Shakespeare T-Shirts

 

In celebration of the birthday of the Bard (the accepted date of which is April 23, 1564) one of the activities we will do is the creation of Shakespeare T-Shirts.  In brief, this project is to illustrate, in a medium of your choice on a t-shirt or sweat shirt, a Shakespearean quotation of your selection.

 

How to do it:

 

  • First, select a quotation
    • It should be something worthy of immortalizing on a shirt, something that makes you think and creates an interesting visual.
    • It should be a full thought, not a partial quote:
      • “That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan”
    • It should not be so generic or arcane as to make the viewer exclaim, “Huh?”
      • “Adam was a gardener.”
      • “Oh, by whom?”
  • Figure out how you are going to visualize it.
    • Comic interpretations are allowed although most t-shirts will be serious. 
    • Choose a medium for your presentation.  Some t-shirts in the past have incorporated:
      • Markers, pens, etc.
      • Puffy paints
      • Foam cut-outs
      • String
      • Wood blocks (glued to the shirt)
      • Sand (glued to the shirt)
      • Water (it was in a plastic bag that was affixed between two shirts)
      • Foil
      • Cut-up dolls’ heads (not recommended due to extreme weirdness)
      • Pipe cleaners (used to make a scene on the shirt)
    • Get a t-shirt to use.
      • Do not use an old ratty t-shirt, esp. one that is turned inside out.
      • Think about color; you can use it to your advantage
      • Short sleeve or long?
      • Remember that you will be wearing it as your outermost garment; be sure it is comfortable
    • Determine how best to illustrate the shirt.
      • Front only?
      • Back used as continuation or counterpoint?
      • Sleeves?  Collar?
  • Give yourself plenty of time to do the shirt. 
    • Many illustrations need two or three days to layer the work properly
    • Of course, you might screw it up the first time…

 

 

  • REQUIREMENTS:

 

    • The following must be on the shirt:
      • The quote itself, neatly written or printed
      • The notation for the quote’s location
        • Macbeth Act Two, Scene Three, Lines 45-47 would be Macbeth II. iii. 45-47
      • The illustration(s)
      • your name
  • With the t-shirt, you will need to prepare a one page explanation of your choices:
    • In this explanation you will:
      • Cite the quote
      • Explain your interpretation
      • Discuss specific visuals and why used
    • You will explain your interpretation (without simply reading your notes) to the class.