The playwright William Shakespeare is considered to be one of the most important writers in the English language. His plays are still performed today, more than four hundred years after his death.
As well as writing his plays, Shakespeare performed in them too. At the time, women were not allowed to appear on stage, so all of the female parts were played by boys.
Teach your children about the Shakespeare using our handy topic guide!
Teaching Ideas
- Show children the inside of Shakespeare’s Globe from this Google Arts and Culture Project. Compare it to a modern theatre, what do they notice?
- Use this series of four lessons from Oak National Academy to explore Macbeth during your drama lessons.
- This lesson from the British Council uses a video to introduce Shakespeare’s life and learn about life in Tudor times.
- Try out some Shakespearean insults in this lesson!
- Retell a plot from a Shakespeare play as a story, or a report.
- Using Google maps, find the places associated with Shakespeare in Stratford-Upon-Avon. For example can you find his birthplace or the Royal Shakespeare Theatre?
Resources
- Our Shakespeare Pack has lots of resources for teaching about his life and work.
- Our Fact Cards are a perfect reading resource.
- This resource includes useful ideas for drama lessons based on Shakespeare’s work.
- Download this picture and banner for your display board.
Shakespeare Facts
- William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon around the 23rd of April 1564.
- Shakespeare wrote three types of plays; comedies, histories and tragedies.
- Shakespeare performed his plays in front of both Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.
- There was no standard spelling in Shakespeare’s time, and each of the six surviving examples of his signature are spelt differently. None of them are the spelling we use today!
- Shakespeare was the first to write down many words and expressions that we use today. These include arch-villain, fashionable and dead as a doornail.
Videos
Introducing Shakespeare | i.am.Will Shakespeare
This video is a good introduction for older primary children.
Running Time: 7:14
CBeebies: Who is William Shakespeare?
Younger children will enjoy this introduction to Shakespeare’s life.
Running time: 4:08
Sensational Shakespeare
A compilation from Horrible Histories, mainly looking at the phrases invented by Shakespeare.
Running time: 8:24
Shakespeare in Shorts: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A retelling of William Shakespeare’s classic play ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ set to modern music. One of a series also including The Tempest, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth.
Running time: 3:41
Books
A Stage Full of Shakespeare Stories
Twelve Shakespeare plays retold for older children.
Mr William Shakespeare's Plays
Seven of Shakespeare’s plays retold in a comic strip format.
What's So Special About Shakespeare?
This reference book is full of facts presented in an engaging way for younger readers.
Links
- The Shakespedia, from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, is useful for independent research.
- The BBC has lots of short clips of Shakespeare’s work.
- There are lots of ideas on the Shakespeare Week website.
- The Globe Theatre’s Playground site is full of activities.
- Visit DKfindout! to learn more about Shakespeare.
Are you teaching your children about other topics? Explore our full collection of guides!
