The comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream is definitely the most compelling topic for my research paper! As I looked at previous posts from Digital Dialogue I saw feedback from other classmates that helped me decide that I can have some PERSONAL attachment to this topic. Something about HOW to or WHY to teach A Midsummer Night's Dream to high school students. I want to be invested in what I will be teaching, and connecting this play to future teaching plans will help me be personally invested in this play! Maybe I will compare it to the efficacy of teaching Romeo and Juliet to high school students...I have some things to say about that. here is my chance to say it.
Well, I think it's easy to teach Romeo and Juliet to high schoolers because it's all about impulsive love, how true it is, and what consequences can come of it. Adolescents can really relate to that. It's been a long time since I've read Midsummer Night's Dream, so I would be interested to hear if you come up with anything nearly as salient as impulsive love for high schoolers to latch on to as they read.
ReplyDeleteA Midsummer Night's Dream is funny, though for a group of high schoolers who can't understand most of what's going on without help anyways, that might not be a draw. You could also talk about the portrayal of fairies/magic in it though, which would appeal to anyone who has ever read YA fiction or Harry Potter.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above comment. when I was in high school, I participated in they play and it made a ton more meaningful to me. But what appealed to me most was the magic of it. Even more, that the magic was just because a few people felt like messing around with some humans.
ReplyDeleteWhy is the main question you have to answer? Why SHOULD you teach it to high schoolers? What is poignant about it?