My kids and I have had a great time with our grand survey of Shakespearean literature.
I first introduced my kids when they were toddlers to Shakespeare at the grammar level with Wishbone, the dog with a big imagination.
Collecting the Wishbone series of books, my kids read them during their grammar years, grades 2-4.
For their dialectic studies, when they were in grades 6 and 8, my kids read junior classics versions of Shakespeare written by Charles and Mary Lamb.
Wanting to dig deeply for our rhetoric studies, now that they are in grades 10 and 12, I created a unit that hit the highpoints, which I hoped would build love for Shakespeare, and a comfort to open a play to read, or watch one of the productions.
We’ve studied Shakespeare’s background, sonnets, Julius Caesar, Henry V, madnesses of Richard III and Hamlet, the similarities of As You Like It and Twelfth Night, The Taming of the Shrew, Much ado about Nothing, Othello, Macbeth, and King Lear, and The Tempest.
After a Shakespearean interlude at the dentist, Shakespeare’s iambic pentameter had so infused my thoughts, that my latest Homeschool Mother’s Weekly Journal featured The Bard.
Culminating our official studies, we casually performed a play of the kids’ choice through a technique called Reader’s Theater.
In the near future, we want to visit the Folger Shakespeare Library which holds the world’s largest collection of Shakespearean folios, quartos, and octavos in Washington DC, which is practically our backyard.
Queried by friends who lent us videos to add to my small growing collection, I’ve been asked which movie was our favorite.
Following are the DVDs with commentary of our growing perceptions of Shakespeare favorites.
JULIUS CAESAR
Since we first saw this moving last year when we studied Ancient Rome, we were familiar with the plot, which was afoot in many ways.
The acting was typically deep and professional and serious, appropriate for this historical tragedy.
HENRY V
Our first movie to watch was Kenneth Branaugh’s Henry V.
Wow!
Unlike other Shakespearean productions I’ve seen, this movie seemed more fluid, which made it quite enjoyable!
My son decided this movie was his favorite for being the most interesting and realistic.
My daughter and I agree, especially because we liked the marriage proposal scene.
I was so taken in by Henry V’s romantic lines, cajoling, teasing, nudging, persistently persuading…that I came close to answering for her, “Yes, yes, YES!”
(sigh…what a way with words)
Yet even I was caught up by the entire story, and even the rousing St. Crispin’s Day speech before the Battle of Agincourt.
Now I’m recalling friends’ advice to collect Branagh adaptations when we study Shakespeare.
Now that I’ve seen him in action, I agree.
His version of Henry V bridged the gap from our introduction to Shakespeare to having fun with word play.
Despite how heavy the movie was, there was great wordplay and humor throughout, which is also in the original play.
Branagh brought Shakespeare to life for us!
TAMING OF THE SHREW
First, we watched the 1967 movie production starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, which is quite original to the play set in the 16th century.
However, Petruchio did not win my heart in the way Henry V did.
Nevertheless, my daughter put this play at the top of her list, because we finally saw a comedy.
We also watched the movie Kiss Me Kate, which is an adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew, set in the year it was made, 1954.
Although we enjoyed the movie, a friend is lending me a stage version which she claims is better than the movie.
Then we reviewed an old favorite, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, this time through the lens of Taming of the Shrew.
In this adaptation, the guys need to be tamed by the gals.
Incidentally, the same actor, Howard Keel, portrays the husband in Kiss Me Kate and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and both were made the same year, 1954.
However, my favorite adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew is McClintock.
Set in 1895 Oklahoma, this fun cowboy movie stars John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, reuniting after a previous adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew.
They also starred in the 1952 production of The Quiet Man, set in 1920s Ireland, another Taming of the Shrew adaptation.
With different settings, era, and character, Wayne and O’Hara perfectly pull off Petruchio and Kate in similar scenes.
TWELFTH NIGHT
We watched Twelfth Night a month ago, lent to us by a homeschool friend.
This Branagh production set Shakespeare’s story in 19th century Japan…which I had difficulty wrapping my head around.
Although it was good, it wasn’t my favorite.
While it became my daughter’s new favorite, it was my son’s second favorite, after Henry V.
Meanwhile Henry V continues to hold my heart.
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
Loaned to us last month from a homeschool friend, definitely preview this Branagh version because parents might not want young eyes to see the extremity of bawdiness.
Otherwise, this was great!
This became my daughter’s new favorite, while it became a second favorite, after Henry V, for my son and I.
So far that makes Branagh tops because he starred, directed, produced, wrote the screen play, etc, etc, etc in both of the top favorites, and in three in all!
Another friend of mine has highly recommended other Branagh movies.
There’s more? I will be looking for them. 😉
OTHELLO
Obtaining this 1989 stage production DVD from the used bookstore, Othello as performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company was dark, though stellar in performance.
In other words, their brilliant performance made the dark script, deeply dark.
Interestingly this version was set 400 years after the play, in 1870.
REDUCED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
One of my friends lent me a DVD of the Reduced Shakespeare Company, which we found hilarious!
It’s basically the canon of Shakespeare’s works on speed-dial…not to be taken seriously. 😉
Performed in parody, this is perhaps appropriate since I was told that Shakespeare spoofed everyone.
In that light, we used this video as a spring board into how Shakespeare spoofed others.
Hah! Based on what we remembered from our studies, this wasn’t easy.
At least it sticks in our mind more moving forward as we continue our journey. 😉
ANNOUNCING OUR RANKED FAVORITES
Envelope please…
In the final tally, Kenneth Branagh versions are the overall favorite.
Many thanks to all who introduced us to him!
My daughter’s favorite is Much Ado about Nothing, whereas my son and I put King Henry V at the top.
For my daughter, choosing between the Branagh versions was about the comedy.
For my son it was about military history.
For me, it’s because I found King Henry V more romantic than Benedick.
I confess this cracks me up, that an invading king woos the princess of the land he conquered.
Although Branagh wonderfully performed both, it helps to have a Cyrano de Bergerac William Shakespeare writing the script:
Fair Katherine, and most fair, will you vouchsafe to teach a soldier terms such as will enter at a lady’s ear and plead his love-suit to her gentle heart?…O fair Katherine, if you will love me soundly with your French heart, I will be glad to hear you confess it brokenly with your English tongue. Do you like me, Kate?… And take me, take a soldier. Take a soldier, take a king” Henry V Act 5 Scene 2
