McGuffey's Sixth Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson CV · Part 11: Franklin, the sea, India and The Raven
111. The Dream of Clarence (William Shakespeare)
Goal: Your student can describe Clarence's dream of drowning and explain why it troubles his conscience.
You'll need
- The book, open to this lesson
- A notebook and pen
- A dictionary
What's in the book
From Shakespeare's Richard III: in the Tower of London, Clarence tells his keeper Brakenbury a terrible dream of drowning and of the ghosts he wronged. Notes explain the Wars of the Roses and Charon.
The lesson, step by step
Words and meanings
Read the notes printed at the end of the lesson together before reading. The book explains, among others:
Charon: the ferry-man of Greek mythology, believed to carry the souls of the dead across the river to the underworld
Another note explains that Clarence and Gloster were brothers of King Edward IV; Clarence betrayed Warwick and was later imprisoned in the Tower, where he was murdered. Brakenbury was lieutenant of the Tower.
Ask your student to find two other hard words in the lesson, guess their meaning from the sentence, then check a dictionary.
About the author
Shakespeare was introduced earlier in the book.
Read aloud
Student reads Clarence; parent reads Brakenbury. Clarence speaks slowly, still shaken.
Listen for these lines:
Clarence is come!
Talk about it
SayWhat did Clarence see at the bottom of the sea?
SayWho does he meet after death in his dream, and what do they say to him?
SayWhy does the dream frighten him so much? What has he done in his life?
SayIs the dream a punishment from his own conscience? Compare it with Webster's murder speech.
Narration
Your student retells the dream in order, from the ship to the ghosts.
Writing (optional)
Write a paragraph about why guilty people in stories so often have bad dreams.
Tip
The notes on the Wars of the Roses are complicated. A simple family tree on paper (Edward IV, Clarence, Gloster) helps a great deal.