Activities from The Globe

1. Introducing oppositions
This activity could be used to introduce oppositions within plays, such as
Capulets v Montagues (Romeo and Juliet), or Scotland v Norway (Macbeth).
It works particularly well for Romeo and Juliet, given how easy it is to draw on
the text:
a. Split class into two, the Montagues and Capulets, and line them up
facing one another.
b. Instruct one side to look offended by the presence of the others.
Instruct the other to look offended back.
c. Explain that one side is going to provoke the other so that they are
justified in having a fight but can claim not to have started it. The
Capulet side bite their thumbs at the other.
d. Montagues respond: “Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?” Ask them to
emphasise a particular word when saying the line for a second time.
e. Capulet side reply, “No sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir.” Again,
ask them to repeat with emphasis on one word. They then take a step
forward, put their hands on an imaginary sword and say, “Do you
quarrel, sir?”
f. Montagues reply, “Quarrel sir, no sir.”
g. This provokes the Capulets to draw their swords with the line, “Draw if
you be men.” The Montagues draw in response. Both sides stand still
with swords extended and one hand, palm open, in the small of their
backs. On the teacher’s say-so groups have to kill the opposition by
tapping the open palm. When this is done, the slain must roll to the
floor crying, “I am slain!”. Count how many are left standing at the end
of the game.

2. Establishing power relations

This activity uses the example of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
Working with single words and phrases
a. Pairs stand opposite one another. Lady Macbeth says ‘please’,
Macbeth ‘sorry’. These are the sole words in a conversation that must
last 30 seconds.
b. Repeat the activity, this time instructing the pair to move around.
c. Repeat again, this time Macbeth denying eye contact to Lady Macbeth.
d. Repeat with Lady Macbeth denying eye contact.
e. Discuss implications of where the power lies, different ways of directing
the actors.
f. Repeat with Lady Macbeth saying the lines “Art thou afeard?” and
Macbeth responding “I dare do all that may become a man”. If
possible, ask for volunteers to model this.

Working with a sequence of text

g. Introduce the pairs to an abridged section of the text from which this
activity is drawn (Act 1, Scene 7, see attached).
 h. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth pairs move as far apart in the room as
possible. They must scream the words at one another. When finished
they must race to the centre of the room. First pair to the centre wins.
i. Pairs now read the extract standing close together. For each first
person pronoun they read, they point at themselves; for each second
person pronoun they point at their partner.
j. Discuss what the use of pronouns suggests about power relations.

3. Sound tunnel
This could work for any number of speeches. The example used is Juliet’s
soliloquy as she contemplates drinking the Friar’s potion.
a. Teacher reads a single word from each line in the soliloquy. Invite
comments about the sounds of the words.
b. Read the words again. This time ask students to keep one of them in
their heads.
c. Line students up opposite one another so that they form a tunnel. One
person from the far end is to walk down the tunnel WITH THEIR EYES
CLOSED. The line hold their palms out to deflect anyone straying off
line. As the person walks down the line everyone whispers their word
in as many different ways as they can. When someone is half way
down the line, the next person enters. Students rejoin the tunnel when
they have walked through, until everyone has had a turn.

4. Iambic Pentameters
a. Stand in a circle; establish what an iambic pentameter is. Use the
example I AM, I AM, I AM, I AM¸ I AM or Tee-Tum, Tee-Tum, Tee-
Tum, Tee-Tum, Tee-Tum.
b. Stamp out the rhythm to a line. One stamp (or foot) = I AM. Five
stamps = iambic pentameter. Stamp out a series of Iambic
pentameters, shouting out HEY between lines to indicate a breath.
c. Do the same using an actual line from Shakespeare to demonstrate
how it works.
d. Do the Haka (Maori dance) to the I AM rhythm. STAMP, STAMP,
CROSS ARM, CROSS OTHER ARM,WRIGGLE FINGERS
DOWNWARDS, shout ‘HEY!’ for a breath and repeat.
e. Pairs make up their own iambic pentameter to be performed to the
Haka. E.g. “I love you man but only as a friend.” When you ask pairs to
perform this you will find some have got it wrong. The stress may be
wrong or there may be too many or too few syllables. This is useful as
it can lead into a discussion as to why Shakespeare veers from the
norm at times. E.g “To be, or not to be; that is the question” = 11
syllables. With ten, it would be “To be, or not to be; that is the quest”:
note the entirely different connotation this would have for the character
of Hamlet.
f. Circle again: perform an iambic pentameter to the rhythm of a horse
galloping. Then get students to gallop around the room, making eye
contact with other students and calling out a series of lines you have
fed them (I can’t remember the example used).
g. Sit pairs down and get them to draw three equally spaced lines on
some paper. The top one is labelled more than 10, the middle 10 and
the bottom less than 10. They then plot the lines from a speech that
uses a range of line lengths, in order to come to conclusions about how
the rhythm has been used to reflect the character’s state of mind (the
example used was Lady Macbeth waiting news of Duncan’s murder).