Teaching Shakespeare: "The Tempest," William Shakespeare

Teaching “The Tempest” This certainly is a challenge because this play really can’t be classified. It certainly is a fantasy (people, spirits, and monsters inhabiting an uninhabitable Mediterranean Island). It is a tragedy because a deposed Prince seems to have caused unbearable pain to a number of innocent people. It is a farce with Caliban, the monster, pledging allegiance to drunken stooges. It is a love story with a Hollywood happy ending. “The Tempest” is hard to explain to English teachers committed to “the unities” which are briefly exposed to each other. But Shakespeare didn’t expect any of his plays to land on the Canon of Literature. He was trying to put fannies in the seats and make money by selling tickets. In other words the Elizabethans wanted entertainment, not study guides. Although Shakespeare now resides in teaching hearts and minds, if you’re teaching high school students, you must include the idea of entertainment and appreciation for excellent storytelling. I hope