Insight Shakespeare Plays - Romeo & Juliet

by William Shakespeare (edited by Shane Barnes and Aidan Coleman)

Review by Karen Wighton, October 2011

This famous love story of two star-crossed lovers is part of a unique series of Shakespeare’s plays. Billed as "Ideal for the Australian curriculum", and created by Award-winning teachers and Shakespearean scholars, Romeo & Juliet joins others in the Insight Shakespeare plays already published: Othello, Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, King Lear (October 2011) and Julius Caesar(October 2011) , and coming in 2012 are The Taming of the Shrew and Hamlet.

The series is created by an independent, Australian-owned company with 40 years experience in providing excellent educational resources and Study Guides in English, Literature and Shakespeare. Each text addresses key elements of the Literature, Language and Literacy strands of the Australian Curriculum.

The original text of the play is used, detailing figurative language with student-friendly explanations. This 217 page, ready-made unit of work will suit all competency levels of teaching (and with the potential to include even the most disengaged student). A wealth of features ensures that the study of Shakespeare is exciting and stimulating, and though not watered-down, it draws on contemporary culture, (music, Baz Lurhrmann’s film,etc) and group activities to encourage active participation. A wide range of possible outcomes are suggested (written, film, visual and media activities) to increase student understanding of interpretation.

Key concepts are explained in notes for easy reference and classroom activities have been developed for every scene. Highlights on the text are provided for analysing characters and linking ideas to their qualities and behaviours. Literary and Shakespearean conventions such as foreshadowing, soliloquies, tragedy and dramatic irony are introduced and explained in a clear fashion.

Since teachers know the importance and benefit of format for students and for their own sanity, simple yet crucial features have been factored in. Acts and scenes are easy to locate and the text is clear to read, using simple, two-colour text.

A single page of script might include any or all of the following:

• Characters listed.
• ‘In a Nutshell’, providing a brief synopsis to lead students into the scene and aid their understanding.
• ‘Before you read’ identifying a dramatic element in the scene.
• Text notes or meanings for some Elizabethan words (hark, wherefore, look thou, alack, etc)
• Line numbers throughout.

Annotated notes between every scene include such items as the following:

• Vocabulary banks.
• Historical and literary background notes and illustrations.
• Language features outlined (imagery, hyperbole, puns, oxymoron, metaphor, etc).
• Tables, flow charts and visual presentations to explain the plot.
• Aspects of language or character qualities and evidence and examples from the text.

There is information about: the text, about Shakespeare, his sources, settings, language and characters; Elizabethan England and its theatre; clear act summaries and comprehension questions; and which scenes are suitable for performance. Questions for discussion and a comprehensive list of essay questions are included. Teacher's Notes are provided about: understanding, reading and analysing the text, the play's themes, Shakespeare's poetic language and sonnets and a Shakespeare Reading List, Vocabulary List and Index. Simply put, there are ample activities, exercises and discussion points, offering teachers plenty of choice to suit student interests and target abilities, including Extension question for higher-level exploration. For a preview, click on the following link. http://www.insightpublications.com.au/pdf_preview/ISP-Romeo-and-Juliet-10-pages.pdf

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