Overview

An examination of contemporary approaches to the teaching of Shakespeare, this book considers what it means to effectively teach Shakespeare and, by extension, literature in general As a school and college student, Mary Janell Metzger sat through lectures that swamped Shakespeare in literary tradition and form, leaving no breathing room for individual interpretation. As a teacher, she yearned to connect students to Shakespeare's plays, and in Shakespeare Without Fear she tells you how she finally removed the barrier between text and inquiry by focusing on the rich interactive possibilities between student, teacher, and bard. Shakespeare Without Fear offers methods that will get students emotionally and imaginatively involved with the plays while developing their capacity for critical judgment. Ideal for the experienced teacher as well as for teacher training courses, Shakespeare Without Fear first debunks the idolatry and polarizing academic politics surrounding the study of Shakespeare and then allays reader anxieties by setting up the plays as engaging historical works instead of items to tick off a cultural literacy list. Next Metzger takes you into real classrooms for a complete look at how she and other educators teach several major works, including Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet, offering both a framework for teaching any Shakespearean drama and play-specific essential questions for teaching ten of his other most popular plays. Covering topics like teaching to standards, and the challenges non-native speakers face reading Shakespeare, Shakespeare Without Fear will help the teacher create conditions where Shakespeare explodes off the page and into the imaginations of the students. Suggests methods by which the teacher can make Shakespeare accessible to students Places Shakespeare's plays in their historical context Uses real-life classroom examples

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9780325006451

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MARY JANELL METZGER is an Associate Professor of English at Western Washington University, where she teaches courses in English literature, critical theory, and pedagogy.

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