Before beginning to read and study the plays, design a lesson or two that will help students understand the political and social climates of sixteenth-century England. Resources such as Jeffrey L. Singman's "Daily Life in Elizabethan England" or Moira Butterfield's "Diary of an Elizabethan Actor" can serve as springboards for modernization as you encourage students to create social network profiles for various characters of the period. This activity should help students bridge the cultural gap so they are more able to recognize timeless themes and patterns. Although many people today think of theater as a highbrow activity, theater-going during the Elizabethan era was as popular and common as television is today.
With numerous reproductions in popular culture today, most students are familiar with the work of William Shakespeare. However, there were many other talented playwrights of the period including Thomas Kyd, Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson. Shakespeare himself was greatly influenced by Marlowe, whose "The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus" continues to be popular today. As "Guardian" journalist Michael Billington notes, "Power and temptation are themes that clearly fascinate us all." After reading or performing this play and considering the idea of selling one's soul to the devil, ask students to reflect upon their values and write mission statements.
Most students would be surprised to learn that audiences during this period were extremely vocal. Attendees were not shy about hissing at villains or cheering the good deeds of heroes. In fact, the audience-performer relationship in Elizabethan England probably felt more like that of today's summer festival rock concert than that of conventional theater. How does such a comparison change your students' reception of this material? As theater during this time was generally considered a shady past-time of questionable morality, female theatergoers sometimes chose to wear masks to obscure their identities -- if they risked attending at all. Ask your students what other modern activities might be considered this risque.
Because of the fact that women were not allowed to perform on stage during Elizabethan times, an adolescent male would have played the role of a famous maiden such as the female lead of "Romeo and Juliet." To further complicate matters, plays such as Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" and "The Merchant of Venice" feature female characters who impersonate males. Challenge students to consider the implications of a man playing a woman, playing a man. Consider having female students read the parts of male characters and vice versa. If you have access to period costumes, all the better.