The Missing Link

Shades of Shakespeare: Macbeth is a bluffing game that requires players to translate popular Shakespearean quotes into modern language. Don’t know the answer, then see how good you can bluff others into thinking your answer is correct! Either way you get to learn a little Shakespeare while having fun with fellow players.

Shades of Shakespeare: Macbeth will help students better understand the language of Shakespeare. This is something high school teachers say often gives students troubles and becomes a barrier for getting into Shakespearean Tragedies more deeply. Teacher’s have said:

“. . .the number one problem is always the language. If you can do something that helps them grasp the unusual syntax and “foreign” words, that does wonders for students. ”

“One of the aspects that stumps students about Shakespeare in general is the figurative language he uses. They don’t understand why he takes so many lines to say something he could really say in one. So, you could devise a game around figurative language in Macbeth, but it would then apply to literature in general.”

Goal #1: Help players understand the meaning behind Shakespearean language by translating it into a modern form.

Goal #2: Encourage critical thinking about symbolism and figurative language since these are relied upon so heavily in Shakespeare.

Goal #3: Indirectly reinforce learning of plot in the play by recalling key scenes through quotations.

Goal #4: Add an element of fun to the study of Shakespeare by making it a fun game of bluffing with friends and peers.

Shades of Shakespeare: Macbeth is aimed at high school students taking English Literature or Shakespeare with or without preliminary exposure to Shakespearean literature. It could also be useful in an introductory humanities level Shakespeare course at the college level.

In Shades of Shakespeare: Macbeth, players translate a Shakespearean quote into an equivalent modern version. If they do not know it, they can bluff their way by making something up that sounds like it might work. Translations are then read randomly and anonymously so players can guess which is the correct translation (or best sounding one). Players advance to the finish by choosing the correct translation or by having others vote for their convincing sounding translation.