“You can understand what the words actually are”:a critical investigation into how far film and drama can be effective in developing Year 8 students’ understanding of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’

Abstract

This study explores the efficacy of different strategies for teaching Shakespeare through student responses to watching ‘Romeo and Juliet’ on stage and screen, and through their own participation in drama-based activities both in the classroom and at the Globe Theatre. Case study students were selected from a Year 8 class at a mixed, 11-16 comprehensive school in East Anglia. The teaching strategies used were strongly influenced by the Globe Education and Rex Gibson’s ‘Teaching Shakespeare’ (1998), and this research highlights the importance of teaching students about adaptation and interpretation of Shakespeare’s plays.