1st Semester Class Description

Shakespeare Conquest

Fridays 1-3pm

Sep 10 - Dec 10

Shakespeare is considered one of the greatest playwrights of all time putting forth some of the grandest concepts and ideas that have inspired a plethora of songs, movies, books, and more. But if he's one of the greatest playwrights of all time why is he so boring? Or... is it possible that we just don't understand what he's saying?

"The Elizabethans were an audience of listeners. They would say, I'm going to hear a play, not I'm going to see a play. The Elizabethan audience would pick up on words and their various meanings that we wouldn't." - Marjorie Garber

If there were an "Elizabethan Guinness Book of Records", Shakespeare would be the unchallenged record breaker in his use of language. Nobody ever used so many words so well. It's estimated that Shakespeare used between 25,000 and 29,000 different words in his plays and poems. To give you a sense of just how extraordinary this is, consider that the King James Bible is made up of only 6,000 different words.

Did you know that these common phrases come from Shakespeare's works?

• Dead as a doornail (Henry V)
• Such stuff as dreams are made of (The Tempest)
• Once more unto the breach (Henry V)
• The naked truth (Love's Labour's Lost)
• Out, damned spot! (Macbeth)
• All the world's a stage (As You Like It)
• The lady doth protest too much (Hamlet)
• The green-eyed monster (Othello)
• Bated Breath (The Merchant of Venice)
• What's done is done (Macbeth)
• What fools these mortals be! (A Midsummer Night's Dream)

In Shakespeare Conquest students will discover first hand all the beauty, wisdom, and hilarity of the bard. This will be accomplished through fun games and exercises, and reading, watching, and listening to the original plays. Youth will learn to understand the language and become familiar with the era that shaped Shakespeare's attitudes and hence his plays. Through participation in this class youth will have the opportunity to improve speech, oration, and presentation skills. At the end of the second semester the class will produce and perform one of Shakespeare's plays.
 

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In this class we use a mentored style of learning to reach our goal of a great liberal arts education. We feel it is one of the best ways to learn. Mentors teach, profess, model, discuss, enter into debate, encourage efforts and expect failures, all as part of the path to greatness. All great teachers were and are great because they were also great mentors.

Using a mentored style of learning, we help ourselves and our youth gain a vision of how striving for truth can change the world; inspire a commitment to find and fulfill their unique mission; help develop abilities and skills essential to effective leadership and positive influence. These four keys - Vision, Mission, Abilities, and Skills - are what we focus on during a leadership education to help nurture a love of learning and create classical leaders in our communities. In this class, "Shakespeare Conquest" we have chosen to use the works of Shakespeare to focus on those four keys.

This class will be taught by Andrew Smith and his mother, Tammy Smith. Andrew is a 16 year old scholar who loves Shakespeare, drama, and all things connected to theatre. He has an amazing ability to mentor others and create a climate of excitement and interest in his subject. He received his training for teaching the Shakespeare Conquest through The Leadership Education Mentoring Institute (LEMI). Andrew's mother, Tammy Smith, will be co-teaching.
 

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This class will be taught at the Smith home 10 miles down Knik Goose Bay Rd.

The fee is $60 per semester, with a commitment to both semesters required.

This fee is non-refundable after the first two weeks of class.

Youth ages 12 - 16 are welcome with a limit of 15 students so don't delay in registering now.