Animal imagery 1

Shakespeare makes more than 4,000 allusions to animals in his plays.  Aesop's Fables would have been familiar to Elizabethan audiences and there was a rich folk lore relating to mythical animals.  Some animals such as the snake were associated with villainy, others such as bees with industry and good government.

Create a list of animals and ask students to select one animal - this can be done randomly.

Ask students to identify the qualities that they associate with that animal.

Share responses.

Now ask students to create a character, describing the character in terms of the animal that they have previously described.  Remind them about metaphors and similes.