Exploring euphemisms and understanding the principles of inferring as a reading technique

Transcription

1 Topic Shakespeare s insults Aims Exploring euphemisms and understanding the principles of inferring as a reading technique Age group 16 years old Level Upper-intermediate; Advanced Materials Euphemism pictures, a picture of Shakespeare, screen, projector, laptop, mobile phones (ipads) Time 45 minutes Procedure

2 TIME AIM PROCEDURE INTERACTION 5 Introducing euphemisms 7 Remembering Shakespeare 3 Connecting euphemisms to insults. 7 Understanding the peculiarities of Shakespeare s insults 5 Reading excerpts from Shakespeare s dramas 7 Inferring as a reading technique 8 Exploring different contexts 3 Euphemisms from different aspects Showing various pictures of euphemisms to students and asking them to paraphrase them and refer to their literal meaning. Discussing the need to use euphemisms and situations when people opt for them. Showing a picture of Shakespeare to students and asking them who he was. Telling students to make a mind map of all things that they can remember about Shakespeare. Students are encouraged to use the Internet on their mobile phones in seeking information. Asking students why and how Shakespeare can be connected to their knowledge about insults. Encouraging students to think in terms of insults and writing. Asking students how insults may be delivered in a way that is not literal. Asking students why they think some opt for such use of euphemisms. Showing a video about Shakespeare s insults and discussing what is mentioned in the video in order to understand a bit more what each insult meant and why it was considered to be an insult. Students are given several different excerpts from Shakespeare s dramas and asked to read them and identify insults in them. Students are asked to make a large mind-map of all the insults they found. This mind-map will be made on the board, so all students could see it. As one pair introduces the insults they ve found, the others are asked to infer its meaning. Students are asked to write short dialogues where they could use some of the insults shown on the board. Afterwards, students may choose to share their dialogues with the rest of the class, by making a short presentation with their dialogue. This presentation could be delivered via the Internet or in person Students are encouraged to use their mobile phones to explore some other aspects and situations in which euphemisms can be used, or think of another writer that uses similar devices as Shakespeare. Students may present their findings during their future lessons. Individual Group Class Class Pair Class Pair Class

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4 Euphemisms

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6 Shakespeare image

7 Henry IV, Part 1 PRINCE HENRY I'll be no longer guilty of this sin; this sanguine coward, this bed-presser, this horseback-breaker, this huge hill of flesh,-- FALSTAFF 'Sblood, you starveling, you elf-skin, you dried neat's tongue, you bull's pizzle, you stock-fish! O for breath to utter what is like thee! you tailor's-yard, you sheath, you bowcase; you vile standing-tuck,-- PRINCE HENRY Well, breathe awhile, and then to it again: and when thou hast tired thyself in base comparisons, hear me speak but this. King Lear OSWALD What dost thou know me for? KENT A knave; a rascal; an eater of broken meats; a base, proud, shallow, beggarly, three-suited, hundred-pound, filthy, worsted-stocking knave; a lily-livered, action-taking knave, a whoreson, glass-gazing, super-serviceable finical rogue; one-trunk-inheriting slave; one that wouldst be a bawd, in way of good service, and art nothing but the composition of a knave, beggar, coward, pandar, and the son and heir of a mongrel bitch: one whom I will beat into clamorous whining, if thou deniest the least syllable of thy addition. OSWALD Why, what a monstrous fellow art thou, thus to rail

8 on one that is neither known of thee nor knows thee! KENT What a brazen-faced varlet art thou, to deny thou knowest me! Is it two days ago since I tripped up thy heels, and beat thee before the king? Draw, you rogue: for, though it be night, yet the moon shines; I'll make a sop o' the moonshine of you: draw, you whoreson cullionly barber-monger, draw. Hamlet OPHELIA O, help him, you sweet heavens! HAMLET If thou dost marry, I'll give thee this plague for thy dowry: be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a nunnery, go: farewell. Or, if thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool; for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them. To a nunnery, go, and quickly too. Farewell. OPHELIA O heavenly powers, restore him! Comedy of errors DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Nell, sir; but her name and three quarters, that's an ell and three quarters, will not measure her from hip to hip. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE Then she bears some breadth? DROMIO OF SYRACUSE No longer from head to foot than from hip to hip:

9 she is spherical, like a globe; I could find out countries in her. Richard III LADY ANNE Would it were mortal poison, for thy sake! GLOUCESTER Never came poison from so sweet a place. LADY ANNE Never hung poison on a fouler toad. Out of my sight! thou dost infect my eyes. GLOUCESTER Thine eyes, sweet lady, have infected mine. LADY ANNE Would they were basilisks, to strike thee dead!