Upper Intermediate
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Trinculo is in a pickle

A drunken jester? No good will come of it...
In Shakespeare's time, the jester had the important role of entertaining the court. He played music, did silly things and told jokes - just like a modern-day clown. William Shakespeare included jesters in many of his plays - and his audiences loved them.
In the following video, we can see Trinculo, the jester from The Tempest.
While you watch the video, decide if Trinculo is:

a) very drunk
b) in a difficult situation
c) both a) and b)
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**Vocabulary**

In a pickle

Meaning
Nowadays, when someone says they are in a pickle they mean that they are in a mess - a very difficult situation.

Example sentence
Most of the time if I'm in a pickle I'll call one of my brothers. They've usually got somewhat uplifting advice.

Note
Nowadays, people can say I'm pickled if they have drunk too much alcohol.

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Extra vocabulary

court
(here) the place where a King or Queen and their family and servants are living

a jester
a man whose job was to entertain people by doing silly things and telling jokes

tricky
difficult

in a sticky situation
in a difficult situation

in a tight spot
in a difficult situation

in a bind
in a difficult situation

between a rock and a hard place
in a very difficult position, often facing a difficult decision

he's legless
he's completely drunk

hammered
completely drunk

tipsy
a little drunk

merry
a little drunk and feeling happy
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Who's who?

I love it when everybody pretends to be somebody else!
William Shakespeare loved putting his characters in disguise.

In this episode, Will and his actors are rehearsing for a performance of The Taming of The Shrew. But Daughter is confused because many of the characters are pretending to be someone else.
Can you help her figure out who's who?
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Romeo and Juliet, the star-cross'd lovers

William Shakespeare's tale of the star-crossed lovers continues to have a powerful effect on audiences and the main story of forbidden love is still relevant today. Young people all over the world can relate to parents becoming involved in their love lives - not normally with such dramatic results fortunately!


— Actor Robert Harley is playing the role of Romeo in this episode - but is life imitating art?

As you watch the following episode, find the similarities between Robert Harley’s situation and Romeo’s. The answer's under the video.
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Not budge an inch

The battle of the sexes

The Taming of the Shrew is one of William Shakespeare's earliest plays. It's often referred to as the battle of the sexes. Many people have criticised the way this play portrays women. But the story of the wild Katharina who is tamed by her husband has inspired many films and television shows, including the American movie '10 Things I Hate About You'.

Will and his actor friend Thomas Swann are fighting while they rehearse The Taming of the Shrew.
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**To be or not to be, that is the question**
William Shakespeare's greatest play, Hamlet, explores the themes of revenge, tragedy, death and madness. Hamlet also brings us Shakespeare's most famous quote: To be, or not to be: that is the question. Hamlet is asking a very deep question - is it better to live or to die?
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The whole world can see how you feel!

Many of Shakespeare's characters conceal their true feelings.
Shakespeare often explored the theme of appearance in his plays and many of his characters wear masks or disguises to conceal their true identity. He was very interested in the idea that people and events are often not what they appear to be!
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Supernatural Shakespeare

William Shakespeare's plays are full of ghosts, witches, fairies and magic and most of his audience would have believed in the supernatural. It was common for people to visit fortune tellers and astrologers, and Queen Elizabeth even had her own personal astrologer!