Course Sample for Our Making Shakespeare Important Homeschool Course

INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE
Overview of Course Structure

“To be or not to be” may be the most quoted line from any play in history. Who was Shakespeare? Why study Shakespeare? Are his works still relevant for today? What do his plays and sonnets mean? My hope is that by the end of the course you will have answered many of those questions for yourself. I have written this course out of a personal interest in Shakespeare and a desire for others to dive deep into his works. Each lesson will be similar in format, with a brief review of what you have already read, an introduction to the act/scene you will be reading, followed by a link to that particular act or scene. There will be a few questions about the day’s reading; for some students, it may be easier to read these questions ahead of time. Finally, some thought-provoking questions will be asked. These will serve to relate what you read to your own life, thus, making Shakespeare relevant for you.

Julius Caesar Resources

The play that we will be studying in this course is Julius Caesar, one of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays. For some people, the language of Shakespeare is hard to understand. If this is the case, it may be good to keep a link open on your computer that provides a good translation. I personally recommend No Sweat Shakespeare. On this site you will find a wealth of resources related to Shakespeare. For this particular play, the following link will take you directly to the “modern day” Julius Caesar is https://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/shakespeares-plays/modern-julius-caesar/. This modern-day translation is very readable. (Parents: Beware, there are many advertisements on this website. Remember to NEVER click on an advertisement or popup.)

One can also readily access audio versions of Shakespeare’s works on YouTube, as well as many other sites. Your local library will also have audio resources. If you are like me, I enjoy having a physical copy of what I’m reading in hand. I make most of my book purchases on https://www.thriftbooks.com/; here you can purchase books at a very low price and receive free shipping if you spend $10 or more. My personal preference is The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare: Comprising His Play and Poems, published by Fall Rivers Press. It contains all Shakespeare’s plays.

To view a full sample of this course, click here.