Anxiety in Learning and Performing a Shakespeare Play

Abstract

This paper explores anxiety among 33 undergraduate students of the English Language and Literature Studies programme in Universiti Sains Malaysia, specifically anxiety related to studying and performing a Shakespearean play. It also aims to investigate the positive effect of performance in aiding comprehension. The students’ task was to stage a public performance of Shakespeare's Othello in groups of 5 to 7. Each group was responsible for performing a 15 to 20minute segment of one whole Act of the play. The language of Shakespeare's text was largely retained in the performance. Questionnaire with items designed to gauge anxiety levels were distributed to the students prior to their devising their own adaptation of the Act assigned to them. Based on their responses in the questionnaire, the anxiety scores were tabulated, analysed and interpreted. After the performance and final examination, selected students were interviewed in focus groups to discuss their anxiety levels pre- and post- performance in relation to the text, the performance, as well as the effects of performance on comprehension of the text. The focus group members’ written answers on Othello in the final examination were also cross checked against information from the focus groups in an attempt to draw conclusions on whether performance did in fact enhance their comprehension of the play. The findings of this case study point to a positive trend in the co-relation between performance and overcoming anxiety when learning a Shakespeare play, resulting in more insightful answers in the final examination; thus arguing for the incorporation of performance to enhance the teaching and learning of literature.