"He was not of an age but for all time".

Benjamin Johnson, a playwright and a player

Objectives:

• to improve students' skills of reading, hstening and comprehension

• to develop speaking skills of students through interactive activity in group work

Warm up

Ben Jonson, a famous writer of plays, called Shakespeare "Sweet Swan of Avon". Shakespeare has been known as the "Swan of Avon" ever since. What do you know about William Shakespeare?

Who was that William Shakespeare of Stratford? More has been written about him than about any writer that ever lived. And yet, although we know more about him than most of his contemporaries, there are certain things that historians cannot say with a firm: "This, then, is the final, the absolute truth". While reading any biographical book about William Shakespeare, we may sur­prised at a large number of such sentences as "It is possible that...", "We have no trace of what Shakespeare did during these years..."

Introducing the Topic

Listening

Listen to the text and answer the questions.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

The last half of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century are sometimes called the age of Shakespeare.

Although the name of William Shakespeare is well-known in the world we know very little about his life. He was born on April 23, 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon. His mother, Mary Arden, was a daughter of Robert Arden, a farmer. His father, John Shakespeare, was a glover who had an office at Stratford-on-Avon.

Little is known about William's childhood. He got education at the Gram­mar School. He got married in 1582 to Anne Hathaway and he had three child­ren, a boy and two girls.

William lived in Stratford until he was about twenty-one, when he went to London. There is a story that Shakespeare's first work in London was holding rich men's horses at the theatre door. But nobody ca say whether this story is true.

Later, Shakespeare became an actor and a member of one of the big acting companies. Soon he began to write plays for this company and in a few years later became a well-known author.

Shakespeare's work as an actor (although he usually acted only small parts) helped him greatly in the writing of his plays. He knew the stage and that helped him to write the most wonderful plays ever written.

Shakespeare wrote 37 plays. Among them are tragedies such as Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, Macbeth; comedies such as The Merry Wives of Windsor, All's Well That Ends Well, Twelfth Night, or, What You Will, Much Ado About Nothing; historical dramas such as Henry IV, Richard III. He is also famous as the author of two poems and 154 sonnets.

Shakespeare spent the last years of his life at Stratford, where he died in 1616. He was buried in the church of Stratford. A monument was built to him in the Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey.

Shakespeare was a great humanist. He believed in man and wished to make life better for the people of his country.

Answer the questions.

1. What place does Shakespeare take in the world literature?

2. What time is called the age of Shakespeare?

3. When and where was Shakespeare born?

4. Where did he live?

5. What do you know about his family?

6. What did he do in London?

7. What works by William Shakespeare do you know?

8. What helped him to write so wonderful plays?

9. Where did he die?

10. Why do we say that Shakespeare was a great humanist?

Work in groups

A) Discussion

Read the quotations from Shakespeare. Say how you understand them and in what situations you can use them.

1. Brevity is the soul of wit. ("Hamlet")

2. O shame! Where is the blush? ("Hamlet")

3. We know what we are, but we don't know, what we may be. ("Hamlet")

4. To be, or not to be: that is the question. ("Hamlef)

5. What is done can't be undone. ("Macbeth")

6. Better a witty fool than a foolish wit. (" Twelfth Night")

7. Time is the nurse and breeder of all good. ("The Two Gentlemen of Vero­na")

B) Read the poem and answer the questions.

AGE AND YOUTH

Crabbed Age and Youth Cannot live together: Youth is full of pleasance, Age is full of care; Youth like summer mom. Age like winter weather; Youth like summer brave, Age like winter bare. Youth is full of sport, Age's breath is short; Youth is nimble, Age is lame;

Youth is hot and bold, Age is weak and cold; Youth is wild and Age is tame. Youth, I adore thee!

crabbed — сварливий

morn — morning

nimble — спритний, моторний

adore — обожнювати

thee — you

1. What words does Shakespeare choose to describe youth and age?

2. What thoughts and feelings does he express most exactly?

C) Translate the poem.

D) Comment on the poem.

Reading

A) Cloze test

The eighth word in the text is omitted. Try to guess what this word is.

SHAKESPEARE'S BIRTHDAY CEREMONY

By an odd chance, England's greatest writer,_(William) Shakespeare, was born on St. George's Day, 1564,_(in) Stratford-on—Avon, and also died on the saint's_(day) in 1616. Every 23rd April is now_(a) day of special pageantry in Stratford.

The_(birthday) always begins early in the morning with_(the) ring­ing of the bells of Holy Trinity_(Church) where Shakespeare is buried.

Flags from different_(countries) are unfurled. In the afternoon a band_ (playing) music and followed by many people marches_(up) the street. The

Mayor leads a distinguished_(procession) to lay flowers on Shakespeare's

grave at Holy_(Trinity) Church.

After seeing this ceremony many people_(go) to see the house where

Shakespeare was_(born). The house is still the same as_(it) was when

he lived in it.

At_(night) people go to the beautiful theatre by_(the) side of the river Avon. Here_(they) see one of his plays acted by_(some) of the greatest actors in the country._(And) every night from April till October every_(seat) in this theatre is filled by people_(from) all parts of the world.

There is_(a) very old hotel in Stratford that was_(probably) there in Shakespeare's time. It has some_(Tudor) beautiful tables and chairs; and the rooms_(have) no numbers on the doors as most_(hotels) have. In­stead every room has the name_(of) a Shakespeare's play on it — the Ham­let _(room), the Romeo and Juliet room and so on.

_(Shakespeare) was probably proud to celebrate his birthday_(on) the feast of great St. George. In_(one) of his plays he shows how ordinary _(people) were stirred by their brave patron saint._(Just) before his sol­diers go into the battle,_(their) king, Henry V, tells them to shout: "God _(for) Harry, England and Saint George!"

B) Work in pairs.

Ask and answer the questions about Shakespeare's birthday ceremony in Stratford.

Homework

Develop the idea: Shakespeare's works awaken the young reader's imagi­nation, cause his laughter as well as his tears, help him to understand and love.