Shakespearean Insults
Shakespearean Insults
Materials: List of Shakespearean Insults and/or Rock, Paper, Scissors List
Grade: 4-12
Goal(s): To enjoy the richness of Shakespeare's language. To experience the colorful words and phrases used as insults by Shakespeare's characters.
1. Divide the actors into two groups (A and B).
2. One member from each group is sent out of the room.
3. Each team chooses an insult for their absent team member to call the other absent team member. The insult is created using the following
formula:
Adjective + Adjective + Noun
The adjectives and nouns must be appropriate - no banned or specifically hurtful words. A team cannot, for example, choose "four eyes" if the actor from the other team has glasses.
Here are some examples of appropriate insults following the formula:
Big green nostril
Pale slippery slug
Silly bubbly bicycle spoke
4. The two actors return and face each other. Team A gathers behind Player B. Team B gathers behind Player A. See the diagram below.
Team arrangement for Shakespearian Insults
6. Each team physically acts out the words in the insult for their team member. Teams may not use any sound or words (or mouthing)
to get their player to say the words.
7. The teams begin at the signal to go - both teams act out the insults at the same time.
8. The first team to get their team member to use all three words wins.
The next level of the ACTivity is to switch from insults created by the actors to the colorful and expressive insults created by Shakespeare.
9. Have each group (A and B) form a straight line facing the other group.
10. Give each actor at the end of the line (Player A and Player B) a copy of the list of Shakespearean Insults.
11. Player A creates a three word insult by choosing one word from each of the three columns. On "Go!",
Player A taunts Player B with the insult. Player B returns the taunt with his/her own similarly created insult. Once the
two have insulted each other, they pass the list of Shakespearean Insults to the actor on their right.
12. Play continues until all of the actors have had the opportunity to use the list.
Suggested Variation(s): The Rock, Paper, Scissors list divides the insults into the three categories. This variation requires a referee.
One actor from each team steps forward and chooses an insult from the Rock, Paper, Scissors list. On "Go!" they insult each other.
The referee announces the winner based on the winning sequence of the words. For example:
Player A silently chooses "Past-saving slave" from the Paper column.
Those players who lose the insult must join the other team. The team with the most players wins.
Player B silently chooses "Intruding fool" from the Scissors column.
Referee calls, "Go!"
Players exchange their insults.
Referee announces that because Scissor cuts Paper, Player B wins.
Raising The Bar: Have the actors search through Shakespearean text and choose unfamiliar adjectives and nouns to create their own lists
of insults.
Rock, Paper, Scissors List
List of Shakespearean Insults
Return to Stage 1
Return to Stage 3
Return to Main
Print version
