Teens talk shakespeare_2010

Veracity Learning Inc.
You Can Do It!
Teens Talk Shakespeare
Decipher. Visualize. Respond.
Vera Borukhov

Copyright Vera Borukhov & Veracity Learning Inc. 2010 http://www.veracitylearning.com Page 2
Introduction
Ah, Shakespeare! Of course you’ve heard of him. You know that you have to study him in
school. But you probably don’t get excited when you hear his name – in fact, you might even
be terrified!
After all, he lived so long ago; how can his plays possibly relate to your life?
But they do.
And that language – how can you possibly make sense of it?
But you can – trust me.
Come with me. Let’s work through this book together and you’ll see just how awesome,
amazing and totally cool Shakespeare really is.
First, let’s learn a bit more about William Shakespeare. Before reading his works, it’s vital to
understand a little about the time in which he lived and wrote. Shakespeare Alive, a book by
Joseph Papp and Elizabeth Kirkland, gives an in-depth understanding into what life was like in
the 14th
and 15th
centuries.
Here are some quotes from the book to help you better understand what life was like in
England at the time. If you want to know more, please read the book and feel free to connect
with me afterward for an awesome discussion.
During Shakespeare’s time:
“There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.” This kind of thinking was a new
concept at the time and people were getting nervous about it. Up until then, the Bible dictated
what was right and wrong.
“Whether it was a magical cure for hiccups or a warning not to whistle after dark, few people
questioned any of these beliefs or practices. The fact that their parents and grandparents had
believed in them was good enough.”
“Even though Elizabethans were living in an age when explorers, scholars, merchants and
writers were flinging open the doors to other cultures, most people preferred to hang back,
tarrying on the well-trodden thresholds of ignorance and fear.”

In the Middle Ages, English Jews weren’t allowed to own land, master a craft, or ply most
trades. Many of them became moneylenders by default, encouraged by a society that needed
credit desperately but was forbidden to charge interest. But it wasn’t long before the English
began to resent the affluence money-lending brought the Jews.”
“In Christian eyes, they *Jews+ were infidels just as Turks and Moors [brown-skinned men] were.
If ‘Turk’ meant ‘cruel’ and ‘treacherous,’ then ‘Jew’ stood for ‘villainous’ and ‘untrustworthy’.”
“Apparently it never occurred to these writers and preachers that a woman could be intelligent,
capable or wise and still remain female.”
“Ye are the head, she is your body: it is your office to command, and hers to obey; but yet with
such a sweet harmony, as she should be as ready to obey, as ye to command.” [VERA: IS THIS A
SHAKESPEARE QUOTE? IF SO, IT SEEMS CONFUSING TO INCLUDE IT ALONG WITH THE
PAPP/KIRKLAND BOOK WITHOUT ID.]
“A woman in the temperature of her body is tender, soft, and beautiful, so doth her disposition
in mind correspond accordingly; she is mild, yielding and virtuous.” [SEE ABOVE]
“She *Queen Elizabeth I] became a born actress, endlessly resourceful at playing whatever role
circumstances required. This ability proved to be no less useful when she came to the throne.”
“…Elizabeth ruled not because she was a woman but in spite of it.”
“Eve was created not from man’s head or foot, but from his side, and so his wife should be, to
some extent, his companion.”
“…no matter how discouraging the setbacks and how great the obstacles, the show must go on.
And marriage, in the end, was the only real show in town.”
“It was a city *London+ that offered unlimited opportunities to the sharp-witted and profit-
minded”
“They *Puritans] spoke out vehemently [passionately] against all aspects of dramatic
entertainment, denouncing actors, audiences, playwrights, and everyone who had anything to
do with them as wicked and corrupt. The playhouse is ‘Satan’s synagogue,’ said one minister;
another called it ‘the nest of the Devil and the sink of all sin.’ ”

Shakespeare as an entrepreneur
“It seems that there is no story he *Shakespeare+ hasn’t thought of. But how could all of these
intriguing plots and stirring adventures possibly come from a single brain? The answer is
simple—they didn’t. When it came to plots, Shakespeare was a borrower, not an inventor.”
“Shakespeare always recognized his role as a playwright and consistently focused on ‘what will
work on stage.’ Shakespeare often took extraordinary liberties with his sources—changing
names, settings and centuries; rearranging events; compressing or extending time; and cutting
and inventing characters. He made tragedy out of biography and comedy out of pastoral [plays
or poems dealing with peaceful country life].”
“Romeo and Juliet, for example, was The Tragicall History of Romeus and Juliet, by Arthur
Brooke. It was a long, tedious, narrative poem. Shakespeare adds life to this narrative poem by
turning it into a play, compresses it into four days, and adds fun characters such as the Nurse
and Mercutio. He also adds scenes such as servant comedy, swordfighting, and beautiful poetic
language. And just like that, Romeo and Juliet becomes a powerful, unforgettable tragedy of
star-crossed lovers.”
The brilliance of Shakespeare’s language
Shakespeare uses many references to the Bible, Greek mythology, and history for the purpose
of “illustrating a theme, driving home a point or giving a deeper meaning to the passage.”
“Words are the core of what Shakespeare and his theater are all about. It is through language
that he breathes life into his characters. Shakespeare moves us with the same rhetoric and
rhythms that have moved audiences for centuries.”
“Throughout the plays Shakespeare’s characters use rhetoric to argue, debate, persuade, and
exchange witty statements. No play is immune from rhetorical contagion—and as we watch
the characters play off each other’s words, we may find ourselves infected with enthusiasm for
these word-patters. For there’s just no getting away from it.”
“Shakespeare’s characters sometimes pun in what we might consider the most inappropriate
circumstances—which might have tickled his audience.”
“The way characters express themselves throughout his plays changed based on the character’s
mood. Characters may go from dignified or poetic verse into comfortable prose into incoherent
babbling.”

“Even though Shakespeare’s language may be the most effective stage language ever created, it
can also be the single biggest hurdle for modern readers and audiences. His vocabulary is
sometimes incomprehensible, his word order strangely convoluted, and his grammatical usage
unlike anything we’ve ever heard…. Shakespeare’s plays appear to be full of grammatical
mistakes and bizarre usages.”
Shakespeare may be difficult to understand today because language changes. Words that are
part of our vocabulary today – like “user-friendly,” “blog,” “Google” or “frenemy” - would have
been incomprehensible two hundred years ago. “Shakespeare, like any good dramatist, filled
his plays with contemporary vocabulary, words that reflected the daily lives and immediate
concerns of his audience.”
“Shakespeare’s audience might have cheered Cade on here; certainly not everyone understood
every word they heard. But it’s highly unlikely that they worried too much about it. These
people were listeners and spectators, not scholars and readers. They were intent on absorbing
the sounds, the rhythms, and the gist of the language.”
So what’s so special about Shakespeare? Why have his works been studied for the last 400
years – and why will he still be studied for generations to come?
According to others:
“Only the Bible has been translated into more languages than Shakespeare.”
“Our founding fathers, including George Washington, signers of the Declaration of
Independence, and John Adams, loved Shakespeare.
Abraham Lincoln carried a copy of Macbeth, his favorite play, as he rode the law circuits in
Illinois. In the White House, the copies of Shakespeare sat on his desk along with the Bible and
the US Statutes. “Art, religion and society—what else did one need for a full understanding of
the achievement and genius of humankind but these three books?”
People interpret Shakespeare’s work in many different ways, according to their culture and
society. “Whatever the interpretation, it seems that Shakespeare’s plays are so expansive and
flexible that they can accommodate any race, creed, color, gender or directorial approach. Not
all versions work equally well, but together they illustrate how one writer’s plays can mean
such very different things to different people.”
“There is no hardship or terror or doubt that happens out here that Shakespeare does not

touch on or give advice for.”
“Shakespeare’s universal themes and human concerns, his rhythmic language and great stories,
as well as his lively theatrical characters, are all part of what keeps Shakespeare alive.”
According to me:
I’ve loved Shakespeare since 10th
grade, when I first read his sonnet on “The marriage of true
minds.” In college I majored in English and studied him further. The more I studied him, the
more I loved him. Below is the exact text of a speech I wrote for my college public speaking
class when I was 20. Not long ago, I met with my former professor, who reminded me how
memorable the speech was.
“Great Literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree,” said
Ezra Pound. I would like to add to that quote and say, “Great Literature is when a writer is able
to take human nature and write about it with language charged with meaning to the utmost
possible degree.” That was you, Shakespeare. That was what made your plays and sonnets
Great Literature.
Your phrases and words, your language from your plays or sonnets have become overused
quotes. Quotes that are used so many times by so many people in so many different situations.
Quotes such as:
 I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes?
 Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind
 All that glisters is not gold
 Parting is such sweet sorrow
 To be or not to be—that is the question
 O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?
There is a saying that “Human nature cannot be changed.” Shakespeare, your plays have
proved it. When people tell me that there was no such thing as an interest rate before, I tell
them about your play The Merchant of Venice.

When people show signs of racism, I tell them about your famous passage from your play The
Merchant of Venice, “Hath not a Jew eyes…hands, organs, senses… If you prick us, do we not
bleed...If you tickle us, do we not laugh?”
When people tell me that “teenagers have become so crazy these days that they would kill
themselves because parents won’t let them see their boy/girlfriends.” I say teenagers have
always been that way, and mention your play Romeo and Juliet.
When people say that “look what money does to people, even the leaders of our country no
longer care about their citizens.” I say that leaders have always been that way and mention
your play Henry V.
When people ask, “what is the meaning of love?” I refer them to your sonnet where you explain
what real love means.
And that is why 400 years later we are still reading your plays.
400 years later your readers range from people of any race or culture.
400 years later your readers range from people who are just entering school to people getting
their doctorate degree.
Thank you, Shakespeare.”

How to use this workbook…
Now that you’ve learned a little about Shakespeare’s time and why his works are so timeless,
it’s time to start using this workbook.
This workbook is based on this quote: “Poetry wasn’t meant to be obvious on its surface, and
every reader, whether they were Princeton ‘smarties’ or community college dropouts, had to go
through the process of deciphering (translating, interpreting) the words, then the sentences,
then the stanzas, pulling the poem apart and putting it back together before it would yield (give
up) its meaning.” From In Her Shoes, by Jennifer Weiner
Read that quote again and write a three- to five-sentence response to it.
Sample response:
“Through the process of pulling a poem apart we can better appreciate the diligent
construction of a poem which will yield a deeper perhaps more personal understanding. By
isolating key words, phrases and images will allow us to expand on the poems’ vision and make
connections with our life.” Peter Sirena, English teacher.
Your response:
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In the following pages, you’ll be analyzing famous passages from Shakespeare’s plays and
poetry. First, you’ll be asked to answer a question related to the theme of the passage. Next,
read the passage twice, and then look over the vocabulary words to make sure you understand
everything that’s being said. (Feel free to look up any other words that are unfamiliar to you.)
Then read the passage again and answer the comprehension questions.
The next step will be to make a mental image of the actions and emotions in the passage and
draw what you see – a picture or even a comic strip. Finally, you’ll be asked to answer a
question that ties the theme of the passage to your own ideas and experiences.

What’s In a Name?

Think and write about this:
What is your name? _________________________________________________________________
What is the meaning of your first and last name? __________________________________________
How does your name affect your role in society?
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Background Information: What you are about to read is the most famous monologue from Romeo and
Juliet. Juliet, a young girl from the Capulet family, has fallen in love with Romeo, a member of the
Montague family. The Capulets and Montagues have been enemies for years. Here, Juliet pours out her
thoughts about her difficult situation.
Now read the monologue at least two times: one time to yourself, and the second time out loud. (For
now, ignore the numbers on the side. They’ll be used for reading comprehension later).
JULIET
1 O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?
2 Deny thy father and refuse thy name.
3 Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
4 And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.
5 ’Tis but thy name that is my enemy.
6 Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
7 What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,
8 Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
9 Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
10 What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
11 By any other word would smell as sweet.
12 So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,
13 Retain that dear perfection which he owes (owns)
14 Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
15 And for that name, which is no part of thee,
16 Take all myself.

Great job reading the monologue! Did you know that the word “mono” means one and “log” means
speech in Greek? So a monologue is a long speech by one person.
Now let’s interpret what you’ve read. We’ll start with some vocabulary words to make sure you
understand everything.
Vocabulary:
Wherefore – Contrary to popular belief, this word does not – repeat, does not – mean “where”! It
means why.
‘Tis—It is
Thyself—yourself
Thou—you
Art—are
Wilt—will, as in “you will, I will”
Retain—hold back
Doff –shed, remove
Thy - your
Comprehension Questions:
What is Juliet questioning in the first line?
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In the second line, what is Juliet asking Romeo to do?
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In lines 3 and 4, what other alternative is Juliet offering with regards to her own name?
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What is Juliet saying in line 5?
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In lines 5-9, what does Juliet say about what a Montague is?
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In lines 10-11, what does Juliet conclude about the significance of names?
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In lines 12-14, (only half of line 14 applies, until the period), how does Juliet compare Romeo to a rose?
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In the second half of lines 14-16, what is Juliet asking Romeo to do?
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Visualize it!
Now that you have interpreted this world-famous monologue, visualize it! Draw a picture or a comic
strip illustrating Juliet’s thoughts and ideas. There is no right or wrong – this is your imagination!

Respond!
Juliet, a young teen, is experiencing something significant happening in her life, and she reacts by
pondering the meaning of names and titles. Your assignment now is to write, in the form of a poem or
journal entry, something important that’s been on your mind recently.
Maybe you’ve been wondering which high school or college to go to – or why you have to go to school
at all. Perhaps you think about the way the sun has been rising and setting every day since the world
began. Maybe you’re worried that your relationship with your friends seems to be changing. Or perhaps
you’ve been thinking about bigger topics like war, politics or religion.
So what are you wondering about? Write it down. Your voice matters!
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O Brawling Love!

Think and write about this:
Is there anything going on in your life that’s giving you mixed feelings – both happy and sad, popular yet
lonely, content and restless?
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You are about to read one of Romeo’s monologues from Romeo and Juliet. This may not be the
world’s greatest monologue, but we’re studying it because it shows the brilliance of Shakespeare’s wit
and language. Shakespeare’s use of language is one of the things that have made him timeless.
This passage contains many oxymorons. No, we’re not talking about stupid people! An oxymoron is a
combination of terms that seem to contradict each other. One of the best examples is something you’ve
probably seen on a menu: jumbo shrimp. Other examples of oxymorons: living dead, cruel kindness, free
slave.
Background information: This speech is from the beginning of the play, before Romeo and Juliet meet.
Romeo, ever the romantic, is sighing over a woman who does not return his love. He pours his heart out
to his friend Benvolio about the meaning of love and the feelings it produces.
Now read it twice, just as you did last time.
ROMEO
Alas that love, whose view is muffled still,
Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will!
Where shall we dine?—O me! What fray was here?
Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all.
Here’s much to do with hate but more with love.
Why then, O brawling love, O loving hate,
O anything of nothing first created!
O heavy lightness, serious vanity,
Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms!
Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,
Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!
This love feel I, that feel no love in this.
Dost thou not laugh?

Vocabulary:
Alas—a sentence connector meaning “sadly, regrettably”
Muffled - quiet
Fray—battle, fight
Brawling - a noisy quarrel, squabble, or fight
Vanity - excessive pride in one's appearance, qualities, abilities or achievements
Misshapen - badly shaped; deformed
Dost - does
Thou—you
Write out the oxymorons or contradicting phrases that you find in the monologue. Explain why each is
contradictory.
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Why do you think Romeo is using contradictory terms to describe his feelings?
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Visualize it! Put your interpretation in artistic form by drawing it. This is going to be amazing! Reach
for some colored pencils and start.

Respond! Now, just like Shakespeare’s characters let their voices be heard, let your voice be heard too.
During the course of the play, something significant happens to young Romeo – he falls in love with the
enemy. This leaves him confused and conflicted. Your assignment is to write, in the form of a poem or
journal entry, something that’s making you feel the same way.
What’s been happening in your life? What new ideas are you learning that puzzle you? What issues are
you trying to make sense of, but just lead to more questions than answers?
Now start writing your poem or journal entry. Let’s go! Start now!
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With Repetition of “My Romeo!”

Think and write about this: Have you ever described a person by making a reference to
somebody famous? For example, what are you trying to say when you call someone ―Einstein‖?
What was Albert Einstein known for?
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Background information: This passage is from Romeo and Juliet‘s famous ―balcony scene.‖
Romeo and Juliet are declaring their love for each other, knowing their romance could put them
in danger because their families are enemies. As Romeo continues asking for Juliet‘s time, she is
being called by her nurse.
Read it twice.
JULIET
Hist! Romeo, hist!—Oh, for a falconer’s voice,
To lure this tassel-gentle back again!
Bondage is hoarse, and may not speak aloud,
Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies,
And make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine,
With repetition of “My Romeo!”
Vocabulary:
Hist—Hissing sound used to attract attention
Falconer - a person who trains hawks for hunting
Lure—attract, tempt
Tassel gentle—a special type of male falcon used by princes
Bondage –repression, oppression
Hoarse—rough
Bondage is hoarse—in other words, Juliet is surrounded by protectors and cannot talk loudly

Who is Echo and what is she known for?
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How is Juliet feeling at this very moment as she is responding to Romeo?
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How does Juliet feel about Romeo based on the Echo reference?
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Visualize it! Picture and draw your interpretation of this speech.

Respond! Write a poem or speech making at least one reference to something or someone most people
know well, such as a pop-culture icon (Michael Jackson, Angelina Jolie), a literary figure (Scarlett O’Hara,
Holden Caulfield), or an historical event or person (Pearl Harbor, Abraham Lincoln).
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Tempering extremities with extreme sweet

Think and write about this: Think about two things (or people) that are very different from
each other. What are they, and what makes them differ?
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What you are about to read below is called a sonnet.
What’s that? you ask. A sonnet is a poem with a very specific structure:
 There are a total of 14 lines, with 10 syllables in each line.
 The first 12 lines are quatrains. A quatrain is four lines; think of the word quatro, which
means “four” in Spanish. So there are three sets of four lines, or three quatrains.
 The last two lines are a couplet. (Think of the word “couple,” which means “two.”)
 The sonnet follows the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Notice that in each
quatrain, every other line rhymes; in a couplet, both lines rhyme.
 Sonnets are often about love.
 Shakespeare’s sonnets don’t have titles; instead, they are numbered. However, this
particular sonnet is a prologue (introduction) to Act II of Romeo and Juliet, so it has no
number.

Read it twice.
Now old desire doth in his deathbed lie,
And young affection gapes to be his heir.
That fair for which love groaned for and would die
With tender Juliet matched, is now not fair.
Now Romeo is beloved and loves again,
Alike bewitchèd by the charm of looks,
But to his foe supposed he must complain,
And she steal love’s sweet bait from fearful hooks.
Being held a foe, he may not have access
To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear.
And she as much in love, her means much less
To meet her new beloved anywhere.
But passion lends them power, time means, to meet,
Tempering extremities with extreme sweet.
Vocabulary:
Old desire—this refers to Rosaline, a woman Romeo desires at the beginning of the play before he
meets and falls in love with Juliet. The difference between the two women is that Rosaline does not
return Romeo’s love while Juliet does.
Foe—this word means “enemy” and refers to the warring Capulet and Montague families.
Doth—does
Gape—to separate, divide, to open as a gap
Bewitched - to affect by witchcraft or magic; cast a spell over
Bait—to entice or to attract
Tempering - a particular state of mind or feelings; heat of mind or passion
Extremities—extreme or terminal point
Heir—recipient; inheritor

Comprehension Exercise:
Explain the meaning of the contrasts that exist within the sonnet:
Old desire/young affection--
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Deathbed/heir
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Rosaline/Juliet
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Foe/lover
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Limited access for Romeo/even more limited for Juliet
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Tempering extremities/ extreme sweet
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Summarize the meaning of the sonnet:
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Visualize it! Picture what’s going on in this sonnet and draw it. Be creative. Let the colors flow!

Respond! Describe two things that are distinctly different from each other in a form of a poem, journal
entry or a letter. Want to try writing a sonnet? Go for it! Don’t be scared. Two lines at a time and it
will be a sonnet before you know it.
For example, you can describe the differences between night and day, summer and winter or wealth
and poverty. If you were born in another country, you can write about the differences between the U.S.
and your home country. Make it descriptive and fun. Use metaphors, similes and your five senses. Get
started!
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To hide his bauble in a hole

Think and write about this: Did you ever tease a friend in a good-natured way? Or did you
ever hear someone insult someone else so cleverly that you wished you had said it first?
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Background information: After secretly making wedding plans with Juliet, Romeo has just
joined Benvolio and Mercutio. They immediately notice a change in their friend; instead of being
pitifully lovesick, Romeo is now happy and witty. Mercutio teases Romeo about his habit of
falling in love quickly. Warning: This speech may leave you laughing out loud (LOL).
Read it twice:
MERCUTIO
Why, is not this better now than groaning
for love? Now art thou sociable. Now art thou
Romeo; now art thou what thou art—by art as well
as by nature, for this driveling love is like a great
natural that runs lolling up and down to hide his
bauble in a hole.

Vocabulary:
Groaning-- a low, mournful sound uttered in pain or grief
Art - are
Thou--you
Sociable—outgoing, friendly
Natural – in this case, it means “idiot”
Driveling-- saliva flowing from the mouth, or mucus from the nose; slaver.
Bauble—trinket, ornament, knickknack, stick
Comprehension questions:
Explain what Mercutio is saying in your own words.
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Visualize it! Have fun putting Mercutio’s words in a picture.

Respond! Mercutio wittily describes - and insults - Romeo’s actions and state of mind. Now it’s your
turn to write a paragraph describing or teasing a friend about his or her actions or state of mind. NO
CURSE WORDS ALLOWED! Be creative and crafty. Use metaphors and similes.
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If you prick us, do we not bleed?

Think and write about this: What injustice is happening in our world or in our society today
that makes you truly angry?
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Background information: What you are about to read is the world-famous monologue
delivered by Shylock, the antagonist (villain/bad guy) of The Merchant of Venice. The comedy
tells the story of Antonio, a Christian who borrows money from the Jewish moneylender Shylock
to help his friend. When Antonio is unable to repay the debt, Shylock demands a pound of his
flesh. The heroine, Portia, disguises herself as a man and hears the case. In the end, Shylock not
only loses the case, but he almost loses all his money and is forced to convert to Christianity.
Throughout the play Shylock is portrayed as a villain who must be punished severely, even
though he is honestly trying to make a living and exist in a society where he is oppressed and
hated. Remember, in Shakespeare‘s time, anyone who was foreign or not Christian was the
object of mistrust. Jews were seen as beasts or devils; in fact, they were banished from England
in the year 1290. The few Jews who still dared to live in London in the 1400s had to hide their
religion.
Read it twice:
SHYLOCK
He hath disgraced me and hindered me half a million, laughed at
my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my
bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies—and what’s his
reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands,
organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the
same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same
diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the
same winter and summer as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we
not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us,
do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we
are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew
wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian
wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example?

Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me I will execute—and it
shall go hard but I will better the instruction.
Vocabulary:
Hindered—delayed, held up
Mocked—made fun of
Scorned—regarded with disgust or disdain; looked down on
Thwarted— opposed successfully
Hath—has
Prick—pierce, stab
Humility--quality or condition of being modest or modesty
Villainy—wicked behavior
Comprehension questions:
Write out the set of phrases that explain how Shylock has been hurt and why he is angry.
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What set of phrases explain that Shylock as a Jew is just as much a human being as the Christian?
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What set of phrases explain Shylock’s reasoning for his actions? (Shylock wants to kill or physically hurt
the Christian merchant by cutting off a pound of his flesh as payment for his debt).
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What does the word humility mean? What is ironic about the way the word is used in this speech?
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Visualize it: Envision your interpretation. Draw it!

Respond! Have you ever been treated unfairly because of your religion, race, gender, nationality or
anything else that made you different from the rest? How did you feel about it? Did your feelings in any
way resemble Shylock’s anger? Write a monologue expressing yourself. Speak out!
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Think and write about this: What is anticipation? When was the last time you anticipated
something? What was it like?
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Background information: The passage you are about to read is also from The Merchant of
Venice. Here, Gratiano is having a conversation with his friend about the concept of
anticipation. As you‘ll discover, he gives deep insight into human nature.
You may notice that Shakespeare makes many references to ships, water and sailing. During his
time, sailing or using ships to trade was a common means of doing business.
Read it twice.
GRATIANO
1 Who riseth from a feast
2 With that keen appetite that he sits down?
3 Where is the horse that doth untread again
4 His tedious measures with the unbated fire
5 That he did pace them first?
6 All things that are,
7 Are with more spirit chasèd than enjoyed.
8 How like a younger or a prodigal
9 The scarfèd bark puts from her native bay,
10 Hugged and embracèd by the strumpet wind!
11 How like the prodigal doth she return,
12 With overweathered ribs and ragged sails
13 Lean, rent, and beggared by the strumpet wind!

Vocabulary:
Keen-- characterized by strength and distinctness of perception; sharp
Doth--does
Untread-- to go back through in the same steps.
Tedious—monotonous; boring; mind-numbing
Unbated—not abated, undiminished
Prodigal— wastefully or recklessly extravagant; lavish
Bark—refers to a ship
Embrace—hug or hold
Ragged—torn, worn out
Strumpet—this word generally means “prostitute,” but not in this passage.
Explain the question that Gratiano is asking in lines 1-2.
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How does Gratiano use the horse as an analogy to explain the meaning of anticipation as it applies to
humans?
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What statement does Gratiano make in lines 6-7?
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Interpret lines 8-10.
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Interpret lines 11-13.
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Now explain how Gratiano supports the statement he made in lines 6-7.
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Visualize it! Draw your picture or comic strip here.

Respond!
Write about an interesting conversation you had with someone – either in person, over the phone or
online – in which you discussed human nature and said something insightful (something that showed
you really understood the truth about the subject). You can write this in dialogue form, if that seems
most natural to you.
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'Tis mightiest in the mightiest!

Think and write about this: What is the difference between being merciful and being just?
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Background information: This is another famous speech from The Merchant of Venice. Portia,
the wife of Antonio‘s friend Bassanio, disguises herself as a male lawyer and judges the case
between Shylock and Antonio. When Shylock argues that the law doesn‘t require him to be
merciful, Portia responds:
PORTIA
1 The quality of mercy is not strained.
2 It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
3 Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed:
4 It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
5 'Tis mightiest in the mightiest. It becomes
6 The thronèd monarch better than his crown.
7 His scepter shows the force of temporal power,
8 The attribute to awe and majesty
9 Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings,
10 But mercy is above this sceptered sway.
11 It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings.
12 It is an attribute to God himself.
13 And earthly power doth then show likest God’s
14 When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
15 Though justice be thy plea, consider this—
16 That in the course of justice none of us
17 Should see salvation. We do pray for mercy,
18 And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
19 The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
20 To mitigate the justice of thy plea,
21 Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
22 Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.

Vocabulary
Strained—forced
Monarch--a sole and absolute ruler of a state or nation (such as a king)
Temporal—of or pertaining to time
Attribute—quality, characteristic
Awe—wonder; admiration
Doth—does
Scepter --a rod or wand borne in the hand as an emblem of regal or imperial power
Enthrone--to place on or as on a throne
Salvation—rescue, recovery
Render—give, deliver
Deed –act
Mitigate—lessen
Thy—your
Comprehension Questions
What is “twice blessed”? How so?
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What 3 things is mercy more powerful than?
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In lines 15-19, how does Portia explain the value of mercy?
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In line 19 (after the period)-22 what is Portia stating and asking?
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Visualize it!

Respond! What are some of the morals you live by and what is the virtue of those morals? Pick one
moral that is very important to you and write about it.
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It is an ever-fixèd mark!

Think and write about this: Have you ever thought about the meaning of love? What does it
mean to you?
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This is Sonnet 116, in which Shakespeare explains what love is by using navigational metaphors.
Historical background: ―The famous sonnet on ‗the marriage of true minds,‘ first published as
part of Shakespears Sonnets in 1609, shows how navigational metaphors become poetic symbols
of a complex but orderly universe. In the second quatrain, the mariner‘s star represents an ‗ever-
fixed mark‘ and the constancy of true love. In both the navigational and emotional contexts, the
fixed stars in the sky overrule the chaotic ‗tempest‘ on the waters below. The star‘s ‗worth‘ may
be unknown, but when people measure its ‗height,‘ celestial constancy can guide human
actions.‖
Read it twice
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
O no, it is an ever-fixèd mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand'ring bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love’s not time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Vocabulary:
Impediments—obstructions; obstacles
Mark—seamark
Tempest—storms
Wand’ring bark – wandering ship
Compass—range, circle
Sickle--an implement for cutting grass, corn, etc, having a curved blade and a short handle
Edge of doom—Judgment day
Bears it out—survives
Upon-against
How does Shakespeare define the meaning of love in the first quatrain?
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How does he define the meaning of love in the second quatrain?
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How does he define love in the third quatrain?
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What does he say in the couplet? What does that reveal about Shakespeare’s view of himself?
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Visualize it!

Respond! Do you agree with Shakespeare’s definition of love? What do you think love is? Write a
poem, a letter or a journal entry describing the nature of love. Go for it. Have fun!
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My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;

Think and write about this: What is the one thing you really like -- maybe even love -- that
surprises or puzzles many of the people around you?
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Now we are going to explore Sonnet 130.
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head;
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some pérfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound.
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
Vocabulary:
Dun--grey
Damasked—mingled (blended) red and white
Reeks—emanates (flows out)
Treads—walks heavily
Belied—misrepresented
Mistress—ladylove, lover

Pay close attention to the three quatrains and explain the following: What method does Shakespeare
use to describe what his love/mistress looks like? Give examples.
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What statement does he make in the couplet?
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What is the similarity between the statement Shakespeare made in the couplet of this sonnet and the
couplet of Sonnet #116?
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Visualize it!

Respond!
Write a poem or a letter describing something or someone you find attractive or fascinating, but that
other people might find ugly, frightening, disgusting or dull. (Insects? Geometry? Thunderstorms?
Chess? A past president?) Show us why you find it so interesting.
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Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,

Think and write about this: Have you ever felt that it was you against the world? How so?
For example, do you hold beliefs or values that go against the norms of your culture or society?
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Background information: This is a monologue from the comedy The Taming of the Shrew.
Katherina (also called Katherine or Kate), has been ―tamed‖ of her hot-tempered ways by her
new husband, Petruchio. He wears her down into accepting whatever he says or does – including
his offer of love. In the final scene, Petruchio orders Kate to tell two other rebellious women (her
sister Bianca is one) ―what duty they do owe their lords and husbands.‖ This is her reply.
Read this passage twice. (For now, ignore the numbers. I numbered these for the purposes of
answering the question for reading comprehension later).
KATHERINE
1
Fie, fie! Unknit that threat'ning unkind brow
And dart not scornful glances from those eyes
To wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor.
2
It blots thy beauty as frosts do bite the meads,
Confounds thy fame as whirlwinds shake fair buds,
And in no sense is meet or amiable.
3
A woman moved is like a fountain troubled,
Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty,
And while it is so, none so dry or thirsty
Will deign to sip or touch one drop of it.
4
Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,
Thy head, thy sovereign, one that cares for thee,
And for thy maintenance commits his body

To painful labor both by sea and land,
To watch the night in storms, the day in cold,
Whilst thou liest warm at home, secure and safe,
And craves no other tribute at thy hands
But love, fair looks and true obedience—
Too little payment for so great a debt.
5
Such duty as the subject owes the prince,
Even such a woman oweth to her husband.
And when she is froward, peevish, sullen, sour,
And not obedient to his honest will,
What is she but a foul contending rebel
And graceless traitor to her loving lord?
6
I am ashamed that women are so simple
To offer war where they should kneel for peace;
Or seek for rule, supremacy and sway
When they are bound to serve, love, and obey.
7
Why are our bodies soft and weak and smooth,
Unapt to toil and trouble in the world,
But that our soft conditions and our hearts
Should well agree with our external parts?
8
Come, come, you froward and unable worms!
9
My mind hath been as big as one of yours,
My heart as great, my reason haply more,
To bandy word for word and frown for frown.
10
But now I see our lances are but straws,
Our strength as weak, our weakness past compare,
That seeming to be most which we indeed least are.
11
Then vail your stomachs, for it is no boot,

And place your hands below your husband’s foot:
12
In token of which duty, if he please,
My hand is ready, may it do him ease.
Vocabulary: This time you are on your own. You’ve learned how to decipher poetry; now make a list of
the words that you don’t know and look up the meanings. You may also draw your own conclusion as to
what certain words or phrases mean. As we discussed earlier in this workbook, this is literature, and
literary works are open to interpretation.
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Comprehension Questions: You’re on your own here, too. To help you, this long monologue has been
divided into 12 parts, and your assignment is to interpret each part.
You can do this. I believe in you! Now take a deep breath, believe in yourself and take it part by part.
Part 1.
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Part 2.
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Part 3.
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Part 4.
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Part 5.
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Part 6.

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Part 7.
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Part 8.
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Part 9.
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Part 10
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Part 11
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Part 12:
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Visualize it!

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