Propaganda and Shakespeare’s Richard III

Introduction:

Students will complete a jigsaw reading activity where they read a text about propaganda in Shakespeare’s times and a review of a book about Richard III.

Learning outcomes:

• Develop reading for information skills.
• Practice inferring the meaning of new vocabulary by its context.
• Look at how Shakespeare used propaganda in his writing.

Age and level: 

Adult (CEF B1–B2)

Time: 

75 minutes

Materials:

The following materials can be downloaded below:

• Lesson plan
• Presentation (This can replace worksheets 1 and 2)
• Worksheet 1 - Lead in
• Worksheet 2 - Images
• Worksheet 3 - Jigsaw reading

Warmer: Talking about propaganda (10 mins)

• Put learners into small groups. Display slide 2 or give out Worksheet 1. 
• Ask groups to read and answer the questions together. 
• Answers: Poster 1 is North Korean, Poster 2 is British. See Appendix 1 of the lesson plan for a full commentary on the posters. 
• Following up by eliciting what propaganda means. Accept any reasonable definitions. Check and drill pronunciation if necessary: /ˌprɒpəˈɡandə/ 
• Answer: Propaganda is the spreading of information (which is not always true) to help and support a political cause. There are several recognised propaganda techniques, including exaggeration, telling half-truths and demonising the enemy.

Task 1: Prereading quiz (5 mins)

• Keep learners in groups and explain that they are going to read about propaganda in Shakespeare’s times, but that first they are going to take part in a short quiz. 
• Display slide 3 or ask learners to look at their worksheet and answer the questions. 
• Conduct feedback, awarding points for correct answers. 
• Answers: 1, C (Shakespeare lived from 1564 until 1616; Elizabeth was queen of England from 1558 until 1603.); 2. A; 3. C; 4. C; 5. C

Task 2: Predicting with pictures (10 mins)

• Explain to the students they are going to see some pictures of things and people mentioned in reading texts and predict how they are connected. 
• Ask learners to work in pairs. Display slide 4 or give out worksheet 2 
• Ask them to describe what they see and encourage them to make predictions about what they are going to read. Give them 2 minutes, then elicit ideas. 
• It is not necessary to provide the correct answers, as students should be able to arrive at these independently after doing the next tasks.

Task 3: Jigsaw reading (10 mins)

• Display slide 4 again.
• Divide the class into two halves: ask one half to read Text A and the other Text B. The texts are on the final two pages of the student worksheet. 
• Allow students to work with a partner to answer the questions on their chosen text. Monitor, offering support where necessary. 
• Elicit feedback from the whole group. See Appendix 2 for the answers to the questions.

Task 4: Discussion (10 mins)

• When students have finished reading, ask them to work with someone who has read the other text and tell them what they have read. 
• Students should work together to discuss the connection between the texts and the pictures (slide 4 or worksheet 2) and to find and identify all the different examples of propaganda in the text. 
• Elicit feedback from the group 
• Examples of propaganda:

1. plays were a way of reinforcing the Queen’s power 
2. a song about the Queen’s wisdom and goodness 
3. an acting group which promoted Protestantism 
4. plays which prepared the country for war 
5. Shakespeare’s portrayal of Richard III 
6. Thomas More’s portrayal of Richard III.

Task 5: Vocabulary: inferring meaning (10 mins)

• Display slide 5 or write the following on the board: 
• Text A 
• a. the masses (paragraph 1) 
• b. promoted (paragraph 2) 
• c. put on (paragraph 2) 
• d. portray (paragraph 3) 
• e. subversive (paragraph 3) 
• f. committing treason (paragraph 3) 
• Text B 
• g. megalomaniac (paragraph 2)
• h. set the record straight (paragraph 2) 
• i. malicious (paragraph 3) 
• Ask students to find and underline the words in the text before matching them to their definitions.

Task 6: Definitions (10 minutes)

• Either display slide 6 or read out the definitions one by one while learners try in pairs to match the definition with a word or phrase: 

1. trying to overthrow the government or establishment 
2. spiteful and cruel 
3. to represent something or someone 
4. obsessed with power 
5. saying or doing something against the King or Queen 
6. showed that something was good 
7. performed 
8. to tell the truth about something when people have had the wrong idea 
9. the people (not the higher classes) 

• Allow students to check their answers with a partner before collecting answers around the class. 
• Answers 1. subversive 2. malicious 3. portray 4. megalomaniac 5. committing treason 6. promoted 7. put on 8. set the record straight 9. the masses

Task 7: Discussing propaganda techniques (10 mins)

• Put learners into groups and display slide 7. Or read out the rubric and questions: 
• Think of a character from history who you all know about. Discuss the following questions: 

1. What do you know about this character? 
2. What words come to mind when you think of this character? Why do you think this is? 
3. Did propaganda help to create a certain image of this character? How did this work? 

• Ask learners to discuss the questions in groups for 5 minutes, offering support where necessary. Have the names of some other historical characters (e.g. Stalin, Mao, Tito, Winston Churchill, etc.) ready in case your students don’t have any ideas. 
• Note: If possible ask students to find images or propaganda posters of the historical characters online.
• Then nominate a few groups to report back. Check with the rest of the class if they agree with each group’s answers.

Extension (30 minutes)

• Ask learners in groups to design an Elizabethan propaganda poster to advertise Shakespeare’s play, Richard III. 
• They present the poster to the rest of the class and talk about the propaganda techniques which helped them to create it.

Edited by Suzanne Mordue