How does an author's choice of artistic medium influence an audience? What about how an author chooses to transform original source material? These are the questions class members grapple with as they compare scenes from episode IV of Star Wars with Doescher's play, William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope.

Concepts

william shakespeare, iambic pentameter, characterization, film analysis

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Show the three versions of the scene of Han Solo and Greedo in Mos Eisley's cantina (the original 1977 version, the 1997 theatrical re-release, and current home release) and discuss the "Han Solo Controversy"
• If class members have studied another Shakespeare play as part of your course, consider showing several film versions of the same scene to compare

Classroom Considerations

• Sixth activity in a series of 10 centering on Doescher's play, designed to be used in order
• Watching Lucas's film is crucial for this series of lessons;  plan accordingly to include viewing time of the film or follow the unit's recommended viewing schedule 
• Students will need their own copy of Ian Doescher's William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope

Pros

• Provides time queues for the scenes from the film
• Includes a quiz and answer key to check for understanding of iambic pentameter

Cons

• None

Common Core

RL.9-10.7 RL.9-10.9 RL.11-12.7 RL.11-12.9