Synopsis "Pericles (Silly Shakespeare for Students) (in English)"
But bottom of the all-time list/ Of Shakespeare's not-so-greatest hits/ The play which always fails to please/ The poor, unfortunate Pericles./ But before you stand and leave you a seat/ I have to say our play's a feat/ Of editing and derring-do / To bring only the best to you/ In forty minutes, not one sec more,/ Your jaws will be upon the floor.The Silly Shakespeare for Students edition of Shakespeare's Pericles simplifies the famous play without dumbing it down. It's perfect for introducing students to the Bard and helping English Language Learners practice speaking and oracy skills while grappling with the classics. Author Paul Leonard Murray, director of the Belgrade English Language Theater, has cut the play down to an hour or so and made the language more accessible. But he's kept all the funny parts! Not only that, the whole thing is written in rhyming couplets. It's Pericles for Students.Pericles, Prince of Tyre, is considered one of Shakespeare's worst plays and certainly one of the weirdest. Pericles sails the Mediterranean searching for a wife. On the way he encounters incestuous kings, bawdy fisherwomen, his wife apparently killed at sea, his daughter almost killed until she's rescued by pirates and sold into prostitution, but using her wits, talks the governor of the island into marrying her, and happy endings for everyone! This version makes fun of the original and lends itself to an over-the-top, clownish style à la commedia dell'arte! Put the yay back into Traged-yay with this silly, but oh-so-fun version of a Shakespeare classic that he probably didn't even write!Production notes and a summary of the play make putting on Shakespeare easy and fun, even if you've never done drama in class before! Looking for something different for drama club, student theater, or speaking class? Want to spice up your literature or reading class and give students a new appreciation for Shakespeare? This version of Pericles for Students is for you.
