Shakespeare Electronic Conference, Vol. 5, No. 0387. Tuesday, 3 May 1994.
From: Elise Earthman <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Monday, 2 May 1994 09:36:28 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Teaching The Tempest/A&C
I'm going to be including The Tempest next fall in a sophomore level course in
which I'll also be teaching Frankenstein and the film, Europa, Europa, among
other things. I'd enjoy hearing from others who have had success teaching this
play to non-majors who have little interest in Shakespeare (but who have more
after they encounter him in my class!). Any ideas for particular approaches,
projects, group work, connections to contemporary things they know?
I had a moment of success the other day while teaching Antony and Cleopatra to
the same students--frustrated by the students' repeated question of "Why does
he *stay* with her? She's such a *b&*%^*!" I was suddenly struck by a
connection to a popular Lyle Lovett song--"She's got big red lips/she's got big
brown eyes/when she treats me right it's a big surprise/she never does anything
that she says she would/she makes me feel good..." and then later, "She likes
to race my motor/and then slam my hood/she makes me feel good." They all
smiled and said, "Ahhh . . . " Of course, I hope to move them toward seeing
A&C with *little* more complexity than that seen in Lyle's song, but it was a
nice moment--
Elise Earthman