or religious changes took place around the time of Shakespeare’s birth that influenced many
of his works?
What are considered the “lost years”?
Identify the last play written by Shakespeare. Explain how it was different from his earlier plays and infer
why there may be a difference.
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.” - Twelfth
Night (Act 2, Scene 5), William Shakespeare

Analyze this quote. Based on what you’ve learned about Shakespeare’s life, how do you think he became
“great”? Support your answer with evidence from the timeline.
Although Shakespeare is most famous as a playwright, he also wrote poetry. Look at the following
sonnets and answer the corresponding questions.

Sonnet 130 - https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45108/sonnet-130

Sonnet 138 - https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50386/sonnet-138

Sonnet 24 - http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/24.html

Sonnet 130 – Does this sonnet read like a cliché love poem? Argue whether you think Shakespeare is
supporting or opposing traditional love poetry conventions. Identify and analyze three metaphors to
support your claim.

For a challenge: Read about Petrarchan and anti-Petrarchan conventions. Determine which conventions
Shakespeare is displaying in this poem > http://www.literary-articles.com/2009/12/shakespeare (+1 point)
Sonnet 138 – Discuss what Shakespeare thinks about honesty. Is it important in his relationship? Provide
two supporting quotations from the poem as evidence.
Sonnet 24 – Shakespeare uses heavy metaphor within this sonnet. Analyze and interpret his metaphor
involving concepts of painting, a painter, and art. Response should be 3-4 sentences.

Listen to Sonnet 24 audio here > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRI9Yuw0thA

Shakespeare is famous for the soliloquies, someone speaking aloud their personal thoughts to
themselves, within his plays. One of his most famous being Hamlet’s “To be, or not to be” soliloquy.

Watch actor, Andrew Scott’s, interpretation of Hamlet’s soliloquy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6CLd

After watching, read through the soliloquy and answer the questions.
http://www.monologuearchive.com/s/shakespeare

Refer to the video and the text and determine what the tone of Hamlet’s soliloquy is. Provide support for
your claim with one piece of evidence from the video and one piece of evidence as a quotation from the
text version.
Interpret and analyze the meaning of the quote “To be, or not to be – that is the question”. What is Hamlet
contemplating?