Twelfth Night teacher's guide - California Shakespeare Theater

Empathy Through Personal
Connections: Journal Writing
Overview: This is a personal writing and discussion exercise
to reflect on how the situations in the play are connected to real life.
Grade: 8-12
Goal: Students will deepen their understanding of Shakespeare’s themes and characters through their own emotional
reactions to similar situations.
Standards: English Writing Applications §2; Theater Arts §1 Identify Themes.
Outcomes: Students will write about and discuss the themes and characters’ reactions to situations in the play.
Part One: Writing
Assign this as an in-class journaling exercise, using the questions as a handout. After each question, ask them to write out a
paragraph describing the situation they answered for which they answered yes.
Frame this as an imaginative exercise but using real life feelings.
1. Did you ever feel like you landed in a place where everyone was a little crazy?
2. Have you ever identified with someone who was being picked on?
3. Have you ever worried about wearing the right thing so that you fit in?
4. Did you ever play joke on someone by pretending to be someone else?
5. Have you ever had someone try to shut down your good time?
6. Do you know someone who always makes everyone laugh?
7. Have you ever written a love letter? A love e-mail? A love text message?
8. Have you ever listened to a song over and over again because it reminded you of someone you loved?
Coaching: It is good to keep this exercise confidential between you and the individual student to increase their willingness
to participate. Remind them of this before the exercise begins.
Part Two: Activity
Ask the students to identify the situations in the play that correspond to the questions above.
- Can you see any times in the play when the characters expressed the same kinds of feelings that you described? Did they
have different reactions?
- Are you more sympathetic to Malvolio’s or Viola’s situation?
- Which situation do you think is the most important in the play? Why?
Reflection:
After completing this part one and two, ask the students to reflect on their experiences. Do not ask the students to share
their personal choices unless they are willing. Using more general questions will help them share without having to reveal
anything specific, such as:
- Did anyone find one of these situations was more meaningful for you than another?
- Think about your own reaction to that situation—did you see a character in the play with the same reaction? Which
character? Why would Shakespeare have the character react the way s/he did? What does it tell you about what
Shakespeare might be saying about the topic?
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