05.06 - Language in Shakespearean Plays

Our original plan for today was to finish our NWEA testing. The testing system, however, was down for maintenance. As a result, we returned to our work in looking at how language is used in Shakespearean plays and will attempt to return to testing tomorrow.

Everyone had the first part of class to return to their work with comparing language in the Star Wars: A New Hope movie script with language in the Shakespearean adaptation of the Star Wars: A New Hope (see handout below). We then came together as a class to discuss these language differences and how they effect the story-reading experience.

Next, we took a more detailed look at a speech from R2-D2 in the Shakespearean adaptation of the story. In the movie script (and movie), R2-D2 does not speak at all. In the Shakespearean adaptation, R2 has regular speaking roles. We were focused on one of these moments from the portion of the script that we read in class (see image and handouts below).

As a class, we read and discussed R2's speech (see questions below speech):

Click Image to Enlarge

Discussion Questions:

1 - How does R2-D2's speaking role change his character in the story?

2 - What is R2-D2 saying in the speech above? How does this change the story?

Next, I used the speech to illustrate some wider points about reading Shakespeare. Everyone identified words with which they were unfamiliar and I crossed these out from the speech and then read the speech again. People noticed that the words that were taken out were mostly adjectives and we observed that the general meaning of the passage remains clear even when we didn't have all the words.

Click Image to Enlarge

In looking at understanding this passage without all of the word's, we talked about how the missing words aren't essential to meaning, but that understanding them does make the story more colorful and enables us to understand characters better. When reading Shakespeare it can be helpful to read through the play at a consistent pace. This will enable people to get a clear idea of what is happening so that when there are unknown words they don't take away too much from the overall meaning.

The last point we addressed was that this speech by R2-D2 is called a soliloquy which means he delivers the speech alone (he's not speaking to anyone in particular). This is a device that Shakespeare uses to reveal parts of the plot or character's inner thoughts to the audience. We will focus on speeches like this in Romeo and Juliet.

Handouts:
Star Wars movie script (beginning)
William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily A New Hope
Script Comparisons 
R2-D2 Soliloquy


Homework:

If you did not do so in class, finish the movie script and Shakespearean script comparison activity.

Prepare for the unit 3 roots and prefixes quiz. We will have it in class either tomorrow or Thursday, depending on available time.

Complete or revise any assignments scoring below a 3.

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