Shakespeare Mural

outdoor mural recently place at the Riverton Middle School
Riverton, WY
March 2016
A new art banner was recently affixed to the exterior gymnasium wall at the Riverton Middle School, and as a retired Language Arts (English) teacher, I couldn't be happier with the subject of this banner.

I taught several of Shakespeare's plays during my teaching career: Julius Caesar, Hamlet, King Lear, and Romeo and Juliet. I think it is important for students to be exposed to Shakespeare's writing and the language that he uses. Many teenagers are surprised that much of the phrases we use were actually penned by Shakespeare in the 1600s.
    • dead as a doornail
    • eaten out of house and home
    • a laughing stock
    • in a pickle
    • tower of strength
    • all that glitters is not gold
    • come what may
    • bag and baggage


Other phrases can be seen here.

Art banners can be found all over Riverton, and can be seen in these earlier posts. I need to stop and take photos of at least two other banners that were added last year.

Comments

  1. I remember reading Shakespeare -- we read Romeo and Juliet and MacBeth.

    I'm afraid, at the time, all that fine literature was wasted on me. I'd LOVE to go back to high school now. This time I would pay more attention. LOL

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  2. Interesting! I had no idea that all of those phrases are attributed to Shakespeare!

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  3. I loved teaching Hamlet and Macbeth the best. My freshmen just finished Romeo and Juliet last week and the sophomores will finish Julius Caesar this week - but I don't feel like either class has gotten much out of the plays based on the way the "lead teacher" has designed her lessons. Co-teaching this year has been a challenge - and not in a good way.

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  4. Well, I've learned something new today. I loved Romeo and Juliet when I had to see it in High School.

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  5. How wonderful it is for middle school kids to be able to recognize Shakespeare! In too many of today's schools Shakespeare is as "dead as a doornail."

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  6. Geez Nancy, as if I couldn't find more reasons to find you fabulous. I love the mural (even though he has that expression that says, "dear ... what ARE you doing?" LOL. I really enjoyed Shakespeare as a young student and was pleased that my own kid who maybe didn't love it, got something from his introduction in middle school enough to discuss talk about it. My husband being a former theater geek kid, was excited when they began reading the plays. :) I can't watch any Shakespeare on the t.v. without subtitle though, ha!

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  7. Riverton has some great art, I think this addition is just perfect! :)

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  8. I think I was pretty lacking in my knowledge of Shakespeare. We just didnt study him much at my little Catholic school. I do recall loving the canterbury tales though

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  9. Stunning mural. My husband's grandmother was a teacher back in the days when only single women could teach; once they married they had to retire. Grandmother had The Complete Works of Shakespeare, given to her by her aunt in 1919. The set is now in my possession, and I cherish it.

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  10. Hum, I know Shakespeare added a lot of expressions to the English language but I didn't realize some of these were his. Great info.

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