1. BrainPOP William Shakespeare
This video comes from the BrainPOP website. This video gives basic background on William Shakespeare. This 4:26 video touches upon everything from sonnets to Shakespeare's life to the different types of plays. This video would serve as a great refresher for students who have already studied William Shakespeare.
2. Shakespeare Fast Facts
This History.com video offers "fast facts" on William Shakespeare. This 4:43 video would be a great video to show before reading a Shakespearean play. This would be great for the teacher who might be short on time for the introduction. It could also be given as a homework assignment prior to a class discussion on Shakespeare.
3. Horrible Histories-William Shakespeare
This video is from TeacherTube. It is a silly video that can be used at the beginning of the class period as a bell ringer video. It is a 3:00 video that lists the more famous Shakespeare phrases in song format. While the song is silly, the silliness will add to the fun of watching the video.
4. Life of the Bard
This video is from Biography.com. It gives a fast-paced account of Shakespeare's history. It is a great schema building video that is a little over a minute long. The information can be used at the beginning of class as a bell ringer to springboard discussion.
5. Shakespeare Mini Biography
This video is also from Biography.com. This video, running approximately 4:30, gives basic information as it applies to the Bard. It talks about both his professional and personal lives. It is an engaging video that is long enough to give information without becoming redundant.
6. Shakespearean Insults
This 6:00 Ted Ed talk discusses the importance of Shakespearean insults. Students enjoy creating Shakespearean insults, and this video discusses the meaning behind the insults. The exploration of insults leads to understanding why Shakespeare's works have sustained the test of time. There is a section that focuses specifically on Romeo and Juliet.
7. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged.
This masterpiece comes from the brilliant Reduced Shakespeare Company. The portion about Romeo and Juliet can be found from 8:20-21:30. The RSC takes the entire tragedy and condenses it to about thirteen minutes. There are other Shakespeare plays included in the video.
8. Shakespeare Uncovered
This series comes from PBS. This 53 minute episode takes a look at finding the source of Romeo and Juliet and discovering why the love between Romeo and Juliet has lasted through time. While this video is a little long, it does make the story of Romeo and Juliet more relevant to the modern learner.
9. Lessons from Shakespeare
This ten minute ted talk discussed five major lessons that can be learned from Shakespeare plays. Additionally, he explores how the lessons learned from William Shakespeare can be applied to the real world job market. This is a great video to explain the important of Shakespeare's work.
10. Hip Hop and Shakespeare
This relevant video mixes hip hop and Shakespeare. It is a Ted talk exploring the connections between hip hop and Shakespeare. Akala, the speaker, is a member of the Hip Hop Shakespeare Company. He begins with a quiz asking the audience if the quotation he just read is Shakespeare or hip hop. It is a highly engaging video.
11. Iambic Pentameter
This Ted Ed talk discusses the importance of iambic pentameter. This five minute video discusses the importance of Shakespeare's rhythm and why his words have such staying power.
12. Shakespearean Dating Tips
This Ted Ed talk discusses the way Shakespeare used metaphors to increase romance. It is a quick video that can be shown at the beginning or end of class.