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Confusion Now Hath Made His Masterpiece!" Shakespeare For Beginners

Lesson 6: For Freedom... Frodo… and Narnia! or Dramatic Build

Lesson 6: For Freedom... Frodo… and Narnia! or Dramatic Build

 

Objective: Students will demonstrate the use of dramatic build by writing notes on their Crispian Speech and by performing a dramatic build for the class.

Materials

Hook

Show Lord of the Rings Clip and then the Braveheart clip. What did these two characters do to rouse their men?

  1. Built in intensity
  2. Reasoned with them
  3. Appealed to their emotions

How do the characters use their bodies and voices to rouse their men?

  1. Increased volume and pitch.

 

Activity Personal Speeches

Have each student write 5 basic things about themselves in their drama journals. After they all have had time, demonstrate how to read the information they just wrote with dramatic build (going up in pitch and volume). Give them a chance to practice all at the same time reading their lists with dramatic build. . Be sure to point out that they do not need to rush through the speeches, and they don’t need to yell. They need to project.

After they all feel more comfortable with dramatic build, ask each student to read their information to the class with dramatic build. Encourage the students to cheer for each other at climatic moments.

Activity: Shakespearean Insults

Hand out “An insulting conversation”. Divide the class in half and assign each half either part A or part B. Let the students look over their lines and sound out troublesome words. Have the students form two lines facing each other. They are now each one household in Romeo and Juliet: The Montagues and the

Capulets. They really don’t like each other. They are going to hurl insults chorally. Meaning you will all say your line as a team together in unison.

However you should deliver the insults using dramatic build. They should start low in volume and pitch and end high in volume and pitch. They should not rush or yell, but they should definitely be projecting. Let the insults be hurled! When students are finished ask if two volunteers will perform the lines again solo using dramatic build.

Transition

Explain that students will revisit the Crispian Speech from last class.

Activity: Crispian Speech Part Two

Have students pull out their Crispian speech. Explain that we will decode the lines as a class to get a basic sense of translation but each student may write their own interpretation on their paper. When students are finished give them a couple of moments to practice the dramatic build of the speech. Before the end of class ask the students to all perform the speech chorally but with the inflections and the dramatic build they decided on.

Closer

Next class we will practice and preview the speeches for each other and then the class after that we will perform them as our final for the unit.