On Monday 10th October, a group of Fifth Form students attended a Wealden Hub Shakespeare Event at Benenden School. Mathilda Featherstone, Brook Homewood, Celestina Meneses-Bautista, Fred Mundell and Otto Plant have written the following report about their trip.

“This week we attended a lecture from Ben Crystal about the Shakespeare play Macbeth at Benenden School. I believe that we all learned a great deal from this experience. He spoke to us about the minor details within Shakespeare’s work that made him ahead of anyone in his time. When discussing the King’s death, Ben talked about religion, putting into perspective what Macbeth did, explaining that in those days the King was God on earth, so by killing the King, not only had Macbeth committed treason, but he had also committed treason against the Church.

Ben’s attitude towards Shakespeare was very enthusiastic and he captured our attention because of his understanding that Shakespeare can be confusing. Ben involved everyone in the talk by asking open questions, he brought up two volunteers to demonstrate the iambic pentameter used in this play and the rhythm which helps the actors know how to perform their lines. By getting volunteers to act out some scenes, he brought the play to life and made it seem more interesting.

Ben explained to us that Shakespeare can be understood and loved in many different ways, not just on paper. His presentation involved a lot of movement which helped us all engage in the talk and understand the importance and relevance of Shakespeare today. Overall, it was a great day; to get out, learn, meet new people and understand more about the coursework we are studying.”