Introduction to Shakespeare

This collection of introductory resources will help KS3-5 English students get to grips with William Shakespeare's language and his use of iambic pentameter. You’ll find worksheets and activities to explore Shakespeare’s life, the Globe theatre in London and the historical, Renaissance context of his work, as well as the dramatic features of Shakespearean tragedy and comedy.

There are also some fun resources exploring the bard’s inventive use of insults (and his impact on the development of the English Language) as well as an engaging PowerPoint on Elizabethan humours and medicine. 

Whether you are teaching Othello, Hamlet, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth or A Midsummer Night’s Dream, helping students to understand a little about the life of William Shakespeare can really help to bring his plays to life.  

If you are helping students to understand how Shakespeare wrote, expert Francis Gilbert’s resources on Translating Shakespeare, Shakespeare as a performance and Introducing your students to Shakespeare will be of interest to all English teachers. Similarly, leading Shakespearean actor, writer and director Ben Crystal shares his ideas for teachers on how to recognise Shakespeare’s use of implicit stage directions, offering fascinating insights which will enrich your teaching in Mapping the heart of Shakespeare.