Accessible Lear: Teaching King Lear to Secondary-Education Students

Abstract

<p>This thesis tackles the issues of how to include Shakespeare, specifically King Lear, in the secondary classroom with performance, nontraditional formats like comic books, pairing with modern texts, and other pedagogical options. The first chapter tackles the introduction of students to Shakespeare. By using four mini-lessons, teachers can help any student can feel that the plays are not only approachable and understandable, but also fun. The second chapter treats how best to teach the rich language of Shakespeare to this age group. Within King Lear the rhetorical and literary devices, along with the complex and sometimes strange vocabulary, can place a wall between ignorance and comprehension for students. The third chapter contains a discussion of how King Lear's themes can be interactively presented to the students to best connect with them. These sections contain natural places for writing-based exploration of Shakespeare's work, including opportunities for journaling and composing small essays.</p>