Because Shakespeare is meant to be seen and not read, it is more than likely that ninth grade students will be watching the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet, whether in class or at home. Being an owner of this film, I feel that it is an amazing representation of Shakespeare's tragic love story. I feel that English teachers should utilize this film in the classroom in order to assist in the reading of the play. This way a classic is being mixed with a multi-modal form of literature.
Because there is a new, more modern film version of the play, starring Leonardi DiCaprio as Romeo, I think that it would be interesting to show both films in the classroom. An assignment could be to have the students compare and contrast the films, stating which version they liked better. Showing the more modern version of the film shows the students how Shakespeare's plays are timeless and the themes embedded in the plays are still applicable in today's society. Though in the two films the language is exactly the same, the two films are quite different, and the students could elaborate on the differences. Overall, I think this would be an interesting assignment that incorporates multi-modal literature into the classroom and really gets the students thinking about Shakespeare and the timelessness of the themes in his plays.
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I remember something fun from high school concerning Shakespeare. Our teacher told us to bring in our favorite books, and he spent a class period reducing each book to the plot of one of Shakespeare's plays. It was crazy because Shakespeare's themes are so prominent and timeless as you said, that you just could not ignore the similarities. I also really like the idea of movie comparisons (and I happen to really like the newer version of Romero & Juliet, so I will give up my man card now). I think additionally you could give your students a list of how many movies are re-envisioned versions of Shakespeare's work to show them how common it really is.
ReplyDeleteI remember watching the 1968 version in the ninth grade. I remember enjoying seeing the movie much more than reading the play. I also think that it's really helpful to have students watch Shakespeare not only because it is easier to follow along with what the characters are saying and doing, but it is also great for students to see it in play form.
ReplyDeleteI also like your idea of comparing and contrasting two different interpretations of the play. I can imagine that it would take a ridiculous amount of class time to watch both movies. Maybe they could compare and contrast different scenes.