Shakespeare In Our Classroom by Carlie Wilson

As we come to an end to our Shakespearean studies, I would like to reflect upon the unit. Considering the fact that Shakespeare is one of our larger and most memorable units this year, I would say that it has really summed up our English class this year. In previous years, I dreaded having to read Shakespeare and found myself only reading translated versions of the text. I couldn't understand why we still had to read Shakespeare in class if it seemed that no one, including teachers disliked the inevitable unit. This year however, I have found an appreciation for the old texts and have picked up a few skills along the way.

Our first day reading Macbeth was a challenge for me. I didn’t understand what was being read and found it difficult to stay focused. When reading it on my own at home I found myself frequently referring to Sparknotes summaries to fully understand the plot. By the second week however, reading Macbeth wasn't so bad after all. I was able to grasp more concepts by using context clues and analyzing root words to help me further understand the play. In class discussions reassured my knowledge of the play and I began to feel good about reading Macbeth.

When the time came to write the Shakespeare in Our Time Essay, I was able to relate to my personal experience with the unit to explain Shakespeare’s relevance in school. However, I was a little anxious about the Shakespeare performance assignment. As I am a reserved student, I didn't feel comfortable performing in front of the whole class; especially since Shakespeare is difficult content. While working with my partner Sarah, we were able to come up with ways to best make our scene interesting while still maintaining the dramatic aura of the original texts. We decided to first translate the entire scene, then break apart important parts. Then we added in stage directions and sound effects to our video which added unique character to the scene. When it came time to present our video to the class we were both nervous. However, as everyone began to share their videos and live performances, the assignment seemed to become less serious and more fun. I also found that I was able to understand the text much easier by performing the scenes and watching others take action. Overall this unit turned out to be very fun and has changed my perspective of Shakespeare. Hopefully next year we will be given the same opportunity to express our creative and literary skills.