Thesis - Teaching Shakespeare Through Song

Those that do teach young babes/Do it with gentle means and easy tasks.
--Desdemona (Othello 4.2.129-130)

This page will eventually contain a link to the text of my Thesis, entitled Teaching Shakespeare Through Song. Please feel free to browse the thesis text. Below is an Abstract (summary) of the document. Chapter 1 explains my methodology and rationale, Chapter 2 details historical background and settings of Shakespeare’s songs, Chapter 3 discusses the process of setting song texts to music, and Chapter 4 discusses pedagogy and classroom applications of the songs. Chapter 5 summarizes my thoughts and makes suggestions for future research. The musical notation examples (figures) contained in the paper correspond to audio files on an accompanying CD, which I hope to post here in future. You are more than welcome to write me to ask questions or make comments.
--Michael Mikulin

Teaching Shakespeare Through Song

Shakespeare’s plays are filled with music. There are over 70 songs in the Shakespeare canon, and no less than 32 of the plays make reference to music or musical matters in the text itself (Naylor, 1965, p. 3). In addition to songs that advance the action, known as mimetic music, performances of Shakespearean drama often make use of non-mimetic music—that is, the incidental music used at the start and end of the plays to entertain the audience (Duffin, 2004, p.11). While much innovative research has resulted in new and exciting ways to teach Shakespeare (i.e., O’Brien, 1993; Davis & Salomone, 1993; Gibson, 1998), the possibility of exploring musical settings in the context of teaching Shakespeare is often overlooked, possibly due to a lack of accessible information and resources.

This thesis explores how understanding of Shakespearean drama might be enriched through attention to the song texts. It is comprised of three main sections: 1) an examination of the history of song in Shakespearean text; 2) a presentation of the author's original arrangements for five song texts accompanied by discussion of how the composition process required sophisticated engagement with the text; 3) a reflection on the author's experiences inviting Grade 10 English students to compose original settings for Shakespearean songs employing a computer-based music making application.

The print manuscript is accompanied by a hypermedia compilation for classroom use featuring musical settings (both historical and original), song texts, and practical resources for teachers. Additional materials, including streamed music files of the author's original song settings, are available here: www.shakesongs.com.