Introducing Mr Shakespeare! 5 Worksheet

This worksheet is designed to introduce you to the plays of William Shakespeare.

You have already learned how Shakespeare uses language to set the scene and create dialogue. Now you are going to look at how he uses language to paint a picture.

Here is a description of Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt, one of the main characters in the play Antony and Cleopatra.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

I will tell you.

The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne,

Burn'd on the water: the poop was beaten gold;

Purple the sails, and so perfumed that

The winds were love-sick with them; the oars were silver,

Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made

The water which they beat to follow faster,

As amorous of their strokes. For her own person,

It beggar'd all description: she did lie

In her pavilion--cloth-of-gold of tissue--

O'er-picturing that Venus where we see

The fancy outwork nature: on each side her

Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids,

With divers-colour'd fans, whose wind did seem

To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool,

And what they undid did.

From your first reading of the speech, do you think Enobarbus admired or disliked Cleopatra?

admired

disliked

Using the description of Cleopatra's boat from the speech, can you visualise the boat? Select the correct descriptions from the list below.

You may need a dictionary to look up some words.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

(...) The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne,

Burn'd on the water: the poop was beaten gold;

Purple the sails, and so perfumed that

The winds were love-sick with them; the oars were silver,

Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made

The water which they beat to follow faster,

As amorous of their strokes (...)

silver poop deck

gold poop deck

red sails

purple sails

silver oars

gold oars

Cleopatra was the Queen of Egypt. Which words or phrases in the description of the boat suggest that she was of royal lineage?

Select three correct answers below.

like a burnish'd throne

burn'd on the water

beaten gold

purple the sails

winds were so love-sick

Now read the following section of the speech and visualise Cleopatra. Select the three correct details below.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

(...) For her own person,

It beggar'd all description: she did lie

In her pavilion--cloth-of-gold of tissue--

O'er-picturing that Venus where we see

The fancy outwork nature: on each side her

Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids,

With divers-colour'd fans, whose wind did seem

To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool,

And what they undid did.

She lay on a gold cloth.

She lay on a purple cloth.

She is being fanned by young boys.

She is being fanned by her servant women.

She has pale, round cheeks.

She has glowing delicate cheeks.

Select the quotation below that you think best demonstrates that Enobarbus admired Cleopatra.

Egyptian golden pharaohs mask - travel to Egypt concept , Egyptian Casket - stock photo

"for her own person it beggar'd all description."

"the water which they beat to follow faster"

"purple the sails"

Shakespeare has taken two figures from history to base his play Antony and Cleopatra on. Can you do your own research and answer the following questions?

What was Antony's full name?

Antony Roman

Mark Antony

Antony James

Who was Mark Antony?

The King of England

The first Emperor of the Roman Empire

The King of Egypt

Who was Cleopatra?

The wife of the Roman Emperor

The Queen of Egypt

The Queen of England

ANSWERS

Question 1

You have already learned how Shakespeare uses language to set the scene and create dialogue. Now you are going to look at how he uses language to paint a picture.

Here is a description of Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt, one of the main characters in the play Antony and Cleopatra.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

I will tell you.

The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne,

Burn'd on the water: the poop was beaten gold;

Purple the sails, and so perfumed that

The winds were love-sick with them; the oars were silver,

Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made

The water which they beat to follow faster,

As amorous of their strokes. For her own person,

It beggar'd all description: she did lie

In her pavilion--cloth-of-gold of tissue--

O'er-picturing that Venus where we see

The fancy outwork nature: on each side her

Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids,

With divers-colour'd fans, whose wind did seem

To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool,

And what they undid did.

From your first reading of the speech, do you think Enobarbus admired or disliked Cleopatra?

CORRECT ANSWER

admired

EDDIE SAYS

Enobarbus clearly admires Cleopatra.

ANSWERS

Question 2

Using the description of Cleopatra's boat from the speech, can you visualise the boat? Select the correct descriptions from the list below.

You may need a dictionary to look up some words.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

(...) The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne,

Burn'd on the water: the poop was beaten gold;

Purple the sails, and so perfumed that

The winds were love-sick with them; the oars were silver,

Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made

The water which they beat to follow faster,

As amorous of their strokes (...)

CORRECT ANSWER

gold poop deck
purple sails
silver oars

EDDIE SAYS

The boat has a gold poop deck, purple sails and silver oars.

ANSWERS

Question 3

Cleopatra was the Queen of Egypt. Which words or phrases in the description of the boat suggest that she was of royal lineage?

Select three correct answers below.

CORRECT ANSWER

like a burnish'd throne
beaten gold
purple the sails

EDDIE SAYS

Phrases that suggest royalty are: throne, gold and purple.

ANSWERS

Question 4

Now read the following section of the speech and visualise Cleopatra. Select the three correct details below.

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

(...) For her own person,

It beggar'd all description: she did lie

In her pavilion--cloth-of-gold of tissue--

O'er-picturing that Venus where we see

The fancy outwork nature: on each side her

Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids,

With divers-colour'd fans, whose wind did seem

To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool,

And what they undid did.

CORRECT ANSWER

She lay on a gold cloth.
She is being fanned by young boys.
She has glowing delicate cheeks.

EDDIE SAYS

Cleopatra is laying on a gold cloth being fanned by young boys and has glowing delicate cheeks.

ANSWERS

Question 5

Select the quotation below that you think best demonstrates that Enobarbus admired Cleopatra.

Egyptian golden pharaohs mask - travel to Egypt concept , Egyptian Casket - stock photo

CORRECT ANSWER

"for her own person it beggar'd all description."

EDDIE SAYS

Enobarbus says that Cleopatra: "beggar'd all description" suggesting that she is more beautiful than words.

ANSWERS

Question 6

Shakespeare has taken two figures from history to base his play Antony and Cleopatra on. Can you do your own research and answer the following questions?

What was Antony's full name?

CORRECT ANSWER

Mark Antony

EDDIE SAYS

Antony's full name was Mark Antony.