King+of+Shadows+LENS

Andrew Dowd February 3, 2011 King of Shadows LENS Transmedial Traditionally, I feel that Shakespeare’s has not only been a cornerstone of literature education, but also an excellent opportunity to extend student’s interactions with reading beyond the words on the page into something greater. His witty and dramatic plays are both fun and engaging, presenting many opportunities to explore each work within other forms of media. Despite its many benefits, the richness and complexity of Shakespeare’s work can be intimidating to readers who have not encountered such language before. It is in this case that I believe that using Susan Cooper’s __King of Shadows__ integrated with transmedial materials would be an excellent way in which to raise student’s comfort levels with challenging texts.

Due to blending of Shakespearean dialogue and a modern day novel, __King of Shadows__ presents several interesting opportunities to develop student interest and skill in reading. Teachers can ask their students to step into Nat Field’s shoes and approach situations as if they were him. Students could be asked to make a short film detailing how their own Shakespearean adventure would play out, allowing them to both think critically about the text and to try and realistically relate it to their own lives. The assignment could require them to act out a scene that comes from another of Shakespeare’s works, but give them the freedom to approach it from any angle they like. Would they pretend to be an expert actor, or fumble their words in front of The Bard? Would their performance suffer due to their adjustment period to a new time, or would being placed in the thick of things inspire them? Students could also be required to do a little research on Shakespeare himself, and incorporate those facts into their video. There are many more possibilities beyond these, as well. A teacher could edit the assignment to their liking.

Creating a video in this form would encourage students to not only closely examine the plot and structure of __King of Shadows__, but also to think critically about Shakespeare’s work itself. In forming their own scenarios, they must fist understand what they find believable or unbelievable about Nat’s character. Do they think that, as someone of around the same age, they would react the same way? This deep character analysis presents a challenge, as they must not just understand Nat himself but the context and history associated with his actions. Asking students to really look at the way in which Cooper incorporates Shakespeare’s work into her work could show them just how important context is. It could also introduce them to textual ambiguity, such as the use of the sonnet given to Nat. While it makes sense within the setting of the novel, Shakespeare obviously wrote it without the fictional Nat Field in mind. Students could be asked to take another of Shakespeare’s works out of context in their video to see just how different it becomes.

As many opportunities as this assignment could offer to young readers, it is not without its pitfalls. A video project would be difficult to do alone, and if groups are assigned there is a possibility of uneven work load and creative differences within a team. This could both irritate students and hamper their creativity in creating their script. Students may also need supplies, such as cameras or costumes, which are not readily available to them. The cost of acquiring enough for everyone could be beyond a teacher’s budget. Time is also a factor, as watching all of these videos could potentially take several class periods, time that might be needed for other material. There is also the risk of technical malfunction, which could lead to more time spent recovering lost or broken videos. Overall, I believe that if an assignment like this remains creative and fun, but does not compromise the need for research and critical thinking, it can give students a chance to really get to know Shakespeare in a less threatening manner than direct introduction might be.

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