Discuss the difference between comedy and tragedy. Shakespeare's tragedies will have some comic relief because too much tragedy would overwhelm his audience. However, his comedies generally end with marriage and harmony and his tragedies usually end in death and disorder.
Select one of the best known tragedies--Macbeth, Othello, Hamlet or King Lear--to study. Introduce the cast of characters and any unfamiliar words in the play.
Watch a live performance or a video of the play. Discuss the plot to make sure that the children understand how one event progresses to another.
Ask the children to read the script of the play silently and to mark or make notes of any passages that indicate the main character's strong emotions or his decisions. Note whether the character is aware of the truth about the situation he's reacting to or if the audience knows more than the character.
Comment on the range of emotions and the resulting decisions. Children may be able to recall similar emotions and decisions in their own life. Give them an opportunity to discuss these situations and the results.
Assign a monologue or scene for the children to perform. Discuss how Shakespeare used words in the particular scene or speech to make the drama interesting to his audience since actors performed his plays on a bare stage without special effects and almost no scenery. Consider Shakespeare's sentence structure, choice of words and use of images.