5 Sneaky Shakespeare Costumes
For the teacher who wants to be sophisticated and snarky this Halloween
Welcome to From the Teacher’s Desk, where we take turns further reflecting on our episodes and applications to the classroom.
Here’s my proposal for Halloween 2023 in the classroom. You can represent pop culture and classic lit at the same time (no really). You just have to be clever about it :)
So here’s my Lit Think list of five sneaky costumes every teacher should consider wearing this Halloween. All of them have some connection to Shakespeare. But only your true sleuth students will get the genius of your modern media literacy.
1 - Batman
Most Shakespeare teachers worth their salt have already made this connection. Bruce Wayne commits his life to avenging the unlawful death of his parents, much like a young prince of Denmark did once upon a time. Plus, a bust of Shakespeare was used in the 1966 TV adaptation to hide a secret access button to the Batcave!
You can always take inspiration from Sacha Goldberger’s interpretation of The Dark Knight if you want to give your students a hint. But go ahead and don your bat gear with pride - all the while telling your students it was a classy decision.
2 - Simba
Of course, The Lion King takes the Hamlet allusions to the next level. Simba isn’t just wealthy; he’s the prince of Pride Rock. His uncle murders his father, and Simba is burdened with carrying this secret alone. Simba’s father visits him as a ghost, and he ultimately seeks to avenge his father’s death.
So grab some string to make a tail. Add a mane and some whiskers for full commitment (Elizabethan ruff too, if you want). And your students will be left wondering why you just can’t wait to be king.
3 - Zombie
Maybe this is a more obscure reference, but it is one of my favorite Shakespeare adaptations. Warm Bodies (2013) features a zombie named R who falls in love with a human girl named Julie. There’s even a balcony scene - and the whole cause of the zombie pandemic is lack of human connection.
That means you have the opportunity to put on your best grunge clothes, make some brain-shaped cookies, and speak incoherently for an entire school day. Sounds like a teacher's dream!
4 - Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Maybe it’s because I’m crazy excited about Patrick Stewart’s new memoir. But it’s also true that Captain Picard’s character was a huge fan of Shakespeare in Star Trek: The Next Generation - and Stewart’s background as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company is what got him the captain’s chair.
Picard played several Shakespeare roles and was known to regularly quote Shakespeare throughout the show (and can you believe Ian McKellen told Stewart not to take this role??). So as far as I’m concerned, this still counts as a valid Shakespeare pop culture cross-over!
5 - Shakespeare on a Dime
If you want to go with your basic Shakespeare model, you really only need three items. Mr. Potato Head becomes an easy Horatio skull. A paper plate becomes a cheap Elizabethan ruff. And you can use a washable marker to add Shakespeare’s trademark goatee.
The short moral of this story is that everyone is going to be Barbie this year. So why not think out of the box and show your students how to lit think some media?
Keep Going!
Want some more Shakespeare pop culture fun?
Check out this previous blog on how to integrate Shakespeare acting into your classroom!
Listen to our podcast episodes about Rosaline and West Side Story, two great Shakespeare adaptations!
Challenge your students to a further battle of wits with this pop sonnets jeopardy game!
Please “like” by clicking on the ❤ and share this post with your friends, colleagues, and fellow lit thinkers.