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CATESOL Book Review: Silly Shakespeare for Students Book Series by Paul Leonard Murray
10/22/2025
Michelle Skowbo
By Kara Mac Donald and Soonduek Lowney
Introduction
The use of theater arts in language education has gained increasing attention as educators seek innovative approaches to support second language acquisition and learners’ whole development. Beyond the role in fostering communicative competence, theater-like practices, such as improvisation, role play, and performance, offer learners opportunities to experiment with language in meaningful, contextualized or semi-real-life situations. For young adults, participation in theater-based activities not only enhances linguistic proficiency but also cultivates confidence, intercultural awareness, and socio-emotional growth. The book series, Silly Shakespeare for Students contributes to the field of ELT and language arts examining the pedagogical value of theater and performance in language learning settings. The books allow teachers to use adapted theatrical works both as artistic and educational platforms to engage learners cognitively, creatively, and personally.
Texts Available
Paul Leonard Murray, with a background in theatrical arts and acting, established an English-language youth theater. The theatre provides opportunities for students to engage in word and drama games, improvisation, storytelling, original performances, and staging scripted productions. He uses theater as an effective tool for second language acquisition and an essential resource for supporting adolescents’ personal growth and resilience.
He has developed texts available in the Silly Shakespeare for Students series (Alphabet Publishing):
Hamlet
Macbeth
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Twelfth Night
Othello
Pericles
More information can be found at https://paulleonardmurray.com/the-plays/ and https://www.alphabetpublishingbooks.com/
Language Proficiency Levels
Silly Shakespeare for Students adaptations typically correspond to ILR Level 1+ (Elementary) to 2 (Limited Working Proficiency) or fall within the A2 (Elementary) to B1 (Intermediate) range on the CEFR scale. The books have simplified language and use of humor make it particularly accessible for young and adult learners (i.e., middle school, high school or adult education), while gaining some familiarity with Shakespearean themes and works. The text also fosters creativity and engagement, making them excellent for classroom activities. The texts are highly adaptable, as teachers can modify lessons with guided discussions and activities to suit learners across a range of proficiency levels.
Sample Texts Summaries
MacBeth – Elementary Proficiency Level Text
Adaptation of Macbeth offers the classic tale with simplified language, rhyming and poetic phrasing, so English language learners engage with semi-authentic language in a meaningful way. The story follows Macbeth, the lord whose ambition, fueled by his wife’s vision, leads him to murder King Duncan and seize the throne. The adaptation retains the core themes of ambition, fate, and moral corruption. It is an excellent resource for classroom reading development or performances and discussions among learners with emerging proficiency.
Hamlet - Limited to Intermediate Working Proficiency Level Text
This adaptation of Hamlet, using rhyming couplets, is enjoyable to read to build learners' vocabulary outside of textbook content, and presents known high frequency vocabulary and grammar in context. The play’s characters’ lines consist of one line to extended verses. The language is streamlined without diminishing its dramatic power. The intensity of the story remains intact: Hamlet wrestles with doubt as he seeks vengeance for his father’s murder; Ophelia endures heartbreak as Hamlet rejects her; Claudius and Gertrude grapple with guilt; and Laertes’ pursuit of revenge mirrors Hamlet’s own struggle.
Authors Discussion on the Value and Use of the Texts in the ELT Classroom
Hamlet, Kara Mac Donald
From the perspective of the first author as an ELT educator with experience teaching middle and high school students in diverse ESL contexts in and outside of the U.S., access to adapted versions of Shakespeare’s texts represents an invaluable resource for these language learners. These adaptations provide opportunities for students to engage with canonical literature without being overwhelmed by the linguistic and cultural density of the original works. Simplified language structures and accessible vocabulary allow learners to focus on comprehension and fluency while also being introduced to the simple rhetorical devices and dramatic conventions of Shakespearean drama. These texts also create space for the development of critical thinking, as students analyze universal themes, such as love, power, revenge, and identity, that reflect social realities.
I feel access to Hamlet’s adapted work provides second language learners with a form of equal footing in relation to their peers in mainstream English language arts classrooms. The adapted script makes the complex language, cultural references, and literary devices more accessible while still preserving the play’s central themes of indecision, betrayal, and morality. Simplifying Shakespeare’s old-fashioned English allows learners to focus on understanding characters’ motivations and emotional conflicts rather than decoding vocabulary or syntax. For example, in an adapted scene of Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy, modernized phrasing such as “Should I keep living or end my pain?” enables learners to grasp Hamlet’s internal struggle with existence, inviting discussion on universal human experiences like doubt and despair. Through such adaptations, learners can engage critically with the text’s ideas, build interpretive skills, and make meaningful connections between Elizabethan period and contemporary perspectives.
MacBeth, Soondeuk Lowney
As a second language learner who has experienced English education across elementary, secondary, and tertiary levels, I have come to recognize the lasting impact of early and sustained exposure to meaningful, context-rich literature. Engaging with such texts develops not only linguistic competence but also academic confidence—the foundation learners need to navigate both formal education and personal growth.
In my own experience as both learner and educator, age-appropriate adaptations of classical literature, such as Macbeth in the Silly Shakespeare for Students series, have proven invaluable. The simplified language and playful tone invite learners to explore complex ideas—ambition, morality, and consequence—without being overwhelmed by linguistic difficulty. These adaptations allow students to experience authentic communication and use English for interpretation, discussion, and creative expression. Such engagement transforms reading into an active process of meaning-making, reinforcing vocabulary, grammatical patterns, and cultural awareness through drama and dialogue.
In my own experience as both learner and educator, age-appropriate adaptations of classical literature, such as Macbeth, have proven invaluable. The simplified language and playful tone invite learners to explore complex ideas, ambition, morality, and consequence, without being overwhelmed by linguistic difficulty. From my perspective as a teacher, such texts provide rich opportunities for differentiated instruction and communicative practice, enabling learners at varying proficiency levels to access the same thematic depth. These adaptations allow students to experience authentic communication and use English for interpretation, discussion, and creative expression. For learners, this approach transforms reading into an active, collaborative process of meaning-making, reinforcing vocabulary, grammatical patterns, and cultural awareness through drama and dialogue while fostering confidence and critical thinking in the target language.
Ultimately, introducing Macbeth in this way bridges the gap between linguistic skill and cultural literacy. It empowers second-language learners to view themselves not as outsiders to English literary traditions, but as participants capable of analyzing and performing one of the world’s most enduring narratives. For me, this is where true language growth begins—when learners use English not just to understand literature, but to live it.
Implications for the Classroom
Many second language learners often encounter barriers when engaging with canonical literature due to the complexity of the language and the cultural references embedded in the original texts. Adaptations, however, allow them to participate meaningfully in shared curricular experiences, rather than being excluded or relegated to simplified materials that lack literary depth. This shared access not only bolsters their confidence but also affirms their capacity to engage critically with the same literary traditions as their native-speaking classmates. In doing so, students gain both the linguistic scaffolding and the cultural capital necessary to thrive academically, while also building a stronger sense of belonging and identity as contributors to classroom discussions and performances.
Conclusion
Theater-based engagement with such adapted Shakespeare texts also supports oral language development through performance, role play, and recitation, strengthening pronunciation, prosody, and overall communicative competence. Also, exposure to Shakespeare enhances students’ cultural literacy, offering insight into literary traditions that continue to influence global art, media, and storytelling. Finally, the collaborative nature of participating in drama and discussing these works fosters social interaction, creativity, and intercultural awareness, making the text not only a tool for language learning but also for personal and social growth among adolescent learners.
Michelle Skowbo
Silly Shakespeare for Students Book Series by Paul Leonard Murray
By Kara Mac Donald and Soonduek Lowney
Introduction
The use of theater arts in language education has gained increasing attention as educators seek innovative approaches to support second language acquisition and learners’ whole development. Beyond the role in fostering communicative competence, theater-like practices, such as improvisation, role play, and performance, offer learners opportunities to experiment with language in meaningful, contextualized or semi-real-life situations. For young adults, participation in theater-based activities not only enhances linguistic proficiency but also cultivates confidence, intercultural awareness, and socio-emotional growth. The book series, Silly Shakespeare for Students contributes to the field of ELT and language arts examining the pedagogical value of theater and performance in language learning settings. The books allow teachers to use adapted theatrical works both as artistic and educational platforms to engage learners cognitively, creatively, and personally.
Texts Available
Paul Leonard Murray, with a background in theatrical arts and acting, established an English-language youth theater. The theatre provides opportunities for students to engage in word and drama games, improvisation, storytelling, original performances, and staging scripted productions. He uses theater as an effective tool for second language acquisition and an essential resource for supporting adolescents’ personal growth and resilience.
He has developed texts available in the Silly Shakespeare for Students series (Alphabet Publishing):
Hamlet
Macbeth
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Twelfth Night
Othello
Pericles
More information can be found at https://paulleonardmurray.com/the-plays/ and https://www.alphabetpublishingbooks.com/
Language Proficiency Levels
Silly Shakespeare for Students adaptations typically correspond to ILR Level 1+ (Elementary) to 2 (Limited Working Proficiency) or fall within the A2 (Elementary) to B1 (Intermediate) range on the CEFR scale. The books have simplified language and use of humor make it particularly accessible for young and adult learners (i.e., middle school, high school or adult education), while gaining some familiarity with Shakespearean themes and works. The text also fosters creativity and engagement, making them excellent for classroom activities. The texts are highly adaptable, as teachers can modify lessons with guided discussions and activities to suit learners across a range of proficiency levels.
Sample Texts Summaries
MacBeth – Elementary Proficiency Level Text
Adaptation of Macbeth offers the classic tale with simplified language, rhyming and poetic phrasing, so English language learners engage with semi-authentic language in a meaningful way. The story follows Macbeth, the lord whose ambition, fueled by his wife’s vision, leads him to murder King Duncan and seize the throne. The adaptation retains the core themes of ambition, fate, and moral corruption. It is an excellent resource for classroom reading development or performances and discussions among learners with emerging proficiency.
Hamlet - Limited to Intermediate Working Proficiency Level Text
This adaptation of Hamlet, using rhyming couplets, is enjoyable to read to build learners' vocabulary outside of textbook content, and presents known high frequency vocabulary and grammar in context. The play’s characters’ lines consist of one line to extended verses. The language is streamlined without diminishing its dramatic power. The intensity of the story remains intact: Hamlet wrestles with doubt as he seeks vengeance for his father’s murder; Ophelia endures heartbreak as Hamlet rejects her; Claudius and Gertrude grapple with guilt; and Laertes’ pursuit of revenge mirrors Hamlet’s own struggle.
Authors Discussion on the Value and Use of the Texts in the ELT Classroom
Hamlet, Kara Mac Donald
From the perspective of the first author as an ELT educator with experience teaching middle and high school students in diverse ESL contexts in and outside of the U.S., access to adapted versions of Shakespeare’s texts represents an invaluable resource for these language learners. These adaptations provide opportunities for students to engage with canonical literature without being overwhelmed by the linguistic and cultural density of the original works. Simplified language structures and accessible vocabulary allow learners to focus on comprehension and fluency while also being introduced to the simple rhetorical devices and dramatic conventions of Shakespearean drama. These texts also create space for the development of critical thinking, as students analyze universal themes, such as love, power, revenge, and identity, that reflect social realities.
I feel access to Hamlet’s adapted work provides second language learners with a form of equal footing in relation to their peers in mainstream English language arts classrooms. The adapted script makes the complex language, cultural references, and literary devices more accessible while still preserving the play’s central themes of indecision, betrayal, and morality. Simplifying Shakespeare’s old-fashioned English allows learners to focus on understanding characters’ motivations and emotional conflicts rather than decoding vocabulary or syntax. For example, in an adapted scene of Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy, modernized phrasing such as “Should I keep living or end my pain?” enables learners to grasp Hamlet’s internal struggle with existence, inviting discussion on universal human experiences like doubt and despair. Through such adaptations, learners can engage critically with the text’s ideas, build interpretive skills, and make meaningful connections between Elizabethan period and contemporary perspectives.
MacBeth, Soondeuk Lowney
As a second language learner who has experienced English education across elementary, secondary, and tertiary levels, I have come to recognize the lasting impact of early and sustained exposure to meaningful, context-rich literature. Engaging with such texts develops not only linguistic competence but also academic confidence—the foundation learners need to navigate both formal education and personal growth.
In my own experience as both learner and educator, age-appropriate adaptations of classical literature, such as Macbeth in the Silly Shakespeare for Students series, have proven invaluable. The simplified language and playful tone invite learners to explore complex ideas—ambition, morality, and consequence—without being overwhelmed by linguistic difficulty. These adaptations allow students to experience authentic communication and use English for interpretation, discussion, and creative expression. Such engagement transforms reading into an active process of meaning-making, reinforcing vocabulary, grammatical patterns, and cultural awareness through drama and dialogue.
In my own experience as both learner and educator, age-appropriate adaptations of classical literature, such as Macbeth, have proven invaluable. The simplified language and playful tone invite learners to explore complex ideas, ambition, morality, and consequence, without being overwhelmed by linguistic difficulty. From my perspective as a teacher, such texts provide rich opportunities for differentiated instruction and communicative practice, enabling learners at varying proficiency levels to access the same thematic depth. These adaptations allow students to experience authentic communication and use English for interpretation, discussion, and creative expression. For learners, this approach transforms reading into an active, collaborative process of meaning-making, reinforcing vocabulary, grammatical patterns, and cultural awareness through drama and dialogue while fostering confidence and critical thinking in the target language.
Ultimately, introducing Macbeth in this way bridges the gap between linguistic skill and cultural literacy. It empowers second-language learners to view themselves not as outsiders to English literary traditions, but as participants capable of analyzing and performing one of the world’s most enduring narratives. For me, this is where true language growth begins—when learners use English not just to understand literature, but to live it.
Implications for the Classroom
Many second language learners often encounter barriers when engaging with canonical literature due to the complexity of the language and the cultural references embedded in the original texts. Adaptations, however, allow them to participate meaningfully in shared curricular experiences, rather than being excluded or relegated to simplified materials that lack literary depth. This shared access not only bolsters their confidence but also affirms their capacity to engage critically with the same literary traditions as their native-speaking classmates. In doing so, students gain both the linguistic scaffolding and the cultural capital necessary to thrive academically, while also building a stronger sense of belonging and identity as contributors to classroom discussions and performances.
Conclusion
Theater-based engagement with such adapted Shakespeare texts also supports oral language development through performance, role play, and recitation, strengthening pronunciation, prosody, and overall communicative competence. Also, exposure to Shakespeare enhances students’ cultural literacy, offering insight into literary traditions that continue to influence global art, media, and storytelling. Finally, the collaborative nature of participating in drama and discussing these works fosters social interaction, creativity, and intercultural awareness, making the text not only a tool for language learning but also for personal and social growth among adolescent learners.