{"id":165,"date":"2024-08-04T16:14:22","date_gmt":"2024-08-04T16:14:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/macblog.mcmaster.ca\/othelloagame\/?p=165"},"modified":"2024-09-16T12:31:14","modified_gmt":"2024-09-16T12:31:14","slug":"designers-notes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/macblog.mcmaster.ca\/othelloagame\/2024\/08\/04\/designers-notes\/","title":{"rendered":"Designer’s Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dear user,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter how masterfully they are modernized by editors, old plays can always be intimidating to read and understand. Written around four hundred years ago, Shakespeare\u2019s plays are no exception. It is not surprising if you find yourself getting bored or confused when reading a Shakespearean play. There are simply too many characters, subplots, and new words, not to mention the long monologues and numerous allusions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This problem extends to schools and academic contexts, where Shakespeare\u2019s plays are supposed to be read and discussed under the supervision of those already familiar with the texts. As noted by Michael Tolaydo, an editor and contributor to the Folger Shakespeare Library\u2019s teaching guide series, Shakespeare Set Free<\/em>, students often find Shakespearean language and context so remote that they struggle to understand, let alone foster a deep, critical engagement with the texts. Feedback from Tolaydo\u2019s students, such as \u201cShakespeare is hard to understand,\u201d \u201cthe plays are too long,\u201d and \u201cyou need to be English to do it,\u201d reflects the prevalent difficulties faced by contemporary learners (O\u2019Brien, 27).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, students are not alone in their struggles with Shakespeare\u2019s works; the plays can also be challenging for teachers. As mentioned by the early modern scholar and professor, Gina Bloom, the difficult language and distant historical settings of Shakespearean plays affect the way teachers approach them today. Bloom contends that, \u201cbecause Shakespeare\u2019s language and historical context are alienating to many students and teachers, educators often resort to traditional and depoliticized interpretations of the plays.\u201d Even worse, teachers might over-politicize the plays, further emphasizing the so-called \u201cuniversality\u201d of Shakespeare, which is often wrongly translated as the sameness of the message of the plays regardless of who reads them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, as time passes, we are losing our connection with a man who is perhaps the most powerful master of words that ever lived on the face of the earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The present project, Othello, a Game<\/em>, was inspired by a triangular dialogue derived from my experience as a teacher, scholar, and student of English. The game aims to make engaging with a specific edition of Othello <\/em>(the Folger Shakespeare Edition, published by Simon & Shuster in 2017) more accessible and enjoyable for anyone interested in reading the play. To achieve this, it employs an empirical method involving the creation of simple sketches of short yet detailed portions of the play\u2019s plot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Players read a short part of the plot, draw a sketch of it on a whiteboard, and then narrate that part of the story to the other players using their drawings. Based on my experience using this teaching method in several tutorial sessions at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, it encourages critical thinking about the plot settings, aids in remembering the events of the play, and fosters creativity in favor of group learning. All these elements make learning Shakespeare easier and more fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Task Types<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While playing the game, players will complete several tasks sorted in two different categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find the Meaning of the Word<\/strong>: These tasks ask the players to consult the edition\u2019s annotations, a dictionary, or any other resource to find the meaning of a word that Shakespeare used in Othello<\/em> and teach that word to the other players. The words are used in lines of the play, so the players will need to read the line aloud and clarify the meaning of the specified word for everyone. This type of tasks helps players become familiar with early modern jargon and the importance of a glossary in a literary edition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identify Characters and Scenes<\/strong>: These tasks ask the players to find the number of characters in the scene that they are narrating and tell their names to the others. They might also ask the players to determine how many scenes the act has. These tasks aim to make players familiar with the structure of a Shakespearean play and help them better follow the plot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Aloud\/Perform<\/strong>: These tasks ask the players to read aloud the dialogue or monologue related to the story card they just read. Shakespearean plays were written for performance, and many assert that the best way to learn them is through performing them. These tasks aim to motivate group reading and performing parts of the play\u2019s text to increase players\u2019 understanding and exposure to theatrical experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identify Literary Devices<\/strong>: These tasks ask the players to find the meaning of literary devices found in Othello<\/em>. These tasks encourage players to look up the meanings of literary devices they might encounter in any literary work, learn them, and teach them to the other players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Random Tasks<\/strong>: These tasks pose different questions about the historical context of the play as well as Shakespeare\u2019s life, aiming to teach players about the importance of the editorial prefaces provided in the beginning sections of every literary edition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Golden Tasks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Golden Tasks focus mainly on the allusions that Shakespeare used in writing Othello<\/em>. Players are asked to research different allusions, learn about them, and teach what they have learned to the others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you might have already deduced, Othello, a Game<\/em> has three main goals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n