March 20, 2007 6:47 PM
Teach your children Shakespeare!
I grew up in a home where country music and velvet paintings ruled. Concerts, museum trips and theater were field trip material. Shakespeare was "boring."
But when Samantha Sunshine was born in 1969, I wanted a bigger world for her than I had grown up in. Besides, I wanted it for myself.
And so began a lifelong education in the arts.
Homeschooling my kids for ten years gave us so many opportunities to grow together. And I found that kids are so much more capable of appreciating the arts than they are given credit for. Our family has especially loved theater and we've taken the kids to see Shakespeare from seven or eight years old.
It's okay if they don't understand every word! It's okay if you don't either!
Henry V is my favorite movie of all time - I heartily recommend it, although the battle scene at the end is very intense. The speech above - St. Crispin's Day - always gives me goosebumps: Young Henry is leading a raggle-taggle band into a battle where they will be vastly outnumbered by their well-equipped French foes. He is freeing those who are afraid to leave and inspiring those who stay to understand the greatness of what they are about to do and how they will live in the collective memory. I think it's the most rousing piece of nspirationa leadership I've ever seen.
Henry V is truly a study in perfect leadership, and Kenneth Branagh's performance is absolutely brilliant, although he was only 27 or so when he directed and starred in this - and has never done anything comparable since.
Our family's watched this so many times. About the third time, we kept the lights on and read the text while watching so we could absorb every word (your ear gets adjusted eventually).
My feeling is that culture - art, music, literature that lasts for centuries - is part of the legacy we pass on to our children. It enriches their lives and our life as a family to share these experiences and images and memories.
While theater tickets cost a lot, Shakespeare is just a Blockbuster or Netflix away - and you have the advantage of being able to watch several times to fully absorb all the themes and nuances.
Posted in Culture, Movies | Permalink
Comments
You can often find movies like this at your library. You may have to order it but most can get it for you for free. We have also gotten several ballets, Swan Lake and The Nutcracraker, done by fabulous dance companies from the library. It is worth asking what is available.
Posted by: Jane Duquette | March 21, 2007 12:06 PM
I quite agree with you, Barbara! Henry V is a wonderful movie, and movie adaptations are a great way to absorb Shakespeare, better than reading, since they are plays and not novels.
One thing worth mentioning, though is that parents really ought to view a Shakespeare adaptation before showing it to their kids. Some include nudity and sexual situations, and even those that don't may have sensuality that might offend some families. You can always skip the offensive parts of the movie. We skip several scenes in "Much Ado About Nothing," for instance, without sacrificing the story.
The film versions of "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Twelfth Night" are excellent, too, and among our family's favorite movies.
Posted by: Danielle | March 21, 2007 12:25 PM
Oh, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this scene! When I was a homeschooled high school student, I directed for our homeschool drama club. I picked this scene (Act IV, scene III) for my group for our ensemble night. No one else wanted the role of Henry, so I did it in addition to directing (very Branagh-esque of me!). My mom helped me make my costume, modeled after the movie one.
Has your family seen Renaissance Man with Danny DeVito? It's what inspired me to read Henry V in the first place.
Posted by: Becky Miller | March 21, 2007 3:37 PM
