Historical Happenings in April 2025
- gallopade
- Mar 24
- 7 min read
William Shakespeare’s Birthday
Few literary works and the authors who penned them have made as great a cultural and global impact as William Shakespeare and his plays. Shakespeare's influence has spanned media, centuries, and genres, from Eminem’s song “Renegade” [1] to The Simpsons to West Side Story.[2] Themes of love and passion, ambition and power struggles, as well as heartache and betrayal, are universal emotions that are just as strong now as they were when Shakespeare wrote about them almost 430 years ago.
Studying Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets is a great way to introduce your students to these literary themes and help them develop their critical thinking skills to understand the text’s meaning. Since Shakespeare Day (April 23) is quickly approaching, now is a fantastic opportunity to incorporate his plays into your lesson plans.
There is no need to make “much ado about” finding resources; we've got you covered! We compiled a list of free lesson plan ideas for all grade levels to help make the Bard’s works come to life.
Act I: Setting the Stage — Shakespeare’s Life
To help students understand Shakespeare’s writing, let’s pull back the curtain and look at the main character himself!
Act I, Scene 1: The Early Years
Ever the dramatist, Shakespeare’s actual birthday is shrouded in mystery. He was baptized on April 26, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England; it’s likely that he was born a few days earlier. Historians believe his birthday was probably April 23, which is why Shakespeare Day is celebrated on this date.[3]
Shakespeare attended the town’s grammar school until he was 15. Three years later, he married Anne Hathaway in 1582. The couple welcomed their first daughter, Susanna, a few months later. The Shakespeares went on to have twins, Judith and Hamnet, in 1585.[3]
Act I, Scene 2: The Playwright
The record of Shakespeare’s life goes dark for several years after the birth of his twins, so nothing is known about his early career in the theatrical world of London. He doesn’t reappear on the scene until 1592 when a critic calls his play a “Shake-scene.” By this time, Shakespeare has earned his stripes as an actor and playwright in London. A year later, his first published work, the poem Venus and Adonis, was released.[3]
Over the next 20 years, Shakespeare continued writing and acting in plays. He also became a business partner in the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later renamed the King’s Men), an acting troupe. His popularity — and wealth — grew, and he purchased New Place, the second-largest house in Stratford-upon-Avon. He lived here until his death on April 23, 1616, the same date as his (supposed) birthday.[3]
Act II: Curtain Up — Teaching Shakespeare in the Classroom
Shakespearean language can be intimidating to students unfamiliar with his writing. A great way to help them ease into reading his sonnets and plays is to first introduce them to his world and works.
Act II, Scene 1: The Globe Theatre
To fully appreciate Shakespeare’s plays the way they were intended, show your students videos of plays performed at Shakespeare’s Globe. Shakespeare’s Globe in London is a recreation of the Globe Theatre, which was owned by the King’s Men and where Shakespeare’s plays were performed.
Unfortunately, the original Globe no longer stands after it was completely destroyed by a fire in 1613.[4] American actor and director Samuel Wanamaker reimagined and rebuilt it to its former glory in the 20th century. The Globe was meticulously reconstructed according to the plans and materials used by the King’s Men (with emergency fire exits, of course). It is only a street away from where its predecessor stood.[5]
You can show your class what Shakespeare’s audiences would have seen by taking a virtual tour of the reconstructed Globe. Click here to access the free 360° tour.
The Globe has also created tons of free multimedia resources to help you teach several of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays to middle and high school students. These include videos and group activities designed to engage students and teach them about the play’s characters, themes, language, and plot. Below is a list of plays the Globe covers:
Act II, Scene 2: Video Recaps & Activities for Elementary Students
Shakespearean plays aren’t reserved for just upper-grade levels; elementary schoolers can join in on the fun, too! Finding resources to make Shakespeare accessible and age-appropriate for elementary schoolers doesn’t have to be a “wild-goose chase” (Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene 4).
Start by introducing your class to a few of Shakespeare’s plays through the Globe’s series of animated videos. In under a minute, each video quickly breaks down the play’s plot with its cast of adorable “playground beasts.” The Tempest, Titus Andronicus, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, and Twelfth Night are all available to watch for free. Click here to view the series.
After watching these videos, teach your students a handful of Shakespearean phrases. Folger Shakespeare Library has several printable handouts with terminology that was popular during the Bard’s time. These are great ways to familiarize your class with Shakespeare’s writing and language, as well as the phrases and idioms that Shakespeare invented that are still used today. Click here to view the list of worksheets.
Act II, Scene 3: Pop Culture References
Shakespeare’s influence in the entertainment world is undeniable. Many movies and TV shows borrow heavily from his writing, and some have even reimagined his plays as modern adaptations. Here are just a few of our favorites:
The Lion King (1994): Parallels Hamlet
West Side Story (1961 & 2021), Warm Bodies (2013), Gnomeo and Juliet (2011): Parallels Romeo and Juliet
10 Things I Hate About You (1999): Parallels The Taming of the Shrew
She’s the Man (2006): Parallels Twelfth Night
Depending on time constraints, your school’s policy on showing videos in the classroom, and the grade level you teach (The Lion King and Gnomeo and Juliet are rated G, while the other movies listed are rated PG-13), you can pick scenes from these movies to show to your class.
Ask them to point out the movie's similarities in that scene to scenes from Shakespeare’s play. Are the characters’ names the same or variations of the names in the play? What plot points are similar? Which themes are present in both the movie and the stage play?
Another great activity for upper-grade levels is to compare the lyrics in Pop Sonnets to modern-day pop songs. Pop Sonnets is the Tumblr-turned-book of pop songs reimagined as Shakespearean sonnets.
If you’re an English teacher, these sonnets are an engaging and funny way to introduce your students to iambic pentameter. From Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off” to Justin Beiber’s “Baby” to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s theme song, these sonnets are creative and really help readers understand Shakespeare’s language. They can also choose their favorite song to write into a Shakespearean sonnet for homework.
To view all of the Pop Sonnets, click here. If you want to hear from the author of Pop Sonnets, Erik Didriksen, on his creative process, click here to listen to his interview with Folger Shakespeare Library on their p
Act II, Scene 4: Acting it Out
Just as Hollywood has reimagined the setting of Shakespeare’s plays, your students can try their hand at doing the same! Divide students into groups, and give each group a scene from the play that you’re studying. Instruct them to set the scene in a time period of their choosing, create costumes that fit that setting, design the props, and design the stage for the play. They can create a slide deck of digital images or go old school and print out pictures or drawings to glue to poster boards.
In addition to creating their set, they need to explain why they chose that place and time period as their setting. They can either turn in an essay with their rationale and research or present it as a group in front of the class.
For an additional challenge, have them act out the scene. One student will be the director, while the other team members will pick a character to play.
The Folger Shakespeare Library's entire collection of plays is available for free on its website. Click here to access the library and download your copy. The library also has short scenes for elementary students, which can be viewed here.
Act III: Curtain Call — More Resources to Discover
Whether you teach ELA, social studies, drama, or all of the above (plus some), there’s something Shakespearean for you!
Act III, Scene 1: The First Folio
Shakespeare’s plays were collected and published by his colleagues post-mortem. The First Folio, officially titled Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories & Tragedies, was published in 1623, and it was the first time many of his plays were in print.[6]
Eighteen of the plays published in the First Folio could very well have been forgotten had it not been for this collection of works. Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., has the largest collection of First Folios in the world, with 82 copies in its archives.[6] Click here to view one of the digital copies.
Act III, Scene 2: Primary Sources from Shakespeare’s Life
To better understand the life and times of Shakespeare, view his legal records, letters, and the only remaining copy of the sixth edition of Venus and Adonis, published in 1599. Shakespeare Documented has hundreds of other primary sources for your students to view and analyze. Click here to view their collection. For ideas of ways to teach using primary sources, click here to download our free “Teacher’s Guide for Primary Sources.”
Act III, Scene 3: Free Lesson Plans
Folger Shakespeare Library has a treasure trove of lesson plans that combine multimedia with topics spanning the source material for Macbeth to comparing Maya Angelou’s “Ain’t That Bad?” to Romeo and Juliet.
Professional development resources are also available to help you dig deeper into Shakespeare in your teaching. Click here to access the lesson plans.
For more titles related to Shakespeare, be sure to check out our The Scary Mystery at the Shakespeare Library and 1000 Reader #416: William Shakespeare. To discover more historical tidbits, lesson plan ideas, and free activities, follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Also, check out our other blogs for even more “Historical Happenings.”
Sources:
[1] Hatfull, Ronan. “‘I’m Jay-Z on a bad day, Shakespeare on my worst days’: When rappers cite Shakespeare.” Folger Shakespeare Library, 21 May 2021, https://www.folger.edu/blogs/shakespeare-and-beyond/hip-hop-when-rappers-cite-shakespeare/. Accessed 18 March 2024.
[2] “Pop Culture Shakespeare and Teens with Stefanie Jochman.” Shakespeare Unlimited: Episode 110, Folger Shakespeare Library, 27 November 2018, https://www.folger.edu/podcasts/shakespeare-unlimited/pop-culture-shakespeare/. Accessed 12 March 2025.
[3] “Shakespeare’s Life.” Folger Shakespeare Library, https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-life/. Accessed 14 March 2025.
[4] “Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.” Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/shakespedia/shakespeares-globe-theatre/. Accessed 14 March 2025.
[5] “The Third Globe.” Shakespeare’s Globe, https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/discover/shakespeares-world/the-third-globe/. Accessed 14 March 2025.
[6] “The Shakespeare First Folio.” Folger Shakespeare Library, https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeare-in-print/first-folio/. Accessed 14 March 2025.
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