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An Introduction to Performing Shakespeare’s Plays – The Sonnets
Unit Overview
This unit is designed to be used as an introduction to Shakespeare’s language, verse, and dramaturgy. It is to be used before the study of any Shakespearean play to familiarize students with the general conventions of performance, iambic pentameter, and Shakespearean language.
Students will also learn the general conventions of a Shakespearean sonnet.
Unit Objectives
After completing this unit, students will be able to (SWBAT):

Identify a sonnet;

Identify a Shakespearean sonnet (3 quatrains and 1 couplet);
 Identify and map a Shakespearean sonnet’s rhyme scheme;

Identify iambic pentameter;

Analyze Shakespeare’s sonnets for meaning and dramatic tension;

Perform one of Shakespeare’s sonnets from memory in a dramatic context.
Primary Standards
10.LT-P.8. Identify, respond to, and analyze the effects of the form and dramatic structure of ballads, elegies, sonnets, and heroic couplets.
10.LT-D.9. Identify and analyze how dramatic conventions support, interpret, and enhance dramatic text.
10.LT-T.3. Analyze the way in which the theme or meaning of a selection represents a view or comment on life, providing textual evidence for the identified theme.
Secondary Standards
10.LD-V.8. Identify and use idioms, cognates, and the literal and figurative meanings of words in speaking and writing.
10.LD-V.9. Distinguish between the denotative and connotative meanings of words, and interpret the connotative power of words.
10.LD-V.10. Determine meanings, pronunciations, contextually appropriate synonyms and antonyms, replacement words and phrases, etymologies, and correct spellings of words using dictionaries, thesauri, histories of language, and books of quotations.
10.LT-S.10. Analyze the author's use of figurative language, including personification, symbolism, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, allusion, and imagery in a poetry selection.

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10.LT-S.11. Evaluate how an author's choice of words advances the theme or purpose of a work.
10.W-I.2. Write poems using a range of poetic techniques, forms (sonnet, ballad), and figurative language.
This Unit Guide Contains:
Daily Plans
Day 1 – Sonnets: Form and Rhyme
Day 2 – The Pulse: Iambic Pentameter (Students receive sonnets)
Day 3 – Deciphering Shakespeare’s Language & Interpreting the Sonnet
Day 4 – Discovering Dramatic Tension
Day 5 – Preserving the Meter
Day 6 – General Work Day / Final Rehearsals
Day 7 – Performances
Assessment Guide
Appendix A – Sonnet Pairings
Appendix B – Worksheets (WKST)
Appendix C – Project Assignment Sheet & Rubric
Appendix D – “Recognize” Exhibit Information for Day 3

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Day 1 – Sonnets Form & Rhyme
Objectives: SWBAT identify a sonnet, identify a Shakespearean sonnet, and map its rhyme scheme.
Standards: 10.LT-P.8., 10.W-I.2.
Beginning of Class: Respond to the following prompt in writing:
Michael has had a crush on Gina for over two weeks now, but he cannot seem to work up the nerve to talk to her. He decides to write her a note instead. What does he write?
(5 minutes)
Share Out – Mini Class Discussion: How do you express love in writing? How was love expressed in writing in the past? Do you know any famous love poems? (5 minutes)
Heart of the Lesson
To
Mini Lesson: The Sonnet –
The Original Love Note (14 lines, Shakespearean Style,
Rhyme Scheme)
(12 minutes)
Shared Learning: Students will identify the
Shakespearean Sonnet from among other poetic forms
(See WKST 1B), delineate its quatrains and couplet, and map its rhyme scheme. (10 minutes)
With By
Students may work in pairs to write Michael’s note to Gina in the form of a
Shakespearean Sonnet
(without the iambic pentameter which will be discussed in Day 2). See
WKST 1A for a
Shakespearean Sonnet “grid” to aid in the writing process.
(10 minutes)
Closing of Lesson: Share out some of the first quatrains… Answer any questions.
Homework: Finish sonnets
Modifications: Lists of rhyming words commonly associated with love may be given to help those with difficulty rhyming.

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Day 2 – The Pulse: Iambic Pentameter
Objectives: SWBAT identify iambic pentameter and perform scansion of a sonnet.
Standards: 10.LT-P.8.
Beginning of Class: Pass out the Sonnet Certification Sheet (WKST 2A). Students will switch homework papers and complete the worksheet to “certify” whether or not their classmate has written a proper sonnet (sans meter).
Turn in WKST 2 with classmate’s poem stapled to it.
Heart of the Lesson
To
Mini Lesson: Meter – Iambic
Pentameter & Scansion(5
Feet, Unstressed Syllable
/Stressed Syllable)
With
Activity: Perform scansion of
Sonnet 18. Split class into
De’s and Dum’s. Have the
De’s whisper and the Dum’s shout their respective syllables of Sonnet 18.
(WKST 2B)
By
Pair up (De’s must pair with
Dum’s) and distribute project assignment sheets with sonnet pairings (See
Appendices A & C)
Begin scansion of individual sonnets.
Closing of Lesson: We will be working with our sonnet pairs for the rest of the unit.
Homework: Finish scansion of your sonnet. Begin memorizing your sonnet.
Modifications: Multiple choice options on Sonnet Certification WKST.

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Day 3 – Deciphering Shakespeare’s Language & Interpreting the Sonnet
Objectives: SWBAT decode Shakespeare’s language by using reference materials to look up unfamiliar words and by “unscrambling” odd syntax. Students will demonstrate their understanding of their sonnets by paraphrasing the sonnet and analyzing the theme of love in the sonnet.
Standards: 10.LT-P.8., 10.LD-V.8., 10.LD-V.9, 10.LD-V.10., 10.LT-T.3., 10.LT-S.10.,
10.LT-S.11.
Note: From this point forward, the desks should be rearranged into pairings as students will work from here on in their sonnet pairs.
Beginning of Class: Students will read sonnets (both students should read both sonnets) and highlight all unfamiliar words.
Heart of the Lesson
To
Mini Lesson: Deciphering
Shakespeare’s Language
(Dictionaries, Etymology,
Syntax)
“Pimp My Shakespeare”*
Paraphrase – Use postcard paintings from “Recognize” exhibit (see Appendix D) to describe how 21 st
century artists take classical pieces and rework them into modern masterpieces.
With
Shared Learning: Decode
Sonnet 18 using techniques from Mini Lesson.
Paraphrase it as a class.
Using the “Pimp My
Shakespeare” motif. Allow hip/hop, slang, urban translations of text.
Discuss the theme of love.
By
Use techniques from mini lesson to decode sonnets.
Paraphrase the sonnets using
“Pimp My Shakespeare” motif and discuss the particular viewpoint the sonnet pairing has on love.
(WKST 2B may be used again for a line-by-line paraphrase)
*“Pimp My Shakespeare” based on popular MTV program entitled “Pimp My Ride” where a body shop takes an old, battered car and remodels it into a “cool,” fancy new car.
Closing of Lesson: Answer Questions about project assignment. Remind students to continue memorizing their sonnets.
Homework: Finish Paraphrase and thematic analysis. Continue memorizing sonnet.
Modifications: Permitted to work individually.

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Day 4 – Discovering Dramatic Tension
Objectives: SWBAT identify the dramatic aspects of the sonnet by creating a mini play script for enacting their sonnets.
Standards: 10.LT-P.8., 10.LT-D.9.
Beginning of Class: Are sonnets dramatic? Why or why not? (5-8 sentences)
Share Out: Mini-Class Discussion
Heart of the Lesson
To
Mini Lesson: Drama in the
Sonnets (Sonnets as Dialogue
/ Action)
With
Activities: Dialogue without sound – Ask student pairs to perform short skits (1min) without saying a word.
Dialogue with sound – Ask student pairs to perform skits with only one person talking nonsense syllables (Do Re Mi
Fa…)
By
Students will write mini scripts for their sonnet performances.
Sample Mini Script for
Sonnet 18 (WKST 3)
Closing of Lesson: Have one group share one of their scripts, if time allows. Remind students to memorize sonnets using chunking and other memorization techniques. (The scripts should aid in this.)
Homework: Continue memorizing sonnet. Finish mini scripts.
Modifications: Permitted to work individually.

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Day 5 – Preserving the Meter
Objectives: Students will analyze and evaluate Shakespeare’s use of iambic pentameter in adding meaning to his sonnets through appropriate stress on certain words.
Standards: 10.LT-P.8., 10.LT-D.9., 10.LT-S.11
Beginning of Class: What’s more important: what’s being said or how it’s being said? (5-8 sentences)
Heart of the Lesson
To With By
Mini Lesson: The importance of keeping the iambic pentameter in Shakespeare’s verse. (Keeping the verse usually highlights Dramatic
Alternatives)
Activity: Have students refer to the scansion of their sonnets (completed on Day
2). Have them note which words are receiving stress, esp. dramatic alternatives.
Students will practice their sonnets aloud keeping the integrity of the verse and the verse line.
Closing of Lesson: Inform students that tomorrow’s class period will be used as a general work day for them to rehearse their sonnets and finish or augment any of the unit’s previous work.
More words may have to be defined as new meaning is teased out of text. The paraphrase may need to be revised. The thematic discussion may be made more profound due to new insights.
Performances will take place on Day 7 and all written work is due at that time.
Homework: Continue working on preparation and practice of sonnet.
Modifications: Extended time for all written components.

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Days 6 & 7 – Rehearsal & Performance
Make sure to circulate to each pairing providing feedback. Stress that the students are to own their words. They are the speaker, the writer, of the sonnet and they must be believable, not phony or “theatrical”.
See Appendix C for Project Rubric.
Assessment Guide
Although the unit is designed so that the project rubric serves as the primary assessment, other assignments may be used to garner additional grades and much needed information concerning student progress. Also, components of the final project may be collected as they are completed to check for understanding and encourage revision and editing!
Formative Assessments

Worksheet 1B (Sonnet Identification)

Homework Day 1 (Original Sonnet)

Worksheet 2A (Sonnet Certification)

Informal Observations During All Group Work
Summative Assessment

Worksheet 2A (May be used as Quiz)

Final Project Rubric (Scansion, Paraphrase, Analysis, & Performance)

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Appendix A – Sonnet Pairings
The following sonnets are paired together based upon some common aspect or particular viewpoint concerning love. Student pairs should perform them one following the other. Some pairs may wish to perform them as if one is a response to the other while some pairs may wish to perform them as two opinions on the same subject. Either way will display the dramatic tendencies of the text.
Sonnet 18 is the sample sonnet used throughout the lesson and it may be paired with Sonnet 23 on the shared theme of the power of a written statement of love, if needed for demonstration. The following is a list of sonnets for the students along with the theme or aspect that joins them.
Sonnet A Sonnet B Joining Theme / Aspect
40
130 or 141
138
27
116
137
151
29
The nature of true love
Looks (physical appearance)
Lack of Trust / Double
Entendre (Comical aspects)
Obsessive Love
24 46
71
34
87
90
147
49
81
44
70
120
149
104
The eye and the heart as symbols of the degree of love.
Death
Tears
Lover’s Worth
Lover’s Hate or Unkindness
Mistaken Love
Love Throughout Time

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Appendix B – Worksheets (WKST)
Worksheet 1A – Sonnet Line Grid
Name __________________________________________ Class __________ Date _________
Directions: Write a sonnet using the lines below as a guide.

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Name __________________________________________ Class __________ Date _________
Worksheet 1B – Find the Shakespearean Sonnet!
Directions: Indicate which one of the poems below is a Shakespearean sonnet. Beware, there are other sonnets listed, but only one follows Shakespeare’s conditions. Then list three reasons why the poem you chose is a Shakespearean sonnet.
Poem A
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise,
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints -I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! -and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Poem B
To me, fair friend, you never can be old,
For as you were when first your eye I eyed,
Such seems your beauty still. Three winters cold
Have from the forests shook three summers' pride,
Three beauteous springs to yellow autumn turned
In process of the seasons have I seen,
Three April perfumes in three hot Junes burned,
Since first I saw you fresh, which yet are green.
Ah, yet doth beauty, like a dial hand,
Steal from his figure, and no pace perceived;
So your sweet hue, which methinks still doth stand,
Hath motion, and mine eye may be deceived.
For fear of which, hear this, thou age unbred:
Ere you were born was beauty's summer dead.
Poem C
Doth any maiden seek the glorious fame
Of chastity, of strength, of courtesy?
Gaze in the eyes of that sweet enemy

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Whom all the world doth as my lady name!
How honour grows, and pure devotion's flame,
How truth is joined with graceful dignity,
There thou may'st learn, and what the path may be
To that high heaven which doth her spirit claim;
There learn soft speech, beyond all poet's skill,
And softer silence, and those holy ways
Unutterable, untold by human heart.
But the infinite beauty that all eyes doth fill,
This none can copy! since its lovely rays
Are given by God's pure grace, and not by art.
1.
Which poem is the Shakespearean sonnet? _____________________________________
2.
How do you know it is a Shakespearean sonnet? (List 3 Reasons) a.
__________________________________________________________________ b.
__________________________________________________________________ c.
__________________________________________________________________
Bonus: How many of the poems are sonnets? ______________________________________

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Name __________________________________________ Class __________ Date _________
Worksheet 2A – Sonnet Certification Sheet
Directions: Fill in the column under “Shakespearean Sonnet” with all of the standard conventions of a Shakespearean sonnet. Then, switch poems with one of your classmates. Fill out the poem’s title and author at the top of the second column and fill in the information for that poem. Compare each category for both poems to see if your classmate’s poem is written in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet.
Standard Conventions
# of Lines
Shakespearean Sonnet
Title ____________________
Author __________________
_________________________
# of Quatrains
# of Couplets
Rhyme Scheme
Is your classmate’s poem written in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet? ________________

Worksheet 2B – Sonnet 18
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.
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Worksheet 3 – Sample Mini Script for Sonnet 18
Speaker 1 - Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Speaker 2 – Yes, please do.
1 – Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
2 – Go on.
1 - Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
2 – Wow! Really!
1 - Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
2 – Oh, my!
1 - But thy eternal summer shall not fade
2 – It won’t?
1 - Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
2 – Why not?
1 - So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.
2 – (sigh)
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Appendix C – Project Assignment Sheet
Introduction to Performing Shakespeare – The Sonnets Project
Assignment Summary
For this assignment, you will work with a partner to prepare a dramatic performance of a pair of
Shakespeare’s sonnets from memory. You will be asked to prepare the sonnet as a professional actor would prepare the same piece, practice it as a professional would practice, then render a professional performance. Each lesson from today onward will help you to complete at least one component of the process. You will be graded on each component of the process. Each student will receive an individual grade.
Process Components
A.
Preparation
1.
Scansion of Sonnet – A delineation of the stressed and unstressed syllables in the sonnet.
2.
Paraphrase – A modern-day language translation of the sonnet.
3.
Three Paragraph Analysis of the Viewpoint of Love Displayed in the Sonnet
Pairing – A legibly handwritten analysis of the theme of love apparent in the sonnet pairing.
B.
Practice
1.
Mini Script for Sonnet Practice and/or performance – A script to help with the comprehension, memorization, and apprehension of the sonnet.
2.
Day 5 Participation – Repeatedly reciting sonnet aloud.
3.
Day 6 Participation – Using class time appropriately to work on project.
C.
Performance
1.
Memorization
2.
Meter – Appropriate stresses.

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Name __________________________________________ Class __________ Date _________
Introduction to Performing Shakespeare – The Sonnets Project Rubric
Scansion
(1)
Paraphrase
(3)
All feet and stresses are correctly and vividly marked.
Paraphrase is complete and expresses the full meaning of the sonnet.
Analysis
(3)
Analysis is complete and shows thoughtful insight into the sonnets.
Nearly all feet and stresses are correctly and vividly marked.
Paraphrase is complete and expresses most of the meaning of the sonnet.
Analysis is complete and shows some thoughtful insight into the sonnets.
Most feet and stresses are correctly and vividly marked.
Paraphrase is complete and expresses some of the meaning of the sonnet.
Analysis is complete but shows little thoughtful insight into the sonnets.
Feet and stresses are not correctly marked.
Paraphrase expresses little of the sonnet’s meaning.
Analysis is complete, but is general or vague.
Scansion is incomplete.
Paraphrase does not express the meaning of the sonnet
OR
Is incomplete.
Analysis shows no insight into the sonnets
OR
Is incomplete.
Mini Script
(1)
Day 5
Participation
(1)
Day 6
Participation
(1)
Script is complete and clearly shows tension between the characters.
On task the entire class period.
On task the entire class period.
Script is complete and shows some tension between characters.
On task nearly the entire class period.
On task nearly the entire class period.
Script is complete.
On task most of the class period.
On task most of the class period.
Script is incomplete.
Frequently off task.
Frequently off task.
No script.
Refused to participate
OR
Frequently disturbed classmates.
Refused to participate
OR
Frequently disturbed classmates.

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Memorization
(2)
Meter
(2)
All lines are memorized
No inappropri ate stress is given to any word.
Nearly all lines are memorized.
Few words are inappropriately stressed.
Most lines are memorized.
Some words are inappropriately stressed.
Few lines are memorized.
Many words are inappropriately stressed.
No lines are memorized.
Iambic pentameter is not used.
Total Score ____________________________________________________________________
A = 4.0 – 3.5
D = 1.0 – 1.9
B = 2.8 – 3.4 C = 2.0 – 2.7
F = Less than 1
Comments ____________________________________________________________________
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