All Advanced English Year 12 students at the College have just begun a new drama study on William Shakespeare’s tragi-comedy play, ‘The Merchant of Venice’ as part of their Common Module study for the HSC. To help our students to see through the challenging early modern English of the play’s dialogue, to the humour and human absurdity underneath, Thomas Hassall was pleased to host an incursion by the Australian Shakespeare Company, which took place in the College S block Auditorium on Wednesday 25 October.
The visiting Shakespearean players performed key scenes from ‘The Merchant of Venice’, sharing with the student audience valuable insights into plot, character and the conventions of Shakespearean comedy, along the way. The students found it engaging when impromptu thespians were invited from amongst the audience to volunteer for repeat performances of key scenes. The general consensus from the grade, afterwards, was that the event was a lot of fun and a great way to bring the text to life. Below is one student’s thoughts on the experience:
The re-enactments helped students to understand the text as it was intended to be consumed, which is visually through the medium of a play. By having the events of the play unfold in front of us, it gave us a deeper insight into the text and its themes of antisemitism, mercy, revenge, and love, as well as a deeper insight into its intended meaning through the actors' performances, which were passionate and gripping. Seeing the actors really helped to understand the tone of the text and the attitudes and motivations of the characters. Rihana K - Year 12
Thank you to the English department for organising such an entertaining incursion for us, and thank you to The Australian Shakespeare Company for coming to our school and giving students the opportunity to get involved and invested in our studies!
Mrs Catherine Sutcliffe
Year 12 Advisor & Secondary Teacher - English